We are working in a Project which is a unique green energy research facility (the second to be built in the World), and must receive the LEED Silver standard complying with the South Carolina Energy Independence and Sustainable Construction Act 2007.

The Project defines a double Wind Turbine Drive Train Test facility as part of a major renovation on an industrial building.

Part of the building is dedicated to offices, and the other part includes the Test Rigs where Wind Turbine Drive Trains will be tested.

The Test Rigs have a unique energy model, with an energy closed loop of 82% regeneration energy back to the Drive Train motor. Even so, they require a large power supply to both the motor and load application unit. The Total Units of Annual Energy for this process load exceed 9,000,000kWh, with a Peak Demand of 22,500 kW. We would not get to more than a 3% saving for the energy total at the Performance Rating Method Compliance.
For all the Test Rigs area of the building, the temperature control requirement is such of a Technical Room, and only a ventilation system to ensure a maximum temperature of 104ºF is actually needed. This aspect would also affect the number of hour cooling/heating loads not met, which would not comply.

This energy model does not actually relate to any green building practice as compiled at the Leed Reference Guide for Green Building Design and Construction. The unique energy characteristics of the Test Rigs create an inappropriate and disproportionate process load rating to be considered to correctly comply with Section 1.6 – Performance Rating Method Compliance Report under EA Prerequisite 2: Minimum Energy Performance

Our intention is to describe this special circumstance and modelling difficulty as a starting point on the Table EAp2-4, thus not including any process load related to these Test Rigs and their energy closed loop.
We would only include the standard process loads for the general building and its offices area, which are appropriately related to the green building performance.

The following values show the impact of such decision. Baseline energy totals will be substantially modified if process loads are to be included.
The Total Annual Energy Use considering process loads is 37,858,212 kBTU
The Total Annual Energy Use not considering process loads is 3,562,239 kBTU
We have developed Summary reports with both situations to help the analysis of these unusual conditions, and we can forward them to you or include them as a post to help your analysis.

A detailed description of the Test Rigs energy closed loop could be uploaded as a variance narrative under Upload EAp2-8 to document the special circumstance.

Please provide your expert feedback on this modelling difficulty and your guidance on the better way to document and model our project unique characteristics.