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Sustainable public building model. Green Lighthouse with LEED GOLD certification
At the time we already talked about the characteristics of the LEED certification in sustainable buildings (Here). In this article we will comment on some of the most significant criteria on the design and technical characteristics of the Green Lighthouse building located at the University of Copenhagen, which contribute to making it one of the most representative sustainable buildings in Europe, being the first public building in Denmark to achieve Leed Gold certification. It is a building that practically does not generate CO2 emissions, intended for offices as well as for students of the Copenhagen Faculty of Sciences.
Building concepts and designGreen Lighthouse.
It's about a sustainable and energy efficient building designed to achieve a correct balance between indoor climate, architecture and new technologies to minimize CO2 emissions and eliminate their environmental impact. The fundamental criterion that was applied for its design was based on achieving maximum use of natural light, based on the application of basic sustainability concepts, to achieve an optimal design that would allow to substantially reduce its energy demands.
Based on this premise, it was decided to opt for a circular shape with windows that were located exactly, based on a simulation carried out, to achieve maximum light gain and allow adequate ventilation inside the same, having carried out an important initial study to guarantee that said objective was achieved. To achieve the maximum capture of natural light, the building has windows not only on its cylindrical façade but also on the roof.
It has a design that allows a behavior similar to if it were a solar lamp that is capable of capturing light in any situation and at any time, such use allows the building to require a minimum of artificial light, which has an impact on consumption Of electricity.
The windows of the same have frames with high insulation and glass that provide good thermal insulation that reduces heat losses and simultaneously allows the building to gain sunlight. They present as sun protection systems shutters with Venetian louvers in front of them, which are adjusted automatically and in this way an adequate recovery of light is achieved to reflect it towards the center of the building and thus "distribute" and make it reach the same to all the rooms inside.
Its design allows adequate nighttime cooling on hot summer nights as the air heats up inside, which is lighter, rises and rises up to the roof windows, generating a continuous renewal that helps to achieve adequate conditions.
One of its outstanding characteristics is that it achieves healthy indoor conditions of temperature and humidity, in such a way that it allows a comfortable temperature to be maintained throughout the year.. The natural ventilation has been designed so that the building itself breathes and allows the opening and closing of the upper windows, which are activated automatically to allow the natural circulation of air through the central core in a circular way, producing a chimney effect. that helps its adequate ventilation. This design achieves the creation of ideal comfort conditions avoiding the need to use air conditioning equipment.
The following video explains in a graphic and obvious way its energy behavior and what are some of its most relevant design characteristics:
The construction elements of the envelope are characterized by high thermal insulation both on the facades and on the roof, thus reducing heating demands and ensuring that the building loses the least amount of energy possible during the night hours in which it does not receive solar radiation.
The The building was designed with a cylindrical shape and a flat cut in its roof, generating a skirt oriented towards the south in order to achieve the proper orientation of the solar collectors which have been placed on the roof, so that it has been completely covered with solar thermal and photovoltaic panels to be able to generate both sanitary hot water, and to be able to illuminate the building and supply energy for heating. In addition, it also has technological systems that help improve and manage the energy efficiency of the building such as heat recovery units, solar heaters, LED and geothermal lighting.
Characteristics of materials, construction systems and facilities.
Regarding the materials used for its construction, prefabricated elements and panels of steel and concrete predominate, although in façade a material called “Swissfiber” is used which is made up of recycled glass and a polymer. In this way, a light façade is created that shelters and protects the building. Therefore, it is a prefabricated material that is easy to assemble, which has allowed it to be quickly completed.
Regarding installations, it presents a solar heat pump with geothermal energy that comes into operation if there is no stored solar heat. When solar energy is not enough to maintain indoor comfort, district heating is used, which allows the heat pump to operate.
The renewable energies cover most of the building's energy demand, in such a way that savings of up to 80% are achieved over a traditional building. The electricity needed for air conditioning, lighting and ventilation comes from the rooftop solar collectors, with an area of 76 m2 of photovoltaic panels, so that 35% of solar energy comes from solar collectors and stored solar heat in the ground and 65% comes from district heating and the geothermal heat pump.
Are facilities have been designed to achieve optimal and efficient use of solar radiation, so that in summer it takes advantage of the excess sunlight that accumulates on a platform located on the ground floor to be reused in winter, and it is also used to provide internal cooling in summer.
For more information about the LEED certification we can access this article… HERE.
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Article prepared by Jose Luis Morote Salmeron (Technical Architect - Energy Manager - Google plus Profile) Access to their website HERE, in collaboration withOVACEN.
