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Building Efficiency

 

Green Buildings

UT Dallas has undergone tremendous growth over the past 10 years. To support the campus’ increasing enrollment and infrastructure, Facilities Management has taken steps to build more efficient buildings, pursuing LEED [Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design] Certification on a number of them.

To request a tour of any the green buildings on campus, please contact sustainability@utdallas.edu.

Student Services Building

United States Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Platinum Certification. USGBC® and the related logo are trademarks owned by the US Green Building Council and are used with permission. usgbc.org

USGBC® and the related logo are trademarks owned by the US Green Building Council and are used with permission. usgbc.org

  • Certified LEED [Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design] Platinum
  • Project Completed: July 2010
  • Total Project Cost: $27,500,000
  • Size: 74,343 gsf [gross square feet]
Project Goals and Accomplishments

The goal of the Student Services Building (SSB) project was to design a building that was at least 50% more energy efficient than the average of all buildings on campus.

  • “Floating” terra-cotta louvers on the building’s exterior respond to the solar exposure in appropriate density.
  • The building’s energy efficiency is designed to perform 41% over Ashrae 90.1, offering $60,000 annual electrical savings representing a 63% improvement over the average of all buildings on campus.
  • The building maximizes Daylight Harvesting while providing 76% of all occupied spaces with natural daylight and 93% of all occupied spaces with views to the outside.
  • The design incorporates water conservation measures such as automatic sensors in faucets, dual flush toilets and low-flow (1 pint) urinals.

 

Student Services Building

Space planning was approached from the perspective of “doing more with less,” utilizing space efficiently, and creating opportunities to share space without duplicating space that would sit unoccupied most of the day.

  • An innovative, functional and efficient new space planning protocol was achieved by reducing the number of individual offices in favor of open office planning with multi-use spaces, plus shared conference and meeting rooms accessible by all departments via public corridors.
  • The benefits of open office space and shared meeting spaces versus individual offices achieved a 73% assignable to non-assignable building space ratio.
Sustainability Awards
  • Judge’s Choice Award for Energy Efficiency and Conservation; College Planning & Management, November 2011
  • Innovation in Green Building Award; AASHE [Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education] , USGBC [United States Green Building Council] , October 2011
  • Green School Award in the Higher Education category; US Green Building Council / Balcones chapter, October 2011)
  • Green Project Award of Merit; ENR [Engineering News-Record] Texas & Louisiana, October 2011
  • Public Green Deal of the Year; Dallas Business Journal, February 2011

Source: Building Reaps Multiple Sustainability Honors, UT Dallas News Center, December 13 2011

School of Management Addition

United States Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Silver Certification. USGBC® and the related logo are trademarks owned by the US Green Building Council and are used with permission. usgbc.org

USGBC® and the related logo are trademarks owned by the US Green Building Council and are used with permission. usgbc.org

  • Certified LEED [Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design] Silver
  • Project Completed: August 2014
  • Total Project Cost: $27,500,000
  • Size: 107,445 gsf [gross square feet]

The Naveen Jindal School of Management (JSOM) addition is a certified green building due to water and energy conservation features within the building. Recycled content of building materials and enhanced building commissioning also contribute to the LEED [Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design] certification. An Innovation in Design credit was achieved for creative use of open space in the courtyard.

 

Naveen Jindal School of Management Addition

Parking Structure 1

  • Zero-Net Energy
  • Project Completed: August 2013
  • Total Project Cost: $12,000,000
  • Size: 251,500 gsf [gross square feet]

Parking Structure 1 (PS1) was built with a 220kw [kilowatts] solar photovoltaic array on the fifth floor. It provides shaded parking as well as enough energy to make PS1 a zero-net energy building. LED [Light Emitting Diode] lighting and daylight harvesting reduce the demand for energy throughout the structure.

 

Parking Structure 1

Edith O’Donnell Arts & Technology Building

United States Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Silver Certification. USGBC® and the related logo are trademarks owned by the US Green Building Council and are used with permission. usgbc.org

USGBC® and the related logo are trademarks owned by the US Green Building Council and are used with permission. usgbc.org

  • Certified LEED [Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design] Silver
  • Project Completed: August 2013
  • Total Project Cost: $60,500,000
  • Size: 157,920 gsf [gross square feet]

The Edith O'Donnell Arts and Technology Building (ATC) met LEED [Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design] goals through a number of innovative design features. The building repurposed land that had been a tennis court, parking lot, and a bookstore. The white roof provides an energy efficiency credit by minimizing our heat island effect. Energy and water conservation measures within the building ensure efficiency and savings throughout the life of the building.

 

Edith O’Donnell Arts and Technology Building

Andromeda Hall / Dining Hall West / Rec Center West

United States Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Silver Certification. USGBC® and the related logo are trademarks owned by the US Green Building Council and are used with permission. usgbc.org

USGBC® and the related logo are trademarks owned by the US Green Building Council and are used with permission. usgbc.org

  • Certified LEED [Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design] Silver
  • Project Completed: August 2014
  • Total Project Cost: $66,600,000
  • Size: 316,532 gsf [gross square feet]

The Andromeda Hall complex (RHA / DHW / RCW) was certified under LEED [Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design] as a group project, as opposed to 3 separate buildings. The buildings do use a common heating and cooling system, making them very efficient. Expansion of the pond adjacent to Dining Hall West contributed to storm water credits under the LEED [Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design] criteria. Energy and water conservation measures throughout the complex ensure efficiency and savings throughout the life of the building.

 

Residence Hall West / Dining Hall West / Rec Center West

Bioengineering and Science Building

United States Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Silver Certification. USGBC® and the related logo are trademarks owned by the US Green Building Council and are used with permission. usgbc.org

USGBC® and the related logo are trademarks owned by the US Green Building Council and are used with permission. usgbc.org

  • Certified LEED [Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design] Gold
  • Project Completed: December 2015
  • Total Project Cost: $113,000,000
  • Size: 222,651 gsf [gross square feet]

The Bioengineering Science Building (BSB) has sustainable wood products throughout and a lighting conservation system that adjust to the amount of light outside the building using daylight harvesting sensors. In addition, rainwater collected from the roof irrigates the grounds of BSB and the Natural Science and Engineering Research Laboratory (RL).

 

Bioengineering and Science Building

Davidson-Gundy Alumni Center

United States Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Silver Certification. USGBC® and the related logo are trademarks owned by the US Green Building Council and are used with permission. usgbc.org

USGBC® and the related logo are trademarks owned by the US Green Building Council and are used with permission. usgbc.org

  • Certified LEED [Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design] Gold
  • Project Completed: August 2017
  • Size: 30,246 gsf [gross square feet]

Harnessing natural greenscape features and the use of reflective surfaces, the Davidson-Gundy Alumni Center (DGA) is a stellar example of a green building with heat-island effect reduction in mind. With strategically designed window placement in conjunction with surrounding shade trees, heating and cooling within the building is more controllable. This building was designed to be energy efficient while at the same time, capitalizing on the use of natural sunlight. The event and conference space energy systems can respond quickly and efficiently to changes in occupancy. Contributing to the building’s LEED [Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design] credentials, the use of recycled and locally sourced materials during the construction phase was a key factor in earning Gold.

 

Davidson-Gundy Alumni Center

Engineering and Computer Science West Building

United States Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Silver Certification. USGBC® and the related logo are trademarks owned by the US Green Building Council and are used with permission. usgbc.org

USGBC® and the related logo are trademarks owned by the US Green Building Council and are used with permission. usgbc.org

  • Certified LEED [Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design] Gold
  • Project Completed: August 2018
  • Total Cost: $86,130,000
  • Size: 206,570 gsf [gross square feet]

The Engineering and Computer Science West (ECSW) building, a four-story structure, is the new home of the Department of Mechanical Engineering. The glass-windowed building was created for research and teaching labs in energy, robotics, nanotechnology and biotechnology. It also features faculty offices, student workspaces, and a 300-seat auditorium. The exterior features light pollution reduction that can block the view of the night sky and a reflective rood to reduce the heat island effect on the building. It combines passive design strategies, high-performance assemblies and calibrated shading elements to reduce overall solar heat gain while maximizing daylight. The interior LEED [Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design] elements include healthy and recycled material, better indoor air quality, 35% less water usage, and a 16% energy reduction.

 

Engineering and Computer Science West Building

 

Take a tour of all the innovative features in the ECSW [Engineering and Computer Science West]  building. Can’t play the video? Download it in MPEG-4 (MP4 [Moving Picture Experts Group MPEG-4 Video] ), Ogg Theora (OGV [Ogg Theora Video] ), or WebM (WEBM [WebM Video] ) format.

Sciences Building

United States Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Silver Certification. USGBC® and the related logo are trademarks owned by the US Green Building Council and are used with permission. usgbc.org

USGBC® and the related logo are trademarks owned by the US Green Building Council and are used with permission. usgbc.org

  • Certified LEED [Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design] Gold
  • Project Completed: April 2020
  • Total Project Cost: $101,000,000
  • Size: 187,237 gsf [gross square feet]

The Sciences Building (SCI) was designed to be green from its very construction, which was an important factor in the facility’s LEED [Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design] certification. Over 70% of the waste generated from the demolition of the old “Art Barn” on this site, and construction itself, was recycled to prevent it from ending up in a landfill. Over 40% of construction materials came from within 500 miles of UTD, greatly reducing the pollution generated from their transportation. Over 20% of the the building’s materials are recycled.

SCI’s roof and 90% of the surrounding hardscape reflect back sunlight to help mitigate the “heat island” effect common to many urban areas. The building was designed to reduce the energy required for lighting and cooling, and the surrounding landscape and irrigation system was arranged to cut water usage by over 50%.

 

Sciences Building

 

Solar Power

PS1 [Parking Structure 1] Photovoltaic Panels

Parking Structure 1

Parking Structure 1’s four rows of solar panels are designed to produce 227 kW [kilowatts] , enough to supply the energy needs for the entire structure, making it a net-zero energy building.

ROC [Research and Operations Center] Solar Golf Cart Charging

Solar Golf Cart Charging

Solar panels at the UT Dallas Research and Operations Center (ROC) provide charging for faculty golf carts, allowing them to drive to the main campus without emissions. Installed in 2012, these 4-kilowatt panels are connected to batteries that are capable of storing 15 kilowatts, which provides for nighttime charging.

ECSN [Engineering & Computer Science North] Solar Panels

Solar panels on the roof of the Engineering & Computer Science North (ECSN) Building provide 1.2 kilowatts of energy to be used in the Renewable Energy and Vehicular Technology Lab.

SSB [Student Services Building] Solar Thermal

Solar thermal panels on the roof of the Student Services Building (SSB) heat the building’s water, decreasing the amount of electricity needed for the building’s operations.

 

EV Charging

UT Dallas EV Charging Station

A dual-port Level 2 smart electric vehicle charger
attached to two different cars.

The UTD Parking page provides information on the parking locations that offer electric vehicle charging, including the different types of chargers available at UT Dallas and how to use them.

Find vehicle chargers using our Sustainability Map (PDF [Portable Document Format File] ).

 

Reflective Roofing

Reflective Roofing

Dark colored roofs absorb the sun’s rays and heat the building from the top down. It also creates a “heat island effect”, the result of buildings raising the local temperature by several degrees. During the summer, this difference can reduce total energy use by up to 40%. UT Dallas has made an effort to use light-colored roofs when reroofing is done. This lowers the heat island effect on campus and lowers the amount of energy needed to cool these buildings.

 

LED Lighting

Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs [Light Emitting Diodes] ) use less energy than traditional light bulbs and produce a light that is both brighter and more energy efficient. LEDs last longer and are more durable than traditional bulbs, requiring less frequent replacement. They also contain zero harmful chemicals and do not emit UV [Ultraviolet]  rays.

Currently, UT Dallas has installed LED [Light Emitting Diode] lighting in all locations which remain continuously lit, such as parking structures and stairwells. As other light fixtures need replacing, LEDs are installed in their places.

 

Bathrooms

With the new drive to building efficient, green, and/or LEED [Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design] certified buildings at UT Dallas, bathrooms are of interest for water conservation efforts. Our Facilities Management team has taken the initiative to maximize water savings and conservation whenever possible when renovating bathrooms and/or replacing bathroom fixtures such as toilets, urinals, and faucets. This may include, but is not limited to, low-flush toilets and urinals, dual-flush toilets, and low-flow faucets.

 

Water Bottle Refilling Stations

Water Bottle Refilling Station

Throughout the main campus, there are over 40 water bottle refilling stations located at UT Dallas. These stations use an sensor to refill your bottles with clean, chilled water. These stations provide opportunity for students, staff, and faculty to refill their water bottles while preventing the addition of another plastic bottle into the waste stream. The ticker number located on the top of the stations identify the total number of bottles filled by utilizing the station. To date, over 2 million plastic bottles have been prevented from entering the waste stream through our bottle refill stations. If you are in a building that does not currently have a water bottle refilling station, and are interested in acquiring one, please contact your building liaison for more information.