Educational Building with small greenhouse at exterior

Kristina Abrams

AIA, LEED AP BD&C

Ayers Saint Gross Architects

LEEDuser Basic Member

2 thumbs up

June 9, 2014

We have a large institutional project with a small greenhouse facility at the perimeter of one of the classrooms. The greenhouse is part of the building envelope, but the systems are separated to preserve the greenhouse environment. How should the energy model address this piece? It is along the exterior of the building, is it acceptable to exclude this area?

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Karl Heitman

President

Heitman Architects Inc

LEEDuser Premium Member

4 thumbs up

Mon, 06/09/2014 - 17:10

Kristina, Is the greenhouse part of the current project scope? We have a project with a greenhouse on the roof, but since it's going to be built during the next phase after the building with a different funding structure, we are able to exclude it from current LEED boundary. If you include the greenhouse in the current LEED boundary, you are required to include the greenhouse process loads which is likely to have an adverse effect in your modeling.

Marcus Sheffer

LEED Fellow

7group / Energy Opportunities

LEEDuser Expert

4454 thumbs up

Mon, 06/09/2014 - 19:11

If it is in the project it must be modeled. You cold probably argue that it is a process load and model it identically in both models. On a large institutional project the effect should be very, very small. Instead of asking for exclusions, seek better solutions.