This vignette is piece of a multi-part series that will highlight the work being done surrounding Washington State Executive Order 20-01. The International Living Future Institute (ILFI) has been working closely with Washington State for nearly two years to support agencies in their development of Zero Energy projects. ILFI has developed a toolkit of resources for project teams in the state to help them understand definitions around Zero Energy, build powerful teams, and set appropriate targets in order to make designing and building to Zero Energy a feasible goal. Each vignette will shine a light on a project, meeting, or event wherein Zero Energy work was the forefront of the conversation as teams work diligently to implement the Executive Order and achieve their Zero Energy goals.

Project Name: Campus Loop Training

Program: Zero Energy (+ Zero Carbon)

Event: Low Carbon Campus “Brownbag”, Zoom, 4/20/20

Keywords: decarbonization, campus, electrification

Highlights: State agencies came together to collaborate on how to usher campuses into a low-carbon future. Representatives discussed a 2050 end state where district systems are combustion-free; the goal is for these systems to be cost-effective, operationally efficient, and offer long term benefits for both building operators and users. Attendees discussed a four-part, 30-year strategy to get to this vision: (1) Reduce total heat demand; (2) Reduce peak demands; (3) Convert steam to hot water; and (4) Electrify heating systems. Concerns were voiced around handoff from design to operation teams, coordination of maintenance, replacement, and phase-out schedules, and financing of these capital projects. 

Next Steps: Attendees were encouraged to use strategies such as: using lifecycle cost analysis to show the benefit of these systems over time; identifying key intervention points where it can be rolled into already-planned upgrades; and vocalizing these wants into budgeting and planning conversations in order to continue the awareness of this as a pressing need for the State to take active measures in working towards a sustainable future.  

This vignette is piece of a multi-part series that will highlight the work being done surrounding Washington State Executive Order 20-01. The International Living Future Institute (ILFI) has been working closely with Washington State for nearly two years to support agencies in their development of Zero Energy projects. ILFI has developed a toolkit of resources for project teams in the state to help them understand definitions around Zero Energy, build powerful teams, and set appropriate targets in order to make designing and building to Zero Energy a feasible goal. Each vignette will shine a light on a project, meeting, or event wherein Zero Energy work was the forefront of the conversation as teams work diligently to implement the Executive Order and achieve their Zero Energy goals.  

Project Name: Labor and Industry (L&I) / Department of Agriculture (WSDA) Safety & Health Lab & Training Center

Project Stage: Schematic Design

Event: Owners Workshop 1

Date: February 13, 2020

Agency Contacts: Reuben Amamilo (LNI), Maurice Perigo (LNI)

Attendees: Design Team, Agency project manager, Facilities, Agency Staff

Keywords: zero energy, local government

Summary: LNI kicked off its owners workshop series by introducing: Lab Modules/Layouts, Structural, LEED, Energy Options, Water, and Site/Parking Configurations.

Highlights:

• The workshop began by clearly stating the Executive Order requiring achievement of Zero Energy and reductions in embodied carbon, and how these goals apply to the project

• The design team shared examples of existing projects with high-performance systems in the same geographic region

• The group identified opportunities related to specific conditions of the building program

• The group reinforced the need to maintain cost balance, constructability and health/safety in any decision

• The group provided information in different forms, which made it accessible to different thinking/learning types: diagrams, photos, metrics, pro/con lists, tables, narratives, physical models

• Agency representatives vocally validated the State’s goal of achieving zero energy, stating that it is possible and shall be pursued.

“In this project, we have an opportunity to marry a state-of-the-art lab facility with the State’s highest sustainability goals.”

Maurice Perigo, LNI

Next Steps: The next workshop will take a deeper dive into the building program and site layout to better understand the operational functions and site conditions that must be addressed.

This vignette is piece of a multi-part series that will highlight the work being done surrounding Washington State Executive Order 20-01. The International Living Future Institute (ILFI) has been working closely with Washington State for nearly two years to support agencies in their development of Zero Energy projects. ILFI has developed a toolkit of resources for project teams in the state to help them understand definitions around Zero Energy, build powerful teams, and set appropriate targets in order to make designing and building to Zero Energy a feasible goal. Each vignette will shine a light on a project, meeting, or event wherein Zero Energy work was the forefront of the conversation as teams work diligently to implement the Executive Order and achieve their Zero Energy goals.

Project Name: SEEP Governing Council

Event: Council Meeting: Zero Energy Toolkit Presentation

Date: October 22, 2019

Agency Contacts: Hanna Waterstrat (SEEP), Donna Albert (DES)

Keywords: toolkit, zero energy, energy targets, local government

Highlights: ILFI was invited to present at the October Governing Council to share with Governor Jay Inslee Zero Energy (ZE) resources we have been developing for state agencies to follow his Executive Order 20-01. ILFI has developed an FAQ, project document templates for Owner Project Requirements and Request for Proposals, Embodied Carbon guidance documents, and a website for project teams in order to help them achieve ZE.

Next Steps: A handful of projects are in pre-design, so upcoming steps involve creating resources for upcoming design stages. Additionally, ILFI will continue to be integrated in the design process for projects that are in progress.

This vignette is piece of a multi-part series that will highlight the work being done surrounding Washington State Executive Order 20-01. The International Living Future Institute (ILFI) has been working closely with Washington State for nearly two years to support agencies in their development of Zero Energy projects. ILFI has developed a toolkit of resources for project teams in the state to help them understand definitions around Zero Energy, build powerful teams, and set appropriate targets in order to make designing and building to Zero Energy a feasible goal. Each vignette will shine a light on a project, meeting, or event wherein Zero Energy work was the forefront of the conversation as teams work diligently to implement the Executive Order and achieve their Zero Energy goals.  

Project Name: Washington Secretary of State (OSOS) Archives Building

Event: Project Kickoff + Design Charrette

Date: October 22, 2019

Keywords: design charrette, local government

Highlights: The design team presented LBC concepts and took a deeper dive into the Energy and Water Petals to show what could be incorporated into the OSOS Archives Building. ILFI participated in the charrette activities as Miller Hull led the presentation and facilitated the discussions. The design team discussed energy targets they are aiming to meet through a rigorous design process (Image 1). The group used Post-It notes to write their vision for the Archives Building, focusing on high-level goals derived from the Executive Order and elsewhere (i.e. Zero Energy capable) (Image 2). Major categories that arose during this discussion were historical preservation/storytelling, resilience, healthy materials, and zero energy. The building owners had many questions answered and the charrette provided important alignment by bringing together many different parties, including ILFI, Miller Hull, OSOS, structural engineers, civil engineers, an archive facility designer, and more. 

Next Steps: The project team at Miller Hull will synthesize and distill what was discussed at this meeting and apply it to various design concepts for the Archives Building. The team will focus on non-tangible goals (storytelling to highlight this facility) as well as more technical goals (net-positive energy, water). As they move into Schematic Designs, the team will reach out to agency members for additional feedback as a part of their integrated design process.

This vignette is piece of a multi-part series that will highlight the work being done surrounding Washington State Executive Order 20-01. The International Living Future Institute (ILFI) has been working closely with Washington State for nearly two years to support agencies in their development of Zero Energy projects. ILFI has developed a toolkit of resources for project teams in the state to help them understand definitions around Zero Energy, build powerful teams, and set appropriate targets in order to make designing and building to Zero Energy a feasible goal. Each vignette will shine a light on a project, meeting, or event wherein Zero Energy work was the forefront of the conversation as teams work diligently to implement the Executive Order and achieve their Zero Energy goals.  

Project Name: Washington State Toolkit Training

Program: Zero Carbon

Event: SEEP Embodied Carbon Brown Bag (Olympia, WA)

Keywords: embodied carbon, local government, life cycle assessment

Highlights: ILFI provided a high level introduction to embodied carbon to agency representatives, discussing how they can reduce it within any upcoming projects they may have. The Department of Enterprise Services (DES) and ILFI collaborated to produce an Embodied Carbon in New Construction Checklist to help guide project teams to support them in making big moves to reduce their project impacts. 

Next Steps: ILFI and DES are soliciting feedback from agency representatives in order to provide the most valuable information and support to them. After feedback is collated, ILFI and DES will continue to develop resources accordingly in order to reduce the embodied carbon of new WA state buildings.