Summary
In 1996 Fingal County Council set out to procure a new headquarters building in Swords and initiated a competition for the building 's design. The Council's clear commitment to the environment was demonstrated in the competition pre-condition that the building's design needed to demonstrate low energy usage and be responsive to the environment.
The completed building demonstrates that it is possible to produce an office building in Ireland that contains high internal heat gains but does not require any energy consuming air conditioning or mechanical ventilation to produce a comfortable internal environment.
This building uses passive technology such as natural ventilation, thermal mass absorption, intelligent controls, and night cooling to naturally moderate the buildings internal temperatures.
Results
The project was designed to use approximately quarter of the energy that an equivalent air-conditioned office would consume and costs less in capital terms than an equivalent air-conditioned office.
Total energy use was calculated at approximately 100kWh/m2 per year.
In addition to producing energy and environmental savings, the building provides a natural working environment that many consider to be more healthy and productive than an artificial equivalent.
To find similar reports, click on a keyword below:
Buildings
: Cooling
: Energy Efficiency
: Local Government
: ManagEnergy
: New Buildings
: Passive Design
: Regional Government
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Case Study (63 KB PDF)