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The new Richard C. Seaver Biology
Building includes green-friendly
features that conserve energy. |
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Pomona College’s Richard C. Seaver Biology Building has been
awarded a silver certification by the U.S. Green Building
Council’s LEED system, placing the building in the top one
percent of all academic laboratory building the country in
terms of energy-conscious design. To achieve this,
architects and builders had to satisfy a wide range of
criteria, from choosing a sustainable building site to
maximizing water efficiency to recycling building materials.
Features include a charging station for electric vehicles,
solar panels, water-efficient California-friendly plants,
and much more. The result is a building that exceeds
California energy-related design codes (Title 24) by 25
percent, yielding an estimated $75,000 per year in energy
savings compared to a building that meets current Title 24
energy requirements. The building opened for classes in
Spring 2005.
The building’s annual 280 mega-kilowatt-hours (mWh) of
energy savings is the equivalent of the annual energy use of
13 average homes. This savings mean 114.1 tons of CO2
emissions are saved per year, or the equivalent of 22 cars
taken off the road for the whole year. Where do these
savings come from? Here are some of the contributors:
- The building’s 2.5 kW photovoltaic solar array provides 5 mWh of electricity each year (translating directly into the
same amount of energy savings). This is the equivalent of
keeping on 25 100-watt light bulbs all day for a year,
making 25,000 pots of coffee in an electric coffee maker, or
running a microwave for 208 days straight. Based on the
college’s normal energy portfolio, this solar array saves
1.5 tons of CO2 emissions per year, or the equivalent of 155
gallons of gas, 3,480 miles not driven, or 950 pounds of
waste diverted from the landfill.
- Seaver’s “cool roof” materials generate an energy savings
of 8,623 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year by reflecting more
sunlight (and thus heat) back into the atmosphere, meaning
the building requires less energy to stay cool. This energy
is the equivalent of doing 1,819 loads of laundry in the
washing machine and dryer or running a vacuum all day for
the entire year. It also results in 2.6 tons of CO2 savings
per year, the equivalent of 269 gallons of gasoline and
1,580 pounds of waste diverted from a landfill.
The Seaver building’s low-flow toilets, waterless urinals,
and other water-saving techniques save 35,200 gallons of
water each year, or the equivalent of taking two 10-minute
showers every day for the entire year, doing 782 loads of
laundry, flushing a normal toilet over 7,000 times, or doing
2,347 loads of dishes in a dishwasher.
Innovative runoff-retention technology keeps 24,356 gallons
of water from running down storm drains each year. This
keeps pollution out of natural waterways, allowing soils and
plants to clean the water the way the earth intended.
LEED design elements include
Sustainable Sites
- EV (Electric Vehicle) station
- Bick racks and nearby showers
- Carpool spaces
- Alternate transportation of bus lines and trains
- Stormwater management and flow reduction during
construction and of finished site
- Cool roof and paving surfaces to reduce heat island effect
- Reduced light pollution with cut off fixtures and no
up-lighting
Water Efficiency
- Efficient irrigation system
- Water efficient California friendly plants
- Waterless urinals and double flush toilets
Energy & Atmosphere
- Efficient lighting system including daylighting and
occupancy controls, efficient fixtures, excellent
daylighting design
Efficient mechanical system including thermal energy
storage
- Elimination of CFC’s and Halon refrigerants
- Photovoltaic system
- Building commissioning to ensure that system function as
designed
Material Resources
- Design for recycling
- 75% recycled and salvaged construction materials from
demolition
- 10% recycled material in new materials
- 20% of locally or regionally manufactured materials
- 10% locally harvested, extracted, or recovered materials
- Certified wood
- Elimination of unnecessary materials (e.g. exposed
concrete floors) and rapidly renewable materials
Indoor Environmental Quality
- IAQ (Indoor Air Quality) performance during and after
construction
- Low-emitting materials, adhesives, sealants, paint, carpet
- Entryway grills to keep pollutants out of building
- Operable windows to give occupants control and to provide
fresh air
- Green housekeeping policy
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