C A S E S T U D Y

History’s

KeeperA lone cannon stands in a field at the . The new Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visitor Center opened in 2008 to provide visitors with an understanding of the scope and magnitude of the sacrifices made at Gettysburg. The was a turning point in the Civil War, the Union victory that ended Gen. Robert E. Lee’s second invasion of the North in 1863. It was the war’s bloodiest battle with 51,000 casualties and the setting for President Abraham Lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address.”

© Getty Images BY TATYANA SHINE, P.E.; AND ELIZABETH PAUL

Museums consume mas- he Gettysburg National conditions required for preserva- Military Park Museum tion and reducing long-term energy sive amounts of energy. and Visitor Center houses costs. Since its opening in 2008, From exhibit lighting to what most Civil War the facilities team has maintained Tenthusiasts consider to be the larg- and improved the original energy- temperature control and est collection of civil war artifacts, efficient design by performing a including a massive historic oil daily walk-through to check build- relative humidity, their painting that depicts the battle. ing systems and look for ways to Storing these pieces of American improve performance. The careful costs are much higher history requires a specific dry-bulb attention to operations demonstrates when compared to a temperature and relative humidity that it doesn’t matter how efficiently level be maintained on a daily basis. a building is designed, it will never similar size traditional The museum and visitor center perform to its full potential without design team selected a geothermal a knowledgeable staff to operate office building. system to maintain the precise the systems.

3 2 HIGH PERFORMING BUILDINGS S ummer 2011 This article was published in High Performing Buildings, Summer 2011. Copyright 2011 American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Inc. Posted at www.hpbmagazine.org. This article may not be copied and/or distributed electronically or in paper form without permission of ASHRAE. For more information about High Performing Buildings, visit www.hpbmagazine.org. THE GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK MUSEUM AND VISITOR CENTER

A Decade of Planning The Civil War and the aftermath of the Battle of Gettysburg spark lively and sometimes heated conversations. The same can be said of the plan to build a new museum and visitor cen- ter. Everyone wanted to weigh in and offer an opinion, including residents of the Gettysburg area, tourists, Civil

War reenactors, historical societies, Photography Dowling Bill by Photo supporters of the existing facilities, This view of the facility features the large building as well as the museum and Congress. Making the Case gallery and Ford Education Center and After more than 10 years of for Geothermal book/gift store. Endangered grasses on the site of the visitor center and museum planning and collaboration, two The project team believed that a were harvested and transplanted during Congressional hearings, and more geothermal system promised the construction. The native vegetation requires than 50 public outreach meetings greatest long-term savings, but no irrigation. to help define a project steeped in knew the benefits needed to be American history and tradition, the proven given the increased upfront BUILDING AT A GLANCE Gettysburg National Military Park costs. The team collected return on Museum and Visitor Center (GMVC) investment data for other projects Name The Gettysburg National Military opened in 2008. that used geothermal systems and Park Museum and Visitor Center The design team worked closely hired a geothermal specialist. Location Gettysburg, Pa. with the owners, a public/private This specialist designed the sys- Owner The Gettysburg Foundation and partnership between the National tem, ran the energy models, and The National Park Service Park Service and The Gettysburg helped convince the owners that Principal Use Museum and visitor center Foundation, and the contractor to the system would meet the stringent Includes Cyclorama building, galleries, deliver a LEED Gold museum that temperature and humidity controls temporary exhibit spaces, lower level storage and archive areas, restrooms, operates one of the largest geother- required to preserve the artifacts, two theaters, full-service restaurant, mal systems on the East coast. and that the future cost savings on catering kitchen, classrooms, gift shop/bookstore, staff offices, and The facility features more than energy bills would be worth the conference room 20,000 ft2 of interpretive exhibit higher upfront costs. Employees/Occupants 65 full-time staff space, two 150-seat state-of-the-art Energy models suggested energy off-season; 105 in season, with more theaters, a full-service restaurant and cost savings of 40%. A life-cycle than 1 million visitors annually separate catering kitchen, museum cost assessment compared two Gross Square Footage 140,000 and bookstore, visitor center, and systems, a geothermal heat pump Net Conditioned Space 122,440 ft2 park and foundation administrative system and a conventional four-pipe Total Cost $29.4 million offices. It also houses the historic (hot water and chilled water) system Cost Per Square Foot $210 , which depicts with water-cooled chillers, cooling Substantial Completion/Occupancy the battle. Exhibited for the first time towers and gas-fired boilers. Both May 2008 in December 1884 and painted by systems were selected to comply Occupancy 100% Paul Dominique Philippoteaux, the with the International Mechanical painting was carefully restored and Code and International Energy Distinctions/Awards LEED Gold is now at its original size, 377 ft long Code standards. and 42 ft high.

S u m m e r 2 0 1 1 HIGH PERFORMING BUILDINGS 3 3 controls at maximum capacity for temperature. The heat recovery 24 hours a day, seven days a week, chillers operate on cooling mode

Photo courtesy of LSC Design, Inc. Design, LSC of courtesy Photo 365 days a year. Based on the types year round and generate the chilled of artifacts in this collection, it and hot water simultaneously. The assessment data suggested was determined that a temperature Hot water is generated by the con- that the geothermal system’s energy of 75°F (±3°) and a 50% relative denser. During summer operation it savings would pay for the upfront humidity (±3%) was necessary to is used for the reheat coils (leaving costs in seven years. The results preserve the collection. condenser hot water temperature at helped the owners understand that a The prepackaged cooling and 90°F). During winter operation the great investment at the beginning of heating plant includes 10 50-ton hot water is used for the hot water the project could result in years of each heat recovery chiller modules, coils (leaving condenser hot water future savings. 14 pumps, four plate heat exchang- temperature at 130°F). ers, hydronic specialties such as air The heat exchangers are installed Geothermal Operation separators, expansion tanks, valves, between the return hot water loop and The geothermal system contains sensors, etc., and the plant digital 168 wells, drilled to an average controller. Above The museum and visitor center is depth of 550 ft. The closed loop The heat recovery chillers are designed to blend into the rural Pennsylvania countryside. It is adjacent to the battlefield, hybrid system uses multiple chill- equipped with 20 scroll compres- but sited at a low point in the terrain so it is ers and is designed to maintain the sors that sequence on and off to not visible from the major interpretive points. specific temperature and humidity maintain a 42°F chilled water Below The facility uses more than 30 types of wall materials, including insulated metal panels, textured masonry, and stone veneer. Photo courtesy of LSC Design, Inc. Design, LSC of courtesy Photo

3 4 HIGH PERFORMING BUILDINGS S ummer 2011 KEY SUSTAINABLE FEATURES

Water Conservation Native landscaping eliminates irrigation, underground storage system for collecting storm water to eliminate runoff, under- ground storage system for fire suppres- sion system, low-flow toilets and sinks Recycled Materials Exterior wood timbers harvested from a local barn built more than 100 years ago; landfill impact reduced 75% by diverting metal, cardboard, and wood construction waste to a recycling center Photo by Tim Schoon Photography, courtesy of LSC Design, Inc. Design, LSC of courtesy Photography, Schoon Tim by Photo The porch of the bookstore and gift store and Ford Education Center features timbers BUILDING ENVELOPE adequate hot water temperature. The harvested from a local barn that was more than 100 years old. Roof two-way control valve at the evapora- Type Preweathered standing seam metal roof panels with structural insu- tor heat exchanger modulates open, lated panel system allowing heat from the geothermal pumps were used in this system. The Overall R-value R-31.12 water into the return chilled water condensing gas-fired boilers, working Reflectivity 25.37 flow and then into the condenser hot on 98% efficiency, were installed as a Walls Type More than 30 wall types are used water loop. The chillers’ energy effi- backup system in case of emergency. on this facility, including insulated ciency ratio (EER) is 30 and the heat- Twelve air-handling units (AHUs) metal panels, textured masonry, and stone veneer ing coefficient of performance COP( ) supply hot or cooled and dehumidi- Overall R-value R-31.1 (average of all is 5.5. These are the nominal cooling fied air into 12 zones throughout wall types) Glazing percentage 10% and heating efficiencies, which vary the facility. Each zone is controlled

Basement/Foundation with the building loads and the geo- by its own AHU to maintain the Basement wall insulation R-value R-3.39 thermal water temperatures. required thermal properties. Since Basement floor R-value R-0.38 (4 in. concrete slab Designing the system with 10 heat each zone requires humidification recovery chiller modules makes it pos- during winter operation, a VAV type Windows U-value 0.5 sible to run partial loads by only using system was not recommended. Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) the number of chillers necessary to Each AHU is equipped with hot 0.4785 or 0.55 shading coefficient maintain the temperature and humidity water preheat coils, chilled water Location Latitude 39.81 setpoints. This setup is more cost effec- coils, and reheat coils. Two of the tive than running partial loads on a sys- AHUs supply approximately 50% tem designed with one 500 ton chiller outside air and are equipped with the geothermal water, and between that consumes more kW/ton. The mul- enthalpy wheels. The AHUs in the the return chilled water loop and the tiple module system also serves as a museum’s critical zones such as the geothermal water. During summer backup so that if one chiller goes down, Cyclorama, collection storage, gal- operation, if the hot water return tem- nine more can pick up the slack. lery, and photo storage are equipped perature exceeds its setpoint, the two- The plant also contains the geother- with five air filter modules, includ- way control valve at the condenser mal heat exchanger, which provides ing carbon filters. heat exchanger modulates open, the condenser with geothermal water The five energy recovery units allowing excessive heat to be rejected for the heat recovery chillers, energy (ERUs) with built-in heat pumps into the geothermal water. recovery units with built-in heat supply outside air into the food During winter operation, the cool- pumps, and multiple water-to-air heat service areas, offices, and theaters. ing loads are not sufficient to provide pump units. No water-to-water heat The ERUs for the food service and

S u m m e r 2 0 1 1 HIGH PERFORMING BUILDINGS 3 5 theater spaces have outside air dampers that modulate in response to the CO2 setpoints and fully open when the CO2 levels exceed 1,000 ppm. The ERUs have a cooling EER of 15.5 and heating COP of 4. Multiple horizontal type heat pump units (HPUs) serve the offices and are located above the ceiling. The HPUs have a cooling EER of 15.8 and heating COP of 4.5. During summer, the geothermal

heat exchanger performs as a heat Inc. Design, LSC of courtesy Photography, Schoon Tim by Photo sink for the cooling operation. The Longer than a football field and as tall as a four-story building, the Gettysburg building heat is rejected into the energy is stored in the ground and Cyclorama painting immerses visitors in the hot water loop to maintain the 95°F is transferred through the geother- fury of Pickett’s Charge during the Battle of Gettysburg. In the late 1880s French water temperature required for the mal system into the building when artist Paul Philippoteaux spent months on humidity control system. heat is needed. the battlefield researching the Battle of Any excess heat is rejected into Gettysburg with veterans, a battlefield guide and photographer. It took Philippoteaux and the geothermal field. The majority Lighting Design a team of assistants more than a year to of this heat stays in the ground and Museum lighting must maintain a complete the painting. is used to heat the building during delicate balance between lighting the winter season. Also, the solar artifacts so that visitors can view them affect the preservation of artifacts, appropriately, but also protecting the and create visible pathways for the artifacts from future deterioration. safety of visitors. BUILDING TEAM At the GMVC, a variety of con- trols help maintain efficiency, and Building Owner/Representative Building Envelope Efficiency The Gettysburg Foundation and the power density is minimized in the The facility uses two roofing systems National Park Service public spaces. Low mercury lamps for two different parts of the facil- Architect LSC Design, Inc. are used throughout the remainder ity. The flat roof area is comprised General Contractor of the building to reduce hazardous of a 60 mil fully adhered thermo- Kinsley Construction, Inc. materials waste. plastic polyolefin TPO)( roof system Mechanical Engineer Occupancy sensors are used in beige and white to reduce heat Century Engineering, Inc. throughout the building, and time island effect. Electrical Engineer and Plumbing clocks control exterior lighting as The Cyclorama, museum gallery, Brinjac Engineering well as lighting in some of the pub- and refreshment saloon roofs are Energy Modeler Century Engineering, Inc. lic spaces. The administrative office composed of light gray standing Structural Engineer C. S. Davidson, Inc. spaces use an efficient fluorescent seam metal panels layered above Civil Engineer, Environmental lighting system. a structural insulated panel (SIP) Consultant LSC Design, Inc. Inside the main gallery, the system. The SIP contains a 7 3/8 Landscape Architect theaters, and the Cyclorama, an in. extruded polystyrene insula- Andropogon and Associates extensive dimming and control sys- tion core, which optimizes energy Lighting Design Available Light and tem maintains lighting levels. This performance. The light gray reflec- Fisher Marantz Stone, Inc. system is designed to direct people’s tive metal panels minimize the heat LEED Consultant SDK and LSC Design, Inc. attention to museum features, mini- island effect and comply with the mize the lighting that could directly

3 6 HIGH PERFORMING BUILDINGS S ummer 2011 HPB.hotims.com/33328-18 ENERGY STAR guidelines used for could do the same for America’s the facility would remain free LEED purposes. largest painting. from condensation. Creating the optimal building to The skin of the Cyclorama build- Fully adhered 40 mil flexible flash- house the Cyclorama painting was ing is composed of 3 in. isocyan- ing and expandable foam insulation challenging. The design team drew urate insulated metal panels. In seal the joint where the metal wall on its past experiences designing addition, special measures were panels meet the underside of the cold storage facilities and deter- taken to ensure that this part of SIP. The sealed eave joint creates an mined that the same metal panels extra barrier to keep moisture out. used to maintain temperature and humidity in a freezer warehouse

Right This statue recognizes Maj. Gen. John Sedgwick, who commanded the Sixth Corps Army of the Potomac at the Battle of Gettysburg, which took place July 1 – 3, 1863. The Sixth Corps was the last to arrive on the field after a 30 mile night and day march. Although much of the corps remained in reserve during the battle, vari- ous portions were committed as needed at scattered points about the field. At one point Sedgwick found himself commanding units on both the extreme right and left flanks of the army. Below One of the two 150-seat state-of-the-art theaters shows a short historical film that describes the context © Getty Images of the Battle of Gettysburg. Photo by Tim Schoon Photography, courtesy of LSC Design, Inc. Design, LSC of courtesy Photography, Schoon Tim by Photo

3 8 HIGH PERFORMING BUILDINGS S ummer 2011 2010 ELECTRICITY, GAS USE 2 0 1 0 E N E R G Y U S E BY LOAD TYPE

kBtu Receptacles (Includes 621,693 computer and general use)

Miscellaneous (General 938,518 loads such as trash com- pactor, small kitchenette type refrigerators, coffee makers, microwaves, etc)

AV/Projection 37,361 (Some load for this cat- egory may also be in recep- tacles and miscellaneous)

Kitchen (All major food 7,764,257 service equipment)

Specialty Lighting/ 1,836,936 Receptacles (Cyclorama/exhibit area) Two, 2-by wood blocking serves Additional Sustainable Main Telecom Room 135,088 as a buffer between the structural Elements Equipment steel trusses and the SIPs used for • Low flow toilets and sinks Elevator/Escalator 787,080 the roof. Bolting the SIPs directly decrease water use. Building Lighting 1,861,843 to the 2-by wood blocking and not •  Twenty percent of the facility’s HVAC/Plumbing/Fire 18,002,176 the steel trusses allows the wood to materials were manufactured locally Protection absorb any temperature transfer and and 50% were harvested locally, therefore eliminate condensation reducing the energy expended in Total 31,984,953 on the steel truss. This technique shipping the materials. Examples of is also used in the museum gallery, these materials are the granite pav- ENERGY AT A GLANCE which houses the artifacts. ers, flooring, and countertops from Energy Use Intensity (Site) 228 kBtu/ft2 A vapor barrier installed in the a local quarry and exterior wood Natural Gas 117 kBtu/ft2 2 Cyclorama building and museum timbers harvested from a local barn Electricity 111 kBtu/ft gallery walls, ceilings, and flooring built more than 100 years ago. Annual Source Energy 507 kBtu/ft2 elements blocks invading moisture • Native vegetation used in land- from the exterior and reinforces the scaping requires no irrigation. facility’s ability to maintain the tem- • Stream channel and wetland res- WATER AT A GLANCE perature and humidity setpoints. toration brings the site back to its Annual Water Use 4,132 gallons original form.

2010 ELECTRICITY AND GAS CONSUMPTION BY ZONES*

Gallery Restaurant/ Lobbies/ Data Education Spaces Cyclorama Theaters Store Kitchen Corridors Offices Storage Spaces Spaces Average Annual Energy Consumption 176.6 313.08 166.9 176.54 1030.9 162.27 176.5 162.26 344.32 174.67 288.404 kBtu/ft2 EUI Hourly Energy Consumption 20.15 35.74 19.05 20.15 117.7 18.52 20.15 18.52 39.3 19.9 32.918 Btu/h·ft2

*Note: Based on total conditioned space of 122,440 ft2.

S u m m e r 2 0 1 1 HIGH PERFORMING BUILDINGS 3 9 Photo by Tim Schoon Photography, courtesy of LSC Design, Inc. Design, LSC of courtesy Photography, Schoon Tim by Photo Inc. Design, LSC of courtesy Photography, Schoon Tim by Photo Above The Refreshment Saloon at the museum and visitor center is a full-service LESSONS LEARNED FROM DAILY OPERATIONS restaurant and has indoor seating capacity for up to 344 people with additional seat- ing on the adjacent outdoor patio during The facility team meets every morning Two chiller banks each containing 10 warmer months. It is modeled after actual to review building automation system oper- compressors were installed to handle the refreshment saloons that existed during the ating data from the previous night and to peak load of the facility. Initially, both chiller Civil War to offer weary soldiers a place to do a complete walk-through of the facility. banks were active. After adjusting the build- have a meal and a brief respite from the The walk-through gives the team the abil- ing control system, the facility team was harsh realities of war. ity to address any concerns on the spot able to maintain building thermal properties and to determine the best way to remedy by running only one chiller bank. The sec- Above Left The halogen spotlights originally the issue. ond chiller bank works as a backup and is installed in the book/gift store have been Weekly scheduling meetings keep the enabled during peak load conditions. replaced with LED fixtures to decrease tem- team up to date on special events occur- perature and reduce energy costs. ring after normal business hours. The One of the initial boilers installed for the team adjusts the building automation mechanical system backup was used to system according to that week’s operating generate hot water for the domestic hot • Endangered grasses were har- water system. It proved to be inefficient due hours to reduce energy consumption dur- vested and transplanted during ing partial occupancy loads. to its higher than required capacity. This Since the museum and visitor center’s boiler was replaced with a smaller modu- construction. lating condenser, which offers major gas soft opening in the spring of 2008, the •  An underground storage system col- operational staff has made several criti- savings compared to the previous unit. lects storm water to reduce runoff. cal adjustments to optimize energy and Many of the halogen spotlights have been cost savings. replaced with LED fixtures, which use less • Green energy credits are pur- electricity and emit less heat, reducing the chased so that a significant portion The facility team determined that the building’s cooling load. Emergency lighting AHUs in noncritical areas of the facility was initially set to stay on 24 hours a day, of the facility’s power use is gener- such as those in the offices, restaurant, 7 days a week. The facility team later pro- ated from green sources. and gift shop could be cut back when grammed the building automation system • A facility-wide recycling program the facility is closed, saving 12 hours to turn off the emergency lighting when the per day of running time. This unoccupied building alarm is armed at night. The lights reduces waste. night setback schedule varies depend- turn on if an alarm is triggered or in the • Landfill impact was reduced 75% ing on special events or building thermal event of any emergency. performance. by diverting metal, cardboard, and Regular maintenance of the HVAC system wood waste during construction to The AHUs that control the temperature helps reduce downtime and keeps the sys- and relative humidity in the lobby areas tem running efficiently. Pleated, HEPA, and a recycling center. (the main lobby and the group lobby) run carbon filters are changed on a regular sched- •  Preferred parking spaces were des- at 30% capacity, resulting in a 70% reduc- ule and are monitored and tested to ensure tion in these units’ electricity use. Variable they are functioning at the highest capacity. ignated for low-emission vehicles. frequency drives installed on the supply • Off-gassing was reduced or elimi- and return fans are controlled by time and The system is monitored by three full-time facilities personnel, on site as well as off nated by selecting low-emitting temperature and CO2 levels, respectively. site. Changes can be made from either materials such as carpet and vinyl The ERUs’ enthalpy economizers have location. Alarms initiate an e-mail as well been adjusted to use more outside air, as as printed notification on site. Two facil- flooring, adhesives and sealants, opposed to recirculated air, during mid- ity staff members have access to e-mail and paints and coatings. season days. through their phones to allow for the fast- est possible response time.

4 0 HIGH PERFORMING BUILDINGS S ummer 2011 ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Tatyana Shine, P.E., designed the geo- thermal system for the GMVC. She is the chief executive officer of Shine Allen & Shariff, in Columbia, Md. Elizabeth Paul was previously a market- ing coordinator at LSC Design, Inc., an architecture and engineering firm in York, Pa. Photo by Tim Schoon Photography, courtesy of LSC Design, Inc. Design, LSC of courtesy Photography, Schoon Tim by Photo The entry to the museum gallery houses artifacts in glass exhibit cases with inde- Conclusion pendent temperature and humidity controls. from the building automation sys- The GMVC is designed to be a Inside the gallery, exhibits include a porta- tem help catch operating abnormali- state-of-the-art, high performing ble wooden desk used by Confederate Gen. ties and solve potential problems Robert E. Lee and the journal of a physician building. Design cannot be the who listed and identified the location of before they damage the artifacts. only factor taken into account when several thousand Confederate soldiers who This case study shows how effec- determining a facility’s efficiency. died on the battlefield. tive communication, skilled design, Every member of the team plays creative material selection, and a role in overall building perfor- and the owners and their commit- knowledgeable facility operations mance including the design team’s ment to operate and maintain an staff can contribute to a facility’s research and ability to consider efficient facility. long-term efficiency goals. • innovative solutions, the contractors The facilities team’s daily walk- and their ability to value engineer, through and careful analysis of data

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