Site Location:
This beach-front site is the current location of a visitor center for the Redwoods National Park, which would be replaced with my concept.
Psychometric Chart:
The weather at this site is relatively pleasant, mostly on the colder side with significant rainfall.
Conceptual Building Forms:
Concept 1:
Baseline EUI: 42.7 kBtu/ft^2/yr
Concept 2:
Baseline EUI: 43.3 kBtu/ft^2/yr
Between these two concepts, concept 1 has better solar insolation, and the roofline is more ideal for solar panel placement. Concept 1 also has a better baseline 42.7 kBtu/ft^2/yr, however the difference in EUI between the two concepts is not extreme. I am moving forward with concept 1 because it has better solar insolation, and because upon further consideration I prefer the aesthetics of concept 1.
Reaching Architecture 2030:
Beyond the baseline settings I put in place (Plug load efficiency of 0.6W/sf, Lighting Efficiency of 0.3 W/sf, Operating Schedule 12/5) The most important factors to reach Arch 2030 are a highly efficient HVAC system (I set the HVAC to ASHRAE Package Terminal Heat Pump which has a EUI of -9.8 kBtu/ft^2/yr), and large solar panel surface coverage with highly efficient panels. I set the coverage between 60% and 70%, and the panel efficiency to 20.4%. I also set the wall construction to R38 wood. These settings brought the EUI to 17 kBtu/ft^2/yr.
Reaching Net Zero:
Building on the settings listed above, I was able to lower the EUI to 9.35 kBtu/ft^2/yr. I did this by setting Infiltration to a range of 0.8 ACH-0.17 ACH. I then set the roof construction to R60, and Implemented Daylight and Occupancy Controls. I changed the window glass on all faces to Trp LoE, and reduced the WWR for the southern and northern walls to a range of 0-40%. Finally, I set the window shades on all faces to a range of 1/4-2/3 window height.