Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance Wacker Office Build-out Office Energy Reduction Features and Other Efforts Towards Sustainability Image Courtesy of MEEA
Image Courtesy of Flicker.com Welcome to MEEA s energy efficient and LEED GOLD Certified Office Our 6,600 sqft. office space is designed to limit our overall energy consumption while creating an inviting and healthy place for our employees. We selected this location due to its ample public transportation options, abundance of natural daylight, and location within Chicago s Loop. MEEA also achieved an USGBC LEED 2009 for Commercial Interiors Gold Certification. Originally commissioned by "the Prince of Electricity," Samuel Insull, the Civic Opera Building was designed by the Chicago firm of Graham, Anderson, Probst & White. Construction was completed in 1928, and the building was designated a City of Chicago Landmark in 1998. MEEA s 2011 build-out is the first LEED certified space in the building and serves as an example for other spaces located in the Civic Opera Building, as well as other historic structures throughout the city.
Image Courtesy of Eastlake Studio Many energy efficient qualities are included in our LEED Gold Certified office space By careful selection of equipment and products, MEEA revitalized our space to highlight many energy efficient and healthy features including: Efficient LED and fluorescent lighting fixtures Daylight and occupancy sensors to control lighting levels ENERGY STAR Labeled equipment and appliances to reduce overall plug loads Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified cabinetry and doors Low VOC finish materials including carpeting, paint, and ceiling tiles A non-worm compost machine to reduce office landfill waste Nearly 100% refurbished office furniture and workstations Over 90% of the demolition and construction waste was recycled during our build-out
Image Courtesy of Eastlake Studio The high performance lighting fixtures in our Conference Rooms were donated by MaxLite and showcase dimmable, LED flat panel light fixtures MEEA chose to use LED technology for the general illumination of the conference rooms, due to its high energy efficiency and lighting performance aspects. When examining prospects for efficient lighting, we looked for a good ratio of the amount of light output delivered (lumens) per watt (energy) consumed, typically expressed as luminous efficacy. These LED fixtures compare favorably with other commercial lighting options, but their 50,000-hour lifetime is more than double of a fluorescent equivalent. With a color temperature of 3500K, these lights closely mimic the glow of incandescent bulbs or lamps. They are mercury free and are Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive (or RoHS) Compliant fixtures containing reduced levels of hazardous materials. They also feature excellent uniformity of light, giving the space an evenly lit and inviting feeling.
Image Courtesy of Eastlake Studio Thanks to our many donors of lighting equipment, the fixtures in the Reception Area contribute to our low overall watts per sqft savings: We utilized our new space to showcase emerging, but proven, energy efficient lighting technology. Our Reception Area demonstrates multiple applications of LED lighting, serves as a functioning exhibition of this equipment, and highlights the vendors who donated products which demonstrate the leading edge of efficient lighting. The wall washer type lighting fixtures, highlighting the MEEA logo, were donated by BetaLED. These 1 watt fixtures each contain 28 LEDs and have replaceable light engines/optics, allowing the finished ceiling to remain in place even as the technology advances. The cove ceiling is illuminated by Sylvania s LED strip fixtures which are only a tenth of an inch in height, and are glued in place. Other efficient lighting contributions include replacement LED track lighting lamps from Solais and decorative light fixtures by Artemide.
Image Courtesy of Eastlake Studio Including daylight and occupancy sensors, in combination with our efficient light fixtures, we have trimmed our lighting energy consumption by an estimated 26%. Building upon the energy savings of LED light fixture technology, daylight and occupancy sensors are installed throughout our office space to coordinate the performance of our lighting systems. By installing these sensors in our private offices, general work areas, break room, and conference rooms, our lighting systems are able to automatically regulate the light levels in each space. Daylight sensors give the system the ability to incrementally dim or increase in brightness of the LED fixtures, according to the amount of natural light received through our abundant windows. The light fixtures are also adjusted on/off in accordance with the use of the space via the occupancy sensors mounted on the ceiling. Manual overriding switches in each room aid our ability to configure or override the lighting controls to meet any unusual needs.
Image Courtesy of EPA Not only do we save energy through our use of ENERGY STAR labeled office equipment, we reused much of our equipment from our previous location. Over 84% of our office equipment and appliances are EPA ENERGY STAR rated, identifying them with efficiency levels reflective of the top 25% of models available on the market. Our ENERGY STAR rated dishwasher operates on 435 kwh per year, using 32% less energy and 45% less water than new, non-qualified models. Our refrigerator expends an average of 431 kwh per year and is 10% more efficient than a standard model. Since our equipment from our previous space was quite new, we are also reusing them in our new location. We also retained the ENERGY STAR labeled, multifunction copier from our previous office, because it uses 40% less energy than comparable models. This machine saves energy by employing a sleep mode when not in use, (consuming only 6 watts of electricity), and incorporating multiple functions in one machine - thereby also using less space.
Image Courtesy of 123RF.com Many of the finish materials in our Workroom and Kitchen were selected for their rapidly renewable and responsibly harvested properties We took care in selecting a portion of our finish materials which are derived from the emerging markets and more sustainable sources. Rapidly renewable materials are products that regenerate quicker than the demand for the products (under a 10 year cycle) and avoiding contributing to deforestation. Our Workroom has flooring derived from cork and natural rubber. As an example, the regenerative properties of cork bark allow trees to be harvested every nine years while living up to 170 years. The substrate, or the material beneath our cabinetry s finished face, is Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) certified particle board. This material is derived from forest products which are responsibly harvested from verified sources. FSC forests are managed to allow trees to be harvested while maintaining the integrity of the forest.
Image Courtesy of EU Waste Framework Directive Over 20% of our finish materials include recycled content and 27% were sourced from manufactures within 500 miles of our office MEEA s design team maximized the postconsumer percentage, i.e. content repurposed from another consumed product s waste, in all the building products selected. Many construction products are now available with recycled content characterized by the volume of either pre-consumer or postconsumer material present. By incorporating recycled or renewable content in our building materials, we help reduce manufactured waste streams. Our ceiling and flooring materials are one example - each contains over 50% recycled content. The cabinet facing in our Kitchen and Workroom is a thermoplastic made by combining laminate waste material, mixed with non-virgin polypropylene, to create a 100% recycled and recyclable surface which can be re-melted and remolded repeatedly a closed loop manufacturing process.
Image Courtesy of PacificIAQ Walls, flooring, and ceiling cover a majority of the surface area of our space, significantly impacting our indoor air quality To sustain a healthy work environment, MEEA s design team selected materials which included negligible amounts of VOC s or don t produce these hazardous vapors. Human derived volatile organic compounds, or VOC s, are harmful when their carbon compounds vaporize into the air. We choose only solvent-free and low VOC paints, adhesives, and sealants to finish the vertical and horizontal surfaces throughout our workspace. Ceiling materials were chosen with greater than 80% recycled content and low formaldehyde emissions. Flooring is also considered a critical factor in indoor air quality. Carpets in the MEEA office meet the Carpet and Rug Institute s Green Label Plus testing and product requirements for low VOC. In addition, all were installed using a solvent-free, acrylic adhesive that is nearly free of VOC s.
As previously noted, MEEA brought our efficient, EPA ENERGY STAR qualified dishwasher and refrigerator from our previous office. These assist in reducing our energy and water use. Image Courtesy of Flicker Escola Les Vinyes The technologies employed in our Break Room helps us reduce energy, cut waste, and lessen MEEA s overall environmental footprint MEEA member, Best Buy, was kind enough to donate a new microwave and toaster oven to us. Although these appliances were selected for their lower energy use, they are not ENERGY STAR rated, as the EPA has not yet established an energy standard for these types of appliances. The non-worm, compost machine, located in a ventilated cabinet next to the refrigerator, contains micro-organisms which breakdown food waste. MEEA staff use the compost as fertilizer for their home gardens. The composter, combined with our recycling program, reduces our overall landfill waste by an estimated 50%.
Image Courtesy of BuildingGreen.com Use of recycled and refurbished materials dramatically saves energy on many different levels including material extraction, manufacturing, and transportation energy When selecting furnishings for MEEA s new office, our largest expense category, we focused on reusable or refurbished items renewing and extending the life of previously manufactured products. Our file cabinets, open office workstation systems furniture, and private office furnishings were repaired, repainted, and/or recovered for reuse in our office. Those products that were purchased new, such as the conference room tables and the workstation countertops, were selected for their significant volume of recycled content. During construction, near 90% of renovation debris was diverted from the waste stream by salvaging some of the existing material for reuse elsewhere and recycling the remaining. We continue this effort in our operations with an extensive recycling program. This endeavor includes everything from allocating space for recycling areas to collecting batteries, CD s, and other office materials for reprocessing.
Images Courtesy of Eastlake Studio Our office space is designed to facilitate the interaction of staff members while ensuring accessibility to daylight and outside views from each desk One of the major contributing factors during the selection process for our new location was the abundance of natural light available throughout our space. We incorporated this aspect in each of the private office and small meeting rooms. These spaces consist of an allglass, interior facing wall which allows light transparency, while simultaneously ensuring that every desk in the open office area has access to views of the exterior. Minimal panel heights at the workstations also facilitate substantial daylight penetration into the space and maintain outside views from both the open office space and the private offices. MEEA s new office also features unassigned private offices / small meeting rooms. These spaces were designed to allow employees to have informal or private conversations without disturbing others, while at the same time promoting small group interaction, and collaboration across topic areas.
Image Courtesy of USGBC Operational aspects were considered during the design phase to reduce our monthly energy expenses and maintain a healthy indoor environment A key part of sustainable design considers the operations of the facility; maintaining a balance between a healthy building environment while reducing its environmental impact. Some of our operational practices include: Use of non-toxic cleaning products to preserve the health of occupants and janitorial staff. Purchase of carbon offsets to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions of the energy we use to operate our business. Participation in the Chicago Green Office Challenge to continually improve the environmental performance of our operations. Actively managing our energy use by tracking (or benchmarking) our monthly utility bills via the EPA ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager tool.