Wilhelm Automotive and their design build team were looking to tune up energy savings when planning a new Happy Valley location, so they contacted Oculus Studio. The project was entered into the APS Solutions for Business program with the Whole Building Performance method leading to financially feasible and realistic energy efficiency measures.
Analysis during the design process showed energy efficiency measures could be applied to reduce envelope loads, such as exterior mass walls and R-40 roof insulation. An energy management system was shown to better control lighting and take advantage of daylighting. To further maximize savings, more efficient HVAC equipment and interior LED lighting was incorporated into the final design. Working in combination the energy efficiency measures resulted in an Energy Use Index (EUI) of 7.62 kWh per square foot per year and showed a reduction in annual energy consumption of over 20%.
In order to reduce utility cost even further, Oculus Studio designed a 34.56 kW DC hybrid roof / canopy solar PV system. The result of energy efficiency measures enables the Happy Valley location of Wilhelm Automotive to have an annual energy operational cost of less than $700 per year. Very significantly the facility also generates enough annual electricity from solar energy to be energy positive, which means it produces more energy than it consumes.