Tom Hootman, AIA, LEED AP BD+C

RNL, Director of Sustainability

Shanti Pless, LEED AP

NREL, Commercial Buildings Research Group

Michelle Slovensky, LEED AP BD+C

NREL, Senior Sustainability Manager
 Heating 36.2%

Cooling 5.3%

Fans 10.6%

Pumps 1.5%

DHW 2.8%

Lighting 21.9%

Equipment 21.7%

RSF Baseline Model

Without Data Center
 Radiant Ceilings

Underfloor
Ventilation

Thermal Mass Walls

Operable Windows
 Ambient lighting with
daylight sensors for 25 fc
Ambient daylight

6 watt task light

50 fc
 No Ceiling

Concrete Walls

Minimal Walls and

Partitions
80%

10%
MANAGER TRAINING NEWSLETTER

MOVE MEETINGS RSF EMAIL BOX

STAFF OPEN HOUSE WEB PAGE

You have switches – use them

If you are stuffy – open your window

If you open a window – close it

If you have glare – enable electrochromics

Turn on your power strip in the morning

 What is the
occupant’s role?
 Buildings are for people, so
where are they in the feedback
loop?
The Building Agent
app enables
occupants to
quantify and
communicate their
comfort levels to
the building.
• Four of the six thermal comfort
factors defined by ASHRAE
Standard 55 (ASHRAE 2004) are
addressed in the BA feedback
interface:
– Air and Radiant temperature
– Air speed
– Humidity

• Future versions of the app will add

methods to collect details on
occupant clothing and metabolic
rate, the two remaining comfort
factors
• The survey consisted of 65
questions based on LEED
requirements and examples
from the Center for the Built
Environment
• The app may be used to
disseminate other surveys in
the RSF or in other buildings
across the NREL campus
“Phidgets” collect
temperature,
humidity, and light
readings through a

Credit: Marjorie Schott(NREL)

USB port on
occupant’s
computer
Correlate local
measurements to
occupant feedback
Temperature Humidity Lighting Glare Noise Air Temp Lighting Humidity Timestamp
Comfort Comfort Comfort Comfort Comfort Movement C° Lux %
Comfort

Cold Dry Glare Noisy 23 354.0 28 05/23 17:13

 What about
occupant comfort?
OFFICE EQUIPMENT
Laptop 30 Watts
LCD Monitors 30 Watts
LED task lights 6 Watts
VOIP phones 2 Watts
iGo Power Smart Towers
Workstation Total 68 Watts

Shared Multi-function Devices

100 Watts (continuous)
NOISE LEVEL / PRIVACY
PINK NOISE
 45
East
40
Number of People

35 North
30 South
25 West
20
15
10
5
0
1 hour or less 1 to 4 hours More than 4 hours

Of the 273 survey responders Typical facing direction

in RSF layout
glare was reported as a problem
for:
36% of those facing east
31% of those facing west
46% of those facing north
58% of those facing south
GLARE CONTROL
Comfort Feedback from January 10 –June 6, 2012
Comfort Feedback from January 10 –June 6, 2012
MEASURING TEMPERATURE
OPERATIONAL CONTROLS
CBE STUDY

Adaptive Comfort in Mixed-Mode Buildings:

Research Support Facility, National Renewable Energy Lab
Gail Brager and Margaret Pigman
April 2013
Center for the Built Environment (CBE) University of California, Berkeley
LINK: http://escholarship.org/uc/item/9fd5k28h
 Which of the following do you personally adjust or control in your workspace?

Credit: CBE (Gail Brager and Margaret Pigman)

 WINDOW USE

Credit: CBE (Gail Brager and Margaret Pigman)

 WINDOW USE

Credit: CBE (Gail Brager and Margaret Pigman)

 WINDOW USE
REASON TO OPEN A WINDOW
To feel cooler 66%

To increase the air movement 54%

To feel warmer 3%

To let in fresh air 89%

To let out indoor smells, dust, or other pollution 20%

To hear outdoor sounds 20%

To experience the variety of the outdoor climate 26%

To conserve energy 43%

For nighttime cooling 9%

A co-worker requests that you open the window 9%

Management requests that you open the window 17%

Other: 9%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

% respondents

N=35
Credit: CBE (Gail Brager and Margaret Pigman)
 WINDOW USE
REASON TO CLOSE A WINDOW
To feel cooler 51%
The outdoor temperature is getting warmer than
60%
indoors
To feel warmer 46%

To reduce the air movement 17%

To keep out outdoor smells, dust, or other pollution 46%

To reduce outdoor sounds 57%

A co-worker requests that you close the window 14%

Management requests that you close the window 29%

To keep out bugs 17%

To conserve energy 54%

For safety or security reasons 9%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

% respondents
N=35
Credit: CBE (Gail Brager and Margaret Pigman)
 TEMPERATURE
Color Key
Satisfaction with Temperature
−3 −1 1 3
Value

57% 25% 50% 67% 50%

4th
7 4 2 6 22

100% 100% 100% 75% 87%

3rd
3 4 3 4 15

50% 71% 100% 83% 70%

2nd
8 7 1 6 23

61% 67% 71% 75% 65%

All
18 15 7 16 62

All
South.window

South.no.window

North.no.window

North.window

Credit: CBE (Gail Brager and Margaret Pigman)

 TEMPERATURE

RSF

Legend Mean value

Database -0.13
LEED 0.40
NREL 0.92
Mixed-Mode 0.32
Naturally Ventilated 1.43

Credit: CBE (Gail Brager and Margaret Pigman)

 AIR QUALITY
Color Key
Satisfaction with Air Quality
−3 −1 1 3
Value

71% 25% 50% 83% 64%

4th
7 4 2 6 22

100% 75% 100% 75% 87%

3rd
3 4 3 4 15

75% 71% 100% 83% 78%

2nd
8 7 1 6 23

78% 60% 71% 81% 73%

All
18 15 7 16 62

All
South.window

South.no.window

North.no.window

North.window

Credit: CBE (Gail Brager and Margaret Pigman)

 AIR QUALITY

RSF

Legend Mean value

Database 0.27
LEED 1.21
NREL 1.44
Mixed-Mode 1.63
Naturally Ventilated 2.25

Credit: CBE (Gail Brager and Margaret Pigman)

 PRODUCTIVITY
Please estimate how your productivity is increased or decreased
by the environmental conditions in this building (e.g., thermal,
lighting, acoustics, cleanliness):

Credit: CBE (Gail Brager and Margaret Pigman)

76% of the respondents felt that their productivity

was improved by the IEQ conditions in the building
EMPLOYEE
SATISFACTION