Technology with the Environment in Mind

Intel's First Designed and Built Green Building

CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS

Strategic Core Team

The strategic core team consisted of Project Engineering, Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS), and Public Affairs (PA). These stakeholders were invested in building an environmentally sustainable building, where EHS took the role of environmental responsibility, PA took the role of social responsibility and communication, and engineering provided the practical green building planning, design, and execution.

Corporate Approval for an Innovation

The project's stated mission and the building's type created a clear message that the approach to build a sustainable building required a new mindset. An Internet search revealed the "Green Building" advantages and activities around the world. The "Smart Building" strategy for the new Intel R&D center in Israel has been converted to a "Sustainable Development, Green Building." LEED* was chosen as the project rating system. The new Israeli standard SI-5281 was in its development stage at that time, and it was later adopted by the team as a second rating system.

The concept of a green building was first presented to high-level corporate managers to avoid or eliminate potential roadblocks allowing for a flawless review throughout the regular approval process. By getting their approval, midline managers were able to focus on standard construction procedures, without the need to make decisions on innovative strategies. The approval to add capital cost and ROI was left to upper management, where the advantages to the business as a whole, and to the corporate profile, could be better evaluated. As a result, the scope of the project and the budget for a Green Building have been approved. The building's imaging picture and its facilities are shown in Figure 5.

Figure 5: The building's imaging picture and its facilities
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Integrated Design Process

All Intel building designs are integrated, which means that Contracted Architects and Engineering (A&E) firms mobilize all the required personnel from the start. Teams, made up of owner's engineers, A&E, and construction managers create owner/contractor groups called Discipline System Teams. By leveraging this process and implementing the same practice in the green building project, we have created a "Green Building" team, made up of both the design managers and the LEED consultant. Owning the management charter and authority, this core team enabled a flawless and directly controlled process, and it coordinated and led single and multi-discipline discussions where ideas, solutions, and cost evaluations were hammered out. For instance, this was the most effective way to bring the Architect, HVAC, and the electrical consultants together at the early stages of the design so that they could discuss natural daylight strategies and consequences, when building envelope options had just been developed. In addition, it was the best method to start the commissioning process. System teams created an effective structure to define and execute the enhanced planned commissioning processes during project design, execution, and delivery.

Preliminary Cost Evaluation and ROI

Initially, during programming (conceptual design), the project team assessed credits options and opportunities that were defined by the site conditions and parameters. A preliminary techno-economic Return of Investment (ROI) study encouraged the team to proceed (see Figure 6).

Figure 6: Model used to estimate ROI
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This assessment determined LEED "Silver" as a feasible target. The processed preliminary study showed potential operational savings that could cover the estimated premium of less than one percent (<1%) in less than five years. These figures are in line with the works of Davis Langdon [15] and Gregory H. Katz [14]. Actual premium construction costs are still being tracked and will be published after occupancy. However, a few details and remarks can already be made:

1. The design cost did not increase due to the green building scope, relative to the company's regular benchmarked cost. The Green Building contract paragraph contained a clear expectation that the design to efficient systems and structures was a basic expected professional approach, while no unique system consultancy was required (i.e., renewable energy was not implemented).
2. The new role of the LEED Accredited Professional consultant added a reasonable additional cost required for documentation, meetings, and communication with the design consultants and the third-party audits.
3. Certification fees of $12,500 were based on the building size.
4. Premium construction costs are referenced to the standard new Intel constructed R&D building. In this project, we have estimated less than $600,000 in construction premiums. Cost distribution (see Figure 7) shows that most of the premium costs are due to energy improvements (40%) and indoor environmental quality improvements (35%). These improvements costs were estimated to save more than $200,000 a year.
5. The estimated savings did not include immeasurable impacts like productivity, absenteeism, public affairs gains, or "Green" marketing results.
6. ROI was based on total premium costs to total operational cost savings assuming that the LEED-Silver target is achieved. Four sub-projects above the Silver requirement were kept as a contingency to cover for potential missed targets.

Figure 7: Project premium's cost distribution
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Based on the feasibility study's positive results followed by corporate approval, the Public Affairs group got the green light to release information on the initiative internally and also externally to the public.

Intel's Social Responsibility Results

Intel's commitment to corporate responsibility, together with its positive media exposure and support from public officials, lead to numerous invitations from organizers of the foremost corporate and social responsibility conferences in Israel.

The "Green Building" was a great platform to promote Intel's relations with key government officials and leaders. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who laid the cornerstone for the "Green Building" during the ground-breaking ceremony, expressed deep appreciation for Intel and called on other companies to follow in Intel's footsteps by cultivating and advancing environmental awareness.

Extensive newspaper coverage of the establishment of the "Green Building," including features in Israel's largest daily newspaper and leading financial publications, have described Intel as a leader in the field of corporate responsibility and care for the environment. At a leading and well communicated Social Responsibility conference in Israel (Maala), which highlighted local corporations' activities, Intel Israel's CEO delivered the keynote address to the leaders in this field and described Intel's commitment to the global environment. These publications created a baseline that triggered Intel's supportive involvement in the local sustainable construction industry.

Greening Israel Construction Industry

As a way to better sense the local industry capabilities, the project team started to participate in local conferences, starting as members of the audience. Driven by the vast exposure to the public of the Green Building, the requests to participate as presenters were only a matter of time. The project has been presented at several events to architects, engineers, enterprises, and building owners. The project engineer participated as an Intel member in the local Green Building Association, bringing with him a unique experience in leading an active Green Building project. The project was volunteered as a pilot to establish the new Israeli Standard SI-5281 just issued at that time. Today Intel is mostly appreciated for its representatives' activities within the association's framework.

Green materials suppliers were exposed for the first time to new business opportunities. The project procurement strategy to create competitive bids required more than one supplier for each tender. In the case of paints, only one local qualified supplier was valid. A second well-known manufacturer was disqualified because he did not have the required formal document to prove his product's sustainability. Driven by business considerations, the manufacturer sent his samples to a certified known test lab out of the country, certified his product, participated in the bidding with the appropriate documentation, and finally was awarded the contract on account of his lower cost. In other words, a win-win situation.

The green building will have a modest visitor center to educate the public about the building's sustainability. The building is still under construction, but visitors and groups are already being hosted in the adjacent existing campus and attend lectures on the green features, ideas, and opportunities. Among the hosted groups are construction managers, students, journalists, hi-tech operation managers, and more. The stated team's mission to support and green the local industry begun months before the project was even completed and certified, through community involvement and by exposing the challenges of making the R&D building green.

Intel R&D Green Building Design Features

The following are the implemented strategies to achieve a LEED-Silver rating:

• The building includes a data center, a high-energy consumer. The building's heating system is based on heat recovery from the DC water-cooled condensers. Recovered heat is also used for preheating of the domestic hot water supply to the kitchen and gym showers. There is no conventional fuel-powered boiler heating system.
• Sufficient daylight and enhanced ventilation increase employee satisfaction, productivity and health, key factors in reduced absenteeism.
• The façade includes reflective panels to maximize daylight penetration, providing natural lighting levels to more that 75% of the occupied areas (see Figure 8).

  
  
  Figure 8: Internal reflective panel used to maximize daylight penetration
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  • Indigenous plants and controlled computerized irrigation will reduce water usage by 55% at mid-summer.
  • A 31% reduction of water usage and related sewage will be achieved by efficient urinals, dual flush water closets, and low-flow faucets and showers.
  • The gardens will be watered by an automatic irrigation system using recycled (condensate) water. A HVAC condensate water drain, collected at a rate of 5300 gallon/day during summer, is sufficient as the sole source of irrigation (no potable water is required).
  • Lighting fixtures' controlled system enables each fixture to be dimmed separately (DALI com protocol).
  • The quantity of fresh air in the offices is controlled by a CO2 monitoring system to save cost and improve ventilation.
  • As a prerequisite, a recycling program for non-hazardous waste was implemented during the building's life-cycle.
  • Two symmetric patios allow daylight penetration deep into the office at the three upper floors, combined with automatic daylight controlled lighting (Figure 9).

  
  
  Figure 9: Building section showing patio and north tilted reflecting surface
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  • Individual light and thermal comfort is controlled via a Building Management System.
  • Each worker will be allowed to adjust his ambient air comfort and overhead lighting from his or her personal computer.

    
    
    Figure 10: Green roof and patio aperture
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    • Heat islands are reduced by planting a "Green Roof," and by using reflecting materials, shades, and landscaping. The "Green Roof" (Figure 10) also provides thermal insulation to the highest story (Level 5).
    • The building site was originally a parking lot so there is no damage to natural assets.
    • The site is located at a walking distance from main transportation stations, such as a train station, a central bus station, and a city bus (Figure 11).

      
      
      Figure 11: The building position (in blue) relative to the original parking lot, walking distance from main transportation
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      • Motors and chillers were chosen to save on energy consumption (using Variable Speed Drives and high-efficiency motors).
      • Bicycle Storage (for 40 units) with showers and changing rooms for the bicyclists' benefit are located in the underground parking area.
      • The best environmental measures will be used in the construction to reduce dust, wheel tracks' wash and storm water runoff (Figure 12).

      
      
      Figure 12: Storm water run-off prevention during construction
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      • The quantity of storm water runoff post-development has been kept less than that of pre-development.
      • The paving of internal roads and pavements was offset by developing the adjacent public area with plants, while 50% of the building footprint is covered by "the Green Roof."
      • A glazing surface area (low-e type) has been reduced on East/South/West facades (Figure 13).
      • Only low-emitting (low-VOC) paints, adhesives, and sealers are applied.
      • A carpool policy is implemented.
      • A measurement and verification plan will be implemented during the first year of operation. Lessons learned will be available for other projects.

      
      
      Figure 13: Building illustration, South-West view
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      • 10%-20% of all supplies will be made up of recycled material (a fraction of all supplied material costs).
      • Forest Stewardship Council certified wood will make up 50% of the wood used in the building (doors, finishes, furniture).
      • Construction waste (Figure 14) is recycled or reused (parking lot asphalt is reused on site; soil and aggregates were reused at adjacent construction site: steel, wood, cardboard, organic materials, etc. to meet the target of keeping 50% of the construction waste from having to be disposed of).
      • Neighborhood density: the building is built within a dense neighborhood where the built area to surface exceeds 60ksf/acre (15ksf/dunam) within a radius of 990 ft.

      
      
      Figure 14: Rock waste crushed on site and recycled
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      • The lobby includes a display area ("visitor center") and interactive presentations to educate visitors and employees about sustainable construction and the building's features.
      • An enhanced commissioning plan is provided to ensure the building complies with the design intent, includes the strategic features, and is built to full owner satisfaction.
        Section 4 of 8  

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