Fossil Ridge High School

Project Summary

Poudre School District
Fort Collins, Colorado

Project Type:
New Construction High School

Size:
288,865 Square Feet

Year Occupied:
2004

Project Details

Fossil Ridge High School is the newest high school in the Poudre School District. In keeping with School District policy, the new 289,000 sf high school incorporates numerous energy efficiency and sustainable design features, including aggressive daylighting and high efficiency electric lighting and HVAC systems. Architectural Energy Corporation, hired during the Pre-Design Phase as the commissioning authority, played an important role during the design, construction, and turn-over of the building. Extensive design reviews occurred, followed by comprehensive functional performance testing of all major building systems.

Project Highlights

The high school was designed for high performance and minimal energy use, and incorporates many sustainable and renewable design features. The design includes many daylit spaces and dimming lighting in all classrooms, with some occupant override control. The mechanical system is a 4-pipe fan coil unit in each classroom, with fresh air delivered by heat recovery makeup air units with evaporative cooling in the return air stream. The classrooms have operable windows with sensors to turn off the local HVAC system when a window is opened, as well as occupancy sensors to control lighting and HVAC equipment. All air handlers have energy recovery wheels to reduce winter heating, and summer peak cooling. The cooling plant consists of an air-cooled chiller with a thermal storage system that includes eight Calmac ice tanks, which are used to reduce the building peak electrical demand. The secondary chilled water loop is a variable flow system with VFD pumping. The boiler plant consists of three high efficiency condensing boilers with a system maximum design temperature of 140 (d)F, and a variable flow secondary pumping loop. The school is currently operating at close to 1.1 watts / sf, and is expected to cost $0.40 / sf annually to operate.

Architectural Energy Corporation, as the Commissioning Authority, was responsible for managing the commissioning process for all major building systems — mechanical, electrical, controls, irrigation, foodservice, etc. Extensive one-time and short-term diagnostic testing and monitoring was undertaken to verify and document that the design intent was achieved in the built and operating facility.