Increased Design Team Collaboration Successful for TES & JCPenney
Posted on Thu, Nov 10, 2011 @ 02:31 PM
written by: Sara Lewis | slewis@tesengineering.com
TES Engineering recently completed an exciting energy-focused retail design project with J.C.Penney Company, Inc. in Dallas, Texas. The new JCPenney store exemplifies the benefits of increased collaboration that starts at the initial phase of design and continues throughout the entire process.
Because JCPenney set a goal to create one of the most state-of-art, environmentally conscious retail stores in the country, collaboration for this particular project was even more important than usual. TES Engineering’s energy engineers worked closely with architects and designers as TES introduced new technology that improved the store’s aesthetic appearance and merchandising power.
To achieve the maximum amount of energy savings and the minimum amount of environmental impact, it is necessary for the design team to work together. Changing an element such as roof insulation can drastically affect the HVAC system, which changes building energy use. Interrelationships like these were discussed and considered before changes were implemented.
JCPenney pushed the design team further with the challenge to be 50% better than the ASHRAE energy standard. Energy-saving design elements included energy recovery ventilators, LED lighting, and demand-controlled ventilation sensors. This JCPenney store uses 36 percent less energy than a typical location, uses 58 percent less energy than a generic retail store (code required), and uses 67 percent less energy than other retail stores in Energy Star’s Portfolio Manager. The additional costs associated with the green building have an 8.8 year payback.
Elements that were ruled out:
+ Skylights on sales floor - increased heat gain counteracted energy savings
+ Thermal ice storage - HVAC system includes multiple fan speed settings
+ R-40 roof and R-30 wall insulation - increased insulation didn’t offer cost-effective payback
Elements that were included:
+ Skylights and daylight harvesting in office and stock areas - skylights and day light harvesting fit energy usage profiles for these areas
+ Energy recovery ventilators - reducing outside air load provided energy savings
+ Demand-controlled ventilation controls and sensors - reduced outside air when appropriate
+ R-28 roof and R-19 wall insulation - determined to be optimum level of insulation
+ LED Lighting Design - on sales floor to maximize effective lighting and reduce energy usage during the long hours of operation
TES Engineering was excited to have been part of a great team and involved in such a revolutionary retail project.
