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P A R T I Introduction to the Guide
3 1.1 Background and Goals of the Guide With few exceptions, state departments of transportation (DOTs) are facing unprecedented fiscal, energy, and environmental challenges. They are striving to reduce the energy requirements for lighting, heating, cooling, and operating highway maintenance facilities while recognizing the unique operational challenges associated with such facilities. At the same time, state governments are mandating energy conservation, energy efficiencies, and the implementation of renewable energy (RE) sources such as wind power, solar power, and ground-source heating and cooling. Toward meeting these goals, state DOTs are actively evaluating renewable energy sources for their applicability to highway maintenance facilities. Applicability metrics may include emissions reduction, emergency response, reliability, practicality, and cost-effectiveness. These alternatives to conventional energy sources may be effective alone or in combination and may even pro- duce net energy above that required to operate the facility. In response to this situation, the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) launched NCHRP Project 20-85, âRenewable Energy Guide for Highway Maintenance Facilities.â A principal objective of the project was to identify and develop best practices for the use of renewable energy sources and passive building and site modifications to both capture energy and reduce energy use in highway maintenance facilities. This document provides this information in the context of maintenance facility design, construction, and operation. 1.2 Scope The Renewable Energy Guide for Highway Maintenance Facilities is intended for use by individuals involved in the development of vehicle maintenance facility projects and subsequent operations. These individuals include technical and management staff and those in a decision- making position. The term highway maintenance facility is defined as a building used to garage and repair and maintain vehicles and equipment, with associated storage, shop, office, and other occupied spaces. The term renewable energy refers to the use of solar, wind, and ground sources of energy for meeting building energy needs. This is accomplished through a variety of technolo- gies that convert the renewable energy resources into electricity or thermal energy. This includes renewable electric technologies such as solar photovoltaics (PVs), wind, and concentrating solar power and active solar heating, geothermal heat pumps, and passive solar strategies that use building design elements to naturally heat, cool, and (day) light. The guide also addresses energy efficiency and whole building design (also referred to as integrated design) as a means to achieve facility energy and environmental objectivesâparticularly for new construction or major renovation situations. It addresses new construction as well as applications for existing buildings. Case studies of renewable energy technologies and strategies for vehicle maintenance facilities in various locations in the United States are also covered. C H A P T E R 1 Introduction
4 Renewable Energy Guide for Highway Maintenance Facilities 1.3 Approach This guidebook was developed based on information from a variety of sources. A literature survey was conducted under the first phase of NCHRP Project 20-85, and a case studies document was developed under the second phase of the project. The case studies provided lessons-learned information from planning through operation and are included as Part IV of the guide. Information was also accessed from organizations such as the U.S. Department of Energy (U.S. DOE)/Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), and the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS). 1.4 Brief Overview of Each Section The guidebook is organized as follows: PART I: INTRODUCTION TO THE GUIDE Chapter 1: Introduction. This chapter provides background information about the guide, its scope, and the approach used in assembling the information, as well as a brief overview of each section. PART II: GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS Chapter 2: Overview of Highway Maintenance Facilities. This chapter provides background and historical context for development of maintenance facilities, along with functional attributes of maintenance facilities, focusing on how these relate to energy use. Chapter 3: General Project Considerations. This chapter examines the motivations for using renewable energy, the process of identifying renewable energy options, and ways to incorporate renewable energy into maintenance facilities, and includes a discussion of the project development processes. Chapter 4: Project Financing. This chapter discusses the means by which renewable energy projects can be financed, what options are open to owners of maintenance facilities, and funding mechanisms, including direct funding, bonds, public benefit funds, revolving loan funds, third- party ownership, energy savings performance contracting, renewable energy certificates, and renewable energy incentives. Chapter 5: Applicability Guide. The applicability guide provides some basic information about regional, site, and building considerations to help determine the renewable technologies of interest. It also provides a general screening approach and touches on economic evaluation methods. PART III: RENEWABLE ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES AND STRATEGIES Part III provides information about renewable energy technologies, including technology characteristics, cost and performance, applicability considerations, economics, design consider- ations, and screening methods. Selected technologies have best-practices information covering the planning, design, construction, and operation phases of project development. This is provided for each technology that is most likely to be implemented at maintenance-type facilities, not for all technologies. Energy efficiency and demand reduction is included in this section at a summary level due to the importance of this topic in making investments in renewable energy more effective. Energy storage is included since it is an enabling technology for enhancing the value of renewable energy. A chapter on general best practices applicable across renewable energy technologies is also included. The information provided is not engineering guidance but does include technical and programmatic elements. The chapters in Part III are: Chapter 6: Energy Efficiency and Demand Reduction Chapter 7: Daylighting
Introduction 5 Chapter 8: Passive Solar Heating Chapter 9: Natural or Passive Cooling Chapter 10: Active Solar Heating Chapter 11: Photovoltaics Chapter 12: Concentrating Solar Power Chapter 13: Wind Energy Chapter 14: Geothermal Energy Chapter 15: Biomass Chapter 16: Hydroelectric (Small Scale) Chapter 17: Energy Storage Chapter 18: Emerging and Alternative Energy Technologies Chapter 19: General Best Practices for Implementing Renewable Energy Technologies and Strategies PART IV: CASE STUDIES Chapters 20 through 22: This part includes the previously stand-alone document, âCase Studies of Renewable Energy Technologies on Transportation Maintenance Facilities.â It provides information on 11 renewable energy projects on vehicle maintenance or similar facilities, including lessons learned and best practices.
