February BESF: ASHRAE's LowDown Showdown - Modeling an Archival Facility in a Warm Coastal Climate

February Building Energy Simulation Forum: ASHRAE’s LowDown Showdown - Modeling an Archival Facility in a Warm Coastal Climate

ASHRAE’s LowDown Showdown is a conceptual design and energy modeling competition, part of the annual Building Performance Analysis Conference. The assignment for 2017 required modeling an existing library archival facility in the Washington, D.C., metro area, then designing and modeling an energy-efficient renovation with the goal of approaching net-zero energy. A significant challenge was the stringent setpoints in the storage area of 60 degrees and 40 percent humidity year-round.

PAE’s team of engineers and modelers submitted the winning entry, with conservation measures including intelligent lighting, a green wall, efficient desiccant dehumidification and a geothermal heat pump system. This presentation will demonstrate how modeling was used in the analysis of the existing conditions to identify savings opportunities, as well as in the final proposed design.

*Boxed lunches will be provided*

*If you are unable to attend in person, register as a remote attendee and the phone and webinar login information will be emailed to you*

About the presenter:

James Cullin, Ph.D., PE
Mechanical Engineer, PAE

James arrived in Portland in 2014 after completing his doctoral degree in mechanical engineering at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma. His graduate work focused on the simulation and performance of geothermal heat pump systems. At PAE, James uses various modeling and analysis tools to identify and assess energy-saving opportunities as part of sustainable building design. Projects in James’s portfolio include OHSU’s Knight Cancer Research Building and the Oregon Zoo Education Center, which is expected to achieve net-zero energy operation.