Case Study Commentary

Colorado’s Historic Buildings Go Green — On the Cheap

Three landmark Colorado buildings—the Sugar Building, the Governor’s Residence and the State Capitol—have applied distinctly different approaches to going green and not spending a lot of money in the process.

By Neshama Abraham Paiss

Despite the prolonged recession, the number of LEED-registered projects in Colorado continued to grow in 2008 and 2009. During the six-month period from January through June in 2008 and during 2009, LEED NC-registered projects increased by 107%, and LEED EB and LEED EBOM projects increased by 81%.

“The existing building stock in the U.S. offers an enormous opportunity for green building and our ability to positively impact the environment,” says Deb Kleinman, executive director of the U.S. Green Building Council Colorado Chapter, who has seen consistent growth in the number of LEED EB and EBOM projects in Colorado.

“Focusing on existing buildings is a critical component to rapidly addressing climate change,” she says.

Three landmark Colorado buildings have applied distinctly different approaches to going green.

The Historic Sugar Building adopted low-cost, common-sense, energy-efficiency strategies. The Governor’s Residence and the State Capitol purchased new systems and equipment using an alternative-funding mechanism that guarantees utility savings in a performance contract.

Historic Sugar Building 1530 16th St., Denver

The six-story, 64,000-sq-ft building was originally constructed in 1904 by the Great Western Sugar Co., but it had fallen into disrepair until February 2003, when it was taken over by the environmentally conscious management company Urban Villages. Now the building is fully occupied and since 2007 has undergone significant upgrades to reduce energy consumption.

The roof of the Sugar Cube building, adjacent to the historic Sugar Building, contains an 18.9 kW solar PV array designed and installed by SolSource of Denver. (Photo courtesy of Urban Villages Inc.)

“We believe that most energy efficiencies derive from operations and best practice and not a fancy replacement or additional piece of equipment,” says Nick Koncilja, assistant manager for Urban Village’s Denver properties.

Koncilja says energy-efficiency upgrades reduced electrical consumption in the building by 20,000 kW hrs/month. Improvements included simple, practical solutions such as locked thermostats, which allow tenants to adjust temperatures by only 2-3 degrees.

Another energy saver was the installation of timers on motors and fans that were running 24 hours a day but could be turned off when people were not in the building. Rather than buying new equipment, Urban Villages spent less than $1,000 on the timers.

There also was a cost savings on the building’s windows. Instead of spending $1,800 to $2,500 per window to replace an existing window—and then dispose of the old glass—the company spent $25-$35 per window on caulking and insulation.

Urban Villages harvested light fixtures that were being replaced and reused the ballasts and light bulbs.

The company also educates its tenants on sustainability when making decisions about upgrades to the space. One tenant was considering a pine-floor replacement, but Koncilja encouraged the tenant to choose a more durable hardwood.

The tenant picked walnut, which can be refinished three to four times before it needs to be replaced. “The decision on material to use should be based on the life cycle on that material,” Koncilja says.

The Governor’s Residence at the Boettcher Mansion 400 East 8th Ave., Denver

In August, the Governor’s Residence had the distinction of being the first governor’s residence in the nation to receive the LEED Existing Building designation.

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The Governor’s Residence and the State Capitol are part of a multiyear energy/environmental upgrade that includes 18 Capitol Complex buildings in Denver that began in 2003.

The greening of all the buildings is occurring through a $24-million, 19-year, lease-purchase energy-performance contract with Chevron Energy Solutions of San Francisco.

The performance contract uses the utility savings to pay for the energy-efficiency upgrades without any additional cost to taxpayers. The entire project is being coordinated by the State Architect’s Office in Denver.

“All green improvements are done on a cost-neutral basis,” says Lance Shepherd, senior architect in the State Architect’s Office, who is guiding the 18 building projects, including management of the design and construction programs. “The guaranteed savings from the Chevron Energy Solutions performance contract help us maintain the savings over a long period of time.”

Utility costs in the 18 buildings have been reduced by more than 30%, providing over $1 million in savings each year, Shepherd says.

Additional energy-saving upgrades at the Governor’s Residence include new hot-water heaters, HVAC systems, fans, furnaces, ductwork and insulation and the installation of direct digital controls that manage the mechanical systems inside the building.

Shepherd says the digital-control system is tied into an online monitoring system at the Capitol Complex that also receives data monitoring from all the buildings to catch and fix problems early and track energy use.

Another improvement was the restoration of existing second- and third-story windows, a job collaborated with the State Historical Society under the guidance of Andrews & Anderson Architects of Golden, which specializes in historic renovations.

Geo Energy Services of Centennial drilled 32 wells at the Governor’s Residence for a ground-source heat-pump system. It also installed a 6 kW solar photovoltaic system in 2008 through Capitol Complex funding that was not part of the performance contract. Water savings were achieved through an irrigation and automated-control system for outdoor landscaping and the installation of low-flow toilets.

Colorado State Capitol 200 E. Colfax Ave., Denver

The five-floor, 323,813-sq-ft State Capitol received significant energy-efficient improvements in 2008 and 2009, including interior and exterior lighting upgrades, energy management controls, water efficiency improvements and a 10 kW photovoltaic installation. (Photo courtesy of Office of the State Archtiect)

The Colorado State Capitol, which opened in 1895, is the first state Capitol to achieve LEED EB certification.

Shepherd says utility costs were reduced 30% after the energy-efficiency upgrades.

“The savings in operations cost provides an alternative way to fund maintenance of buildings,” he adds.

During 2008 and into 2009, the Capitol had all of its lighting fixtures and controls replaced. There also were upgrades to building infrastructure, improvements to the HVAC system, new low-flow toilets and sinks and an irrigation system that controls landscape watering.

In February, Chevron Energy Solutions’ subcontractor, Bella Energy of Louisville, installed a 9 kW solar photovoltaic demonstration project on the roof of the Capitol.