Renewable Energy Systems

for
Commercial Buildings

AIA Minnesota Conference

November 15, 2006

Niels Wolter
MSB Energy Associates Inc.
Madison, WI
 AIA and U.S. Conference of Mayors
2030 Initiative

Minimum 50% reduction of fossil fuels used to construct and

operate buildings by the year 2010

All new buildings be carbon neutral by 2030, using zero fossil

fuels to operate

NEED TO START NOW

 Emergency Zero Energy Building Standard
National AIA and MTS
under development
Integrative Design Process
Siting and Design
Baseline Energy Audit

Efficiency Energy Reductions

Carbon neutral energy systems (electric and thermal)
Produced on site
Purchase green power and green tags

SMART Consensus Sustainable Products (5%)

Accredited Professionals (audit, design, and systems construction and installation)
Sustainable Maintenance
Electric and Thermal/Natural Gas
Electric - relatively easy
Energy efficiency
Onsite renewable generation
Purchase Green Power
Thermal - harder
Energy efficiency
Onsite renewable heating and cooling
Switching to efficiency electric technologies
Purchase Green Tags
 Electric Strategies
Efficiency First (day lighting)
Renewable power generation
Solar about the only option in urban
areas
Wind at some sites
Wood/biogas power generation feasible at larger sites

Excess power to the grid

Net Energy Billing
Buy back rates

Purchase Utility Green Power

Renewable Electric

Solar Power
 Solar Energy
Equivalent to an eight inch layer of oil
covering the earth each year
100,000 Terawatts strike the earth,
humans use about 15 Terawatts
The Power of Solar
1000 watts of panel (~55 ft2)

Generates enough power

to drive a Tesla Roadster
16 miles/day

Cost of the solar system

about $8000

The new gas tank

Solar Electric System Components
Solar Panels or Modules
Inverter
Rack
Balance of System
 Typical Commercial Solar Electric
System
Roof mounted
Grid connected
No Batteries
Professionally installed

Simple
no moving parts

limited maintenance
 Crystalline Silica Solar
Module = many cells
Over 95% of market
Modules up to 19.3% eff.
55 ft2 per kW of module

Cell

SunPower
SPR 315
 Solar Electric Systems
Modules have 20 to 25 year warranties
Modules made by GE, Sharp Kyocera, BP
Inverters have up to 10 year warranties
Everything is UL approved
Certified installers
 Reliability
4.6 Megawatt AZ Solar Electric Plant

Online since 2002

Availability 99.72%
No onsite staff
Remotely monitored

Annual maintenance cost

0.16% of installed cost
 Racking Options
Fix Mounted
Single axis tracking: East West
24% production gain
Dual axis tracking: East West & Up Down
31% production gain

10 kW Dual Axis Tracking System

 Solar Electric System Production
One kW fix-mounted system
Requires 50ft2 to 150ft2 of modules
1 kW system in full sun for 1 hour = ~1 kWh

Production (kWh) per year/kW of modules

City Fix Mounted Dual Axis Tracking
Minneapolis 1286 1738
Duluth 1222 1649
St. Cloud 1282 1747
Rochester 1248 1695
St Cloud 1185 1617
 Solar Siting
To achieve 90% of maximum production
Facing between 45o E and W of S

Tilting between 20o and 55o

Minimize shading and snow cover

Shading
Determined using tool (e.g., Solar Pathfinder)

Acceptable shading site owners decision

 Production & Orientation

Orientation Production cut by

Flat laying 17%
Vertical south facing 21%
Vertical east/west facing 40%
 Summer Sunny Weekday Load Shapes
Medium Commercial Customer

10
Weekday summer
8
6 7.5 KW fixed PV
kWh

4 Summer
Net Load Shape
2
0
1

10

13

16

19

22
hours

Seven hour 9 kW mid-day-peak

reduced to five hour late-afternoon 7.5 kW peak

Source commercial load shape Alliant Il.

PV data from MGE, Edgewood High School, Madison, July 22 2005
 Average Component Costs
Systems installed in Wisconsin 2006
$804 Inverter
$427
Rack
$376 BOS
$331
Tax &
shipping

$4,541

Panels $1,334
Labor

Inverter Rack BOS

Tax & ship Labor Panels

Installed Cost $7,813/ KW installed

Data from 33 fix mounted systems totaling 137 kilowatts

 Modules on Flat Roofs

Common when siting at commercial buildings

Positives
Unshaded, under utilized space, out of reach, free

Negatives
Not visible reduced educational and PR benefits

Issues
Roof loading: panels, wind, snow

Can be hard place to do maintenance

Roof warrantee
 Ballasted Flat Roof Racks
Upright racks tie into pans filled with roof
ballast
No roof penetrations
Use existing ballast stones
Typical module slopes 20o to 30o

Waunakee Community High School

Modules Flat on the Roof
Positives
Very easy to install

Improves roof R-value

Extends roof life

Negatives
Reduced production

Snow cover

Veterans Administration Building, Chicago

Goggle Campus: Mountain View, California

System Size:1.6 MW
Energy Output: 2,611,719 kWh per year
Savings: $393,000 + annually

C02 emissions reduced by 3.6 million pounds/year

Clipped to Standing Seam Roofing
Key Positive
Visible

Long-lived roof and panel

Easy installation seam clips

Negatives
Price of roofing
 Fixed Mounted Grid Connected
competitive price $8,000/ kW, full sun 1250 kWh/year

Solar electric roof frames:

PV Solar Energy Ltd, Australia

Urban Ecology Center, Milwaukee

Lathrop Shed
MCC, Madison
PV Standing Seam Roofing
full sun 1250 kWh/year

Made by UniSolar
www.uni-solar.com
 Solar Electric Awnings
full sun 1250 kWh/year

Memorial High School, Madison, WI

Reduce summer cooling loads

Use passive solar design to let in
winter sunshine Fox Valley Tech College, Appleton WI
 PV Shingles/Slates
full sun 1250 kWh/year

General Electric System, CA

Bahr Home, Madison, WI

Sharp PV
System,
California

Middleton Alternative High School,

Middleton, WI
 Overhead Solar Electric Glass

Golden Gate National Park

Solar energy consultants home, California

 Solar Electric glazing, faades,
curtain walls, awnings

Spire Solar

More costly than

standard panels

Schott Solar
Wolter Home, Madison, WI

Dane Co Zoo, Madison, WI

Dual Axis Tracking Grid

Connected
competitive price $9,500/ kW
full sun 1700 kWh/year
Solar Sun Flowers, CA
 Solar Flags

IBEW Union Hall

Heart Lung Association, CA

Systems for education and public relations need not

be large
Rather they need to be visible and attractive
 20 kW Commercial
Very competitive installed cost: $130,000
Federal Tax Credit: $39,000

Federal five-year depreciation: $41,880

Minnesota Solar Electric Rebate: $20,000

Utility incentives (MN Power & Great River)
Cost to customer: $29,120
Value of Power 8 cents per kWh
Assumed increases 8% per year

Power sales over ten years: $28,550

Net cost after ten years: - $570

Simple payback in 11 years
Assumptions: located in MN, unshaded, fix mounted facing due south with 30 degree slope,
generates 24,640 kWh/year, $6000 O&M costs in first ten years, and owner at 30% federal tax rate.
 20 kW Non Profit Owned
Very Competitive Installed cost: $130,000
Minnesota Solar Electric Rebate: $20,000
Utility incentives (MN Power & Great River)
Federal Tax Benefits: $0
Cost to customer: $110,000

Value of Power (net metering) 8 cents per kWh

Assumed increasing 8% per year

Power sales $28,550

Net cost after ten years: $81,450

Payback >>> 20 years
Assumptions: located in MN, unshaded, fix mounted facing due south with 30 degree slope,
generates 24,640 kWh/year, and $6000 O&M costs in first ten years.
 Booming
Market

Technology changing very rapidly

Worldwide R&D, Venture capital, IPOs
Sales growing 35% a year
Cost effective in five to ten years
Buildings Should be Solar Ready
Suitable Roof Space
Able to structurally support modules with
wind & snow loading
Orientation

Limit shading from rooftop vents &

mechanicals
Conduit runs to closest utility room
Thermal strategies

HVAC & Water heating

Efficiency First (HVAC)
Heat & energy recovery ventilators - last
Earth tubes
Transpired air collectors
Solar thermal
Water heating
Switching natural gas to renewable electric
Heat pumps
Solar thermal seasonal storage

Purchase Green Tags

 Earth Ducts

Parallel Buried Pipes: concrete, sloped for drainage

Winter: Warms incoming air to ground temperature.
Summer: Cools incoming air to ground temperature.
Driving Mechanism: can be mechanical or natural
 Earth Ducts
+ Air Filters: HEPA or - Non Standard Technology:
ultraviolet (significant - Cleaning: required by code
reduction in fan power) in some areas
+ Ductwork: does NOT - Performance: requires
require return ducts analysis
+ Noise: none if naturally - Higher Installation Cost
vented
+ Aesthetics: invisible
The Nature of The Beast (Madison)

Supply Air

Winter
comfort

Summer
comfort
Earth Duct Performance (Madison)
The Nature of The Beast (Duluth)

Supply Air

Winter
comfort

Summer
comfort
Earth Duct Performance (Duluth)
Whats Behind the Curtain?
Transpired Air Collectors
Solar air preheater
Siting: south facing walls
Buildings with large ventilation
requirements
Simple, inexpensive, easy to
maintain
Fan only moving part

Denver Walmart Supercenter

8000 ft2

$17,000 savings per year

 Transpired Air Collectors

University of Wisconsin Green Bay

Made by Conserval
Solar Thermal Water Heating

Solar Mining
Can augment space heating
Solar Hot Water- Commercial

Markets: School and hotel

swimming pools, hospitals,
health clubs, Laundromats
Flat Plate Collectors
Proven technology
Durable
Temperature operating
range perfect for domestic
hot water and space
heating
Repairable

Mature technologu

Source: Bob Ramlow, Artha Renewable

Standard Water Heating System
Closed Loop Antifreeze

Source: Bob Ramlow, Artha Renewable

Commercial Solar Thermal System Prices:
Wisconsin
2006
5 System installed

Average price: $44/therm

Average price: $79/ft2

Competitive price: $44/ft2

2 therms produced per year per ft2 of panel

Source: Focus on Energy

 Economics
Federal Tax Incentives
30% Tax Credit
Accelerated Depreciation
Improve when displaced electric heating
Improve
By limiting storage: Indoor pool heating
Sites using hot water during daylight hours
Improve with larger systems
Hospitals
Hotels
Health Clubs
Larger commercial systems payback can be under
5 years
Evacuated Tube Solar Thermal
Evacuated Tube Solar Thermal
Reduced losses
Will not shed snow
Function better on cloudy
days
Can get up to 350 oF
More expensive

The solar technology to match

with absorption chillers
Seasonal Energy Storage

Storing Solar Energy

For
Winter Heating
 Seasonal Water Storage
Rough numbers

Wisconsin residential customers

Average space heating ~ 1000 therms/year

Storage tank (water at 100 oF) about 5,400

gallons or 8' x 20' x 200
 Drake Landing

50+ houses.

Calgary, Alberta.

Sunny Cold Winter, Sunny Summer.

Goal: provide more than 90% of annual space and

water heating needs with solar.
 Thermal Storage
Collectors
800 flat plate collectors
25,000 ft2 total area

Short Term Storage

Short term storage
2 tanks, each 12.5 ft x 35 ft
~ 30,000 gal each

Long Term (Seasonal) Storage

144 bores
Each 115 ft deep and 6 in diameter.
Long term storage
 Drake Landing Results
Initial Design:
Solar collector field by a solar expert
Thermal storage by a GHP expert
Controls by a controls expert

Energy Modeling
Model the entire system
As designed: 50% annual solar fraction
Redesigned using simulation: 93%

What happened?
Synergy and dysynergy between system components!
Lesson: you have to look at the whole picture.
 Heat Pumps

Heating Efficiently with Electricity

Same engineering principle as air conditioners

 Heat Pumps

Heat Pump: single unit that can either heat or cool.

Summer: remove heat from the building, reject it to the ambient.
Winter: remove heat from the ambient, reject it to the building.

High Efficiency: COP 3.0 (as compared to < 1.0 for

boilers / furnaces)
Electric
 Air Source Heat Pumps
Air to Air Heat Pump
Conditioned, forced air systems.
mild climates (it is hard to
extract energy from cold winter
air)
Air to Water Heat Pump
Radiant (floors, radiators, cooling
panels) systems.
mild climates (it is hard to
extract energy from cold air)
Uncommon (except for heat
pump water heaters)
 Ground Source Heat Pumps

Water to Air Heat Pump Water to Water Heat Pump

Conditioned, forced air systems. Radiant (floors, radiators, cooling

panels) systems.
Water heaters
 Ground Source Heat Pumps

Ground Storage: dirt has a large capacity to store thermal

energy (best if wet)

Summer: extract energy from the building, put it in the

ground
Winter: extract energy from the (heated) ground, put it in
the building.
 GSHP Advantages and Rules of
Thumb
Higher Efficiency: as compared to air source heat pumps
because the ground is more temperate than the air.
Lower Maintenance: all equipment is indoors. Air source
heat pumps have an outdoor unit.

Loop Length: is determined by peak heating and cooling

requirements and by the ratio of heating to cooling
requirement.
Most Efficient: when building heating and cooling
requirements are equal.
Bore Field: ~ 250 ft/ton.
Drilling Costs: ~ 10-20 $/ft.
 NEW Low Temperature
Air-Sourced Heat Pump
Hallowell International
building distributor network
Add booster compressor, sub cooling
economizer, etc.
Currently available in 2 and 3 tons
Heating performance
2.2 COP at 30 oF
2.6 COP at 0 oF
3.4 COP at 30 oF
No backup electric resistance heating
Cooling: hoping for SEER 16

www.gotohallowell.com
Outdoor Air Pretreatment

Fresh Air: required for

occupant comfort and indoor air
quality.
Winter: Ambient air is too cold
and dry need to heat and
humidify.
Summer: Ambient air is too
hot and wet need to cool and
dehumidify.
Dehumidification: overcool,
then reheat!
Energy Recovery Ventilator

Heat Exchange: Recover

energy from stale exhaust air
Winter: Warms incoming air.
Summer: Cools incoming air
Mechanically Driven: Two
fans are required
 Energy Recovery Ventilators (ERVs)
+ Proven Technology: - Mechanical Filters:
designers know how to deal additional fan power, high
with it. replacement cost
+ Standard Technology: - Ductwork: requires a return
maintenance staff know how duct.
to deal with them. - Maintenance: filters
+ Performance: simple to - Noise: can be significant
assess.
- Aesthetics: commercial sizes
+ Lower Installation Cost may require an outdoor unit
ERV Performance (Madison)
ERV Performance (Duluth)
 What Do They Look Like?

Indoor Installation Outdoor Installation

Overhead Installation
Residential Installation

Sources: http://www.greenheck.com

http://americanstandardair.com
 Marketing Solar/Zero Energy
Audience : Innovators and Early Adopters
Who are they
Green & Tech businesses interested in community
relations
Educational sites
Who they are not
Interested in a short payback period thats the
majority
Messages
It is cool
It is about values
Ready for the market
Free energy
 David Bradley
Thermal Energy System Specialists, LLC
(608) 274 . 2577

bradley@tess-inc.com
Thermal Energy System Specialists,
LLC
Energy Modeling and Analysis
In support of architects, engineers and national labs.

LEEDTM Modeling

Software Development for Energy Analysis

TRNSYS Training and Technical Support

 Tools
TRNSYS: component based simulation software
Buildings
Solar Processes
Emphasis on renewables
EXTENSIBLE (easy to write new models if you can describe
the physics behind a process)

CONTAM: natural ventilation and air flow modeling

 Niels Wolter
MSB Energy Associates Inc
(608) 831-1127 x308
wolter@msbnrg.com