US Sows the CEED for Energy-Efficient Education

Reposted from Australian Green Building


Passive housing, modeled from the original German Passivhaus technology, is commonly known for high insulation, low or no reliance on grid energy, and all around energy efficiency.
This kind of green building is associated with some of the most stringent design and building practices and running analysis in the sector. It is founded on the notion of sustainable operation through a natural moderation of interior temperatures – achieved through an airtight design – with ventilation taking place through a Heat Recovery Ventilator (HRV) or Energy Recovery Ventilator (ERV).
“What Passivhaus technology is, is basically a building-physics methodology for modeling the energy performance of buildings very accurately and fairly easily,” said Adam Cohen, Passivhaus planner and co-founder of Structures Design Build.
Creating a building using these principles – and in so doing, becoming the first of its kind – is the Center of Energy Efficient Design (CEED) in Rocky Mount, Virginia. CEED stands as the first public school to be built using Passivhaus principles and currently uses 68 per cent less energy to run than conventionally-developed schools.
“We knew Passivhaus technology would deliver on results, but it’s always gratifying to get a year’s worth of data to see how accurate the predictions turn out,” says Cohen. “It’s clear this relatively new technology is here to stay.”

The results to which he refers consist of the 10,050 kWh of energy used within the first year of running, which compares incredibly favourably to a relative standard building’s output of 33,852 kWh of energy. The building will stand as an education prototype, teaching both students and the US industry, though the latter has not yet shown a notable interest in that particular green building practice. “The idea is that the CEED building will be a central piece of the teaching in this county,” says Cohen. “The other piece of this that’s really cool is that the teachers are going to take all the lesson plans from the CEED and put it on the Web for any teacher, anywhere in the world to access. They can use the real-time data of the building, in terms of energy saved and water conserved, in their lessons.” Much like a number of developments in educational facilities here in Australia, the Virginia-based school will use its own monitoring systems as dual teaching/learning tools, using the building as an instrument of – in addition to being a site for – learning. CEED stands as one of the strongest promotional examples of the passive building technique in the US. However, as Cohen attests, as the running results of these building are collected, their popularity only increases. By Tim Moore

Gereau Center, CEED wins national award

The Franklin County campus is named Green Ribbon School Wednesday, April 25, 2012 By JOEL TURNER - Staff Writer

Franklin County's Gereau Center is one of 78 schools in 29 states that have received the first National Green Ribbon Schools awards. The awards were announced in Washington, D.C., Monday by U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. "Science, environmental and outdoor education play a central role in providing children with a well-rounded education, helping them prepare for the future," Duncan said. "U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools demonstrate compelling examples of the ways schools can help children build real-world skill sets, cut school costs and provide healthy learning environments," he said. The National Green Ribbon Schools are "protecting our children's health and opening up environmental educational opportunities for students," Duncan added. The Gereau Center includes the Center for Energy Efficient Design (CEED), the first public school building in the United States with Passivhaus technology and standards to achieve certification from the Passive House Institute US. The CEED, the brainchild of teachers John Richardson and Neil Sigmon, was eight years in the planning and construction phases and cost approximately $1.4 million, with more than $400,000 in-kind donations from building firms and other businesses. The CEED is a net zero, energy-efficient building. Using technologies of PassivHaus design, earth berming, south facing solar orientation, thermal mass, geothermal energy, photovaltaics, solar hot water heaters, electricity-producing wind turbines, rainwater harvesting, energy efficient appliances and daylighting, the building produces more energy than it needs to operate. Not only is the CEED saving energy, but it is an airtight structure with an air exchanger that ensures that there is is constant circulation of air from the outside. The Gereau Center is one of only two schools in Virginia to receive the national award. The other school was Fishburn Park Elementary School in Roanoke City. Kevin Bezy, principal of the Gereau Center, said that the school's teachers and staff deserve credit for the award. In an email to the staff, Bezy said that "all of your had a part in this award because of the teaching and activities that you conduct regularly, but also by the example that you give in your daily practices and in the way you portray stewardship." Bezy said that the national award is a "significant milestone in the history of the Gereau Center." The Gereau Center was selected earlier by Virginia's Green Ribbon Schools Selection Team as one of the state's three nominees for the national awards. Linda Wallinger, state assistant superintendent for instruction, notified Franklin County school officials about the Gereau Center's nomination for a national award. Thirty-eight states participate in the national awards program by the United States Department of Education. The awards recognize schools that save energy, reduce costs, feature environmentally sustainable learning spaces, protect health, foster wellness and offer environmental education.

CEED Becomes First Public School to Use Passivhaus Technology in the U.S.

By Torrey Sims (04/18/2012)

The Center of Energy Efficient Design in Rocky Mount, Va., is the first public school to use the energy-efficient Passivhaus technology, which has enabled it to use 68 percent less energy than conventional schools. Passivhaus technology came about when Professors Bo Adamson of Sweden and Wolfgang Feist of Germany reviewed the U.S. building methods of the 1970s and saw energy efficiency could be achieved in simpler ways. “What Passivhaus technology is, is basically a building-physics methodology for modeling the energy performance of buildings very accurately and fairly easily,” said Adam Cohen, co-founder of Structures Design Build and a certified Passivhaus planner in North America and Europe. Passivhaus primarily consists of high levels of insulation and air-tightness in the fabric used in buildings, according to Building Research Establishment. In CEED’s first year, the 3,503-square-foot building consumed 10,050 kilowatt-hours of energy — 5.9 percent more efficient than predicted when the building opened in November 2010. A typical code building of its size would have consumed 33,852 kilowatt-hours of energy. “We knew Passivhaus technology would deliver on results, but it’s always gratifying to get a year’s worth of data to see how accurate the predictions turn out,” Cohen said. “It’s clear this relatively new technology is here to stay.” CEED was designed as a demonstration school to show students and future developers Passivhaus’ impact on design when it comes to sustainability and cost-saving results. “The idea is that the CEED building will be a central piece of the teaching in this county,” Cohen said. “The other piece of this that’s really cool is that the teachers are going to take all the lesson plans from the CEED and put it on the Web for any teacher, anywhere in the world to access. They can use the real-time data of the building, in terms of energy saved and water conserved, in their lessons.” Spreading the Word Although the U.S. has only a little more than 100 buildings with Passivhaus technology, the method has been internationally praise and is now recognized as a green building standard in Europe. More than 30,000 residential, educational and commercial buildings there use Passivhaus. “A few years after these buildings are being built and they start performing, people look at it and go, oh, golly maybe those things really do work,” Cohen said. “We’re starting to get data back and see that yes, we are seeing 70 percent energy savings, then what happens in almost every country is you have this tremendous growth in interest and implementation of Passivhaus. People can’t get enough of it after they realize that it actually works.” Energy Efficient Installations Passivhaus supports energy-efficient installations, Cohen said, but usually at a smaller scale that results in higher energy savings and lower installation costs than typical energy-efficient buildings have. “Typically, on most of the Passivhaus projects — at the very least we’re using is a passive geothermal loop,” Cohen said. “The geothermal loop consists of a geothermal pipe buried underground that uses natural ground air instead of a typical heat pump.” Passivhaus leads to high indoor air quality, low energy use and, in most cases, energy savings of 70 percent more than a standard building method. The idea is spreading in the U.S. to more than just CEED. Cohen is also in the process of completing the Malcolm Rosenberg Hillel at Virginia Tech. The Rosenberg Hillel is set to open in the spring or summer of 2012 and will host activities, classes and prayer. “Pretty much every building that I’ve done so far I’ve had to introduce people to the idea and convince them that it’s a good idea,” Cohen said. “But I feel like that’s changing because people are starting to get the idea and I’m starting to get calls from people around the country who are doing larger projects and I’m consulting on those.”

Gereau Center, CEED up for national award

Monday, April 2, 2012

By JOEL TURNER - Staff Writer

Franklin County's Gereau Center is one of Virginia's three nominees for National Green Ribbon Schools awards that will be announced in April.

The Gereau Center was selected by Virginia's Green Ribbon Schools Selection Team as one of the state's three nominees for the national awards.
Linda Wallinger, state assistant superintendent for instruction, has notified Franklin County school officials about the Gereau Center's nomination for a national award.
Thirty-eight states participate in the national awards program by the United States Department of Education.
The awards recognize schools that save energy, reduce costs, feature environmentally sustainable learning spaces, protect health, foster wellness and offer environmental education.
The Gereau Center includes the Center for Energy Efficient Design (CEED) because it is part of Gereau's campus.
Kevin Bezy, Gereau's principal, said he thinks the Gereau Center has a strong case for a national award. "I have my fingers crossed," he said.
The CEED, the brainchild of teachers John Richardson and Neil Sigmon, was eight years in the planning and construction phases and cost approximately $1.4 million, with more than $400,000 in-kind donations from building firms and other businesses.
The CEED is a net zero, energy-efficient building. Using technologies of PassivHaus design, earth berming, south facing solar orientation, thermal mass, geothermal energy, photovaltaics, solar hot water heaters, electricity-producing wind turbines, rainwater harvesting, energy efficient appliances and daylighting, the building produces more energy than it needs to operate.
The CEED is the first public school building in the United States with Passivhaus technology and standards to achieve certification from the Passive House Institute U.S. The cost for Passivhaus technology adds only about 5 percent to the cost, but the additional cost can be recovered in energy savings in four or five years.
Not only is the CEED saving energy, but it is an airtight structure with an air exchanger that ensures that there is is constant circulation of air from the outside.

CEED Website

Click on the image to go to the new website!

The first years data is in!!

We have our first year results from CEED (Center for Energy
Efficient Design) complete.


1. CEED Energy Summary - Shows we were 6% below our predicted energy
usage and 68% below our modeled baseline [i.e., what a building that
size would normally use]!!


2. Thermal comfort survey shows 0% dissatisfied users!!

PASSIVHAUS ROCKS!

Thank you everyone for your help!

For more info click here.

Congressman 'impressed' with CEED

Monday, February 27, 2012

By JOEL TURNER - Staff Writer Franklin News Post

Fifth District Congressman Robert Hurt got a first hand look last week at the Center for Energy Efficient Design at the Gereau Center.

Hurt was given a guided tour of the CEED and the Gereau Center by Kevin Bezy, the principal, and John Richardson, an environmental science teacher.
Hurt also met many of the staff members and told them that he was impressed with the school.
The CEED is the first public school building in the United States with Passivhaus technology and standards to achieve certification from the Passive House Institute U.S.
Richardson explained to the congressman the background and standards of the Passivhaus technology, which is a German term for a new trend in construction that meets new standards in energy efficiency.
"Your enthusiasm is obvious," Hurt told Richardson.
Richardson said that the cost for Passivhaus technology adds only about 5 percent to the cost of construction, but the additional cost can be recovered in 90 percent energy savings.
Richardson told Hurt that Ferrum College and Virginia Western Community College hope to send students to visit the CEED and study its technology.
The building also has a carbon footprint that reduces carbon dioxide emissions by more than 70 percent over other new buildings.
CEED uses solar panels, rainwater recycling and triple-glass thermal windows, among other innovations.
Richardson also explained the operation of the CEED mechanical room to Hurt.
Hurt also toured the Media Design Studio at the Gereau Center and sat with students at the studio desk. He was interviewed by Gereau students for the school's daily television program.

Newest Article about CEED

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CEED Article

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We did it!

The Center for Energy Efficient Design has officially become the first Certified Passivhaus Public School Project in the United States.

What a long strange trip it's been.

On the positive side, we are only using an average of 19kWh / day!

CEED Update

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CEED Update

RAIN!

CEED Update

We broke ground on the CEED a two weeks ago and true to Murphy's Law of Construction, it promptly rained, and rained and rained. I thought about looking for gopherwood and converting my measurements to cubits, but the rain has eased and we hope to get footings in the ground soon.

Ground is Broken!!!!!!! 11/11/09

Some CEED Photos

11/10/09 Arriving on site

11/10/09 Getting Started

11/11/09 Getting ready for Rain!

CEED Update

Well this week has found considerable movement on the CEED center front. Even though we have had our permits ready for over one month, we were waiting for the final go ahead from the school folk. We received that go ahead on Thursday, so hopefully we will be breaking ground this coming week! I will keep posting pictures once we break ground so please stay tuned!

Passivhaus Conference Report

The national Passivhaus conference was completed today. It was an exciting time for me and other sticks and bricks nerds. It was very exciting to see the projects that are just getting ready to break ground. I hope that by next year's conference we will see a ten fold increase in Passivhaus projects in the US. I gave a presentation on the CEED, and it was warmly received. What was amazing was to meet the folks from all over the US that share the passion for this technology. I hope that I am able to find a market segment in my region that will embrace this and that I will be able to create the structures of the future along with the many talented folk I met in Illinois. My fear is that without a crisis, folks in Southwestern VA will not be interested in Ultra High Performance, Healthy, Low Carbon, Zero Energy Buildings.

Virginia Energy Symposium

This past week I attended the Virginia Energy Symposium, held in Lexington, VA. The symposium was somewhat informative and yet, to me, depressing. There were 400 or so folk who showed up, most of the regular characters you find at such things: solar, wind and biomass folks, utility reps, college facility people, politicians or there reps, etc..

As I circulated among the seminars and talked to the people at the conference, I got a very clear understanding of how far we are from grasping the scope of the change that needs to be made. At this symposium, I found just what I expected, many of the people on the front lines of energy policy change and renewable generation had a clear understanding of just how much has to happen in a small amount of time.

Unfortunately, the political folks had not an inkling of understanding. I will site two examples and you judge for yourself:

At a symposium where an Assistant Secretary of DOE gave a presentation, he discussed the much needed work to be done on existing buildings in the area of energy retrofits. This is a huge potential for carbon reduction that is easily achievable and compared to other carbon reduction strategies, relatively inexpensive. After the presentation during the question and answer portion I asked if we could get Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to make it mandatory that any home purchased using their funds (which is the majority of all homes sold in the US) have an energy audit done. We could get folks used to doing them and use this to quantify the homes energy footprint in an eye towards making energy upgrades mandatory with the sale of homes. This is a program that is not pie in the sky, rather it is currently being done in the UK. The answer was depressing a generic, "we are looking into many ways of encouraging energy audits". To me this was the failure to recognize two facts, first is that the US taxpayer now runs Fannie and Freddie (for all intents and purposes) and secondly it would take no political maneuvering, as Fannie and Freddie can impose that type of requirement at will.

The second was what happened at the final symposium, the summation of the conference. They had four speakers, one from biomass, solar and wind and one from the governors office. After the presentations during the questions and answer period I asked this question:

I said that it seemed to me that all the presenters were ignoring the elephant in the room. Every alternative energy presenter lamented the fact that it is hard to compete with the cheap energy we have in Virginia, and that with little political and financial support from Richmond, the alternative energy community was facing a tough road. The elephant is Virginia's cheap energy. I asked the governors rep. this ~ since we all generally agree that we need sustainable, non-polluting sources of energy in Virginia and that we have cheap energy here in the olde dominion, why not use that as a positive and raise the cost of energy to create the revenue to pursue a faster switch to a sustainable future. The response was once again what I expected, the gov's rep started in saying that Virginia could not act "in a vacuum" and that making a change while the rest of the US and the world did not would hurt Virginia. I responded that we cannot abdicate our responsibility for climate change and that is exactly what he was doing by making that argument. He said "I did not say that" to which I said, "you most certainly did". With that the moderator took another question.

This is the situation and the problem. Left in the hands of the politicians, who are guided by those with alot of money and a vested interest in business as usual we are screwed! So once again I am making a call to action.

Good luck!

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