Missouri River Energy Services practices energy efficiency it preaches
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| Missouri River Energy Services incorporated tried-and-true energy saving technologies in its new Sioux Falls, S.D. headquarters to create a working space that is as comfortable and attractive as it is energy efficient. (photo courtesy of MRES) |
Utilities give consumers energy saving advice all the time, but Missouri River Energy Services proved that what is good for the customer is good for the energy supplier by building a super efficient new headquarters in Sioux Falls, S.D.
Not that the energy supplier is trying to be a role model to the 57 communities it serves, but as MRES Member and Public Relations Director Bill Radio said, "We're in the energy business; we should be concerned about saving energy. Our members expect our headquarters to reflect that priority."
Design incorporates employee input and proven technologies
Every feature in the 25,000-square-foot facility has an efficiency goal or standard. However, guests who attended the August 13 open house seemed just as impressed by the building's aesthetics. "People commented on the natural lighting, the high ceilings and the quietness," observed MRES Human Resources and Risk Manager Roy Stromsness, who oversaw the design and construction of the building.
That may be because MRES asked its employees what features they wanted in the new headquarters. Designers Van De Walle & Associates and consulting engineering firm EDA, Inc., incorporated employees' suggestions in ways that saved energy and created a more pleasant working environment at the same time.
There may be another reason utility and industry representatives did not comment on the conservation features: the equipment and methods were familiar to them. "There is nothing experimental here," acknowledged Stromsness. "We went with state-of-the-art versions of tried-and-true measures. These are off-the-shelf technologies available to everyone."
Efficiency efforts focused on the building envelope, lighting, heating and cooling systems, water heating for personal use, a back-up generator and strategic tree planting. The first two areas offered opportunities to address employees' concerns. "The two biggest complaints about the old building were that it was dark and it was noisy," recalled Stromsness.
High-efficiency ballasts, indirect ceiling lights and T-8 lamps are an important part of the new headquarters's lighting system, but large windows, 10 skylights and several glassed-in areas reduce the need for artificial light. "I haven't turned on all the lighting banks in my office one day so far," Radio declared.
The heavy double-paned windows measure 8 feet, 8 inches high and are insulated with argon gas, which increases their R value while cutting down on UV rays. The high R value of the walls comes from 2x6 construction and blown-in-blanket insulation. BIB eliminates the air pockets associated with conventional batting rolls. Double sheet rocking both internal and external walls gave additional noise and climate control.
Building automation adds to energy savings
For heating and cooling savings, MRES joined the computer revolution installing an automated climate control system. The computer monitors 50 different zones adjusting to individual preferences, and automatically setting the temperature back 10 degrees when a zone is not occupied. A 50-ton condensing unit heats and cools the building with a four-step modulation system that uses only as much of the unit's capacity as necessary at a given time. A variable air volume unit mixes in outside air, when appropriate, to add to cooling efficiency.
A tempered-water system was coupled with a high-efficiency water heater to produce hot water for personal use. This safety feature mixes hot water from the heater with cooler water before it leaves the machine room. Water of the desired temperature is then piped throughout the building conserving heat and preventing scalding water from running through faucets.
To protect these systems—and its phone and computer network—against power interruptions, MRES installed a 400-kW Caterpillar generator. Initially intended as a backup, the generator is equipped with a "make-before-break" switch that synchronizes its operation with the local power provider. When the unit receives a signal that a power interruption is about to occur, it switches on within 8 seconds, "Without even a flicker," Radio pointed out proudly.
The system worked so well, MRES has gone on an interrupted power schedule with its electricity provider, switching to the generator during peak hours. During a recent power outage, the unit saved real-time data as well as money when it prevented MRES's wide area network from crashing. "It may have paid for itself in that one incident," said the public relations director.
Stromsness added that most of the energy efficiency measures MRES built into its new facility did not increase construction costs. The trick, he explained, is to hire a good architect. "Van De Walle & Associates designed our old headquarters using the best technology available 24 years ago," he recalled. "We talked to other companies, but we went with the firm that had done a good job for us before."
Those aren't words of wisdom, Stromsness is quick to insist. Think of it instead as a test-driven recommendation from a utility that believes in taking its own advice.