6.9 Learning Activity: Pre-Design Charrette Plans

Congratulations! Your design team has been hired by Costco Wholesale Corporation [1] to propose solar integration in one of their regions (to showcase one of their commercial retail buildings in each location). You job is to make a short written survey of the case, suggesting a plan to maximize the solar utility for their regional management in Texas.

Building Location: Austin, TX

Main Goal: Suggest plans and implementation strategies to maximize the solar utility in TX Costco facility taking into consideration key stakeholders at the locale.

Task: Develop a 1-2 page outline for the regional manager that sketches out the background required for the initial charrette [2] , a type of pre-design brainstorming session, which would be be held later this year and bring in many stakeholders to the table. The prepared document should brief the Costco regional manager of your findings and strategies for a successful charrette. You may use images if it helps to explain your plans. At this point you may not have all the tools to be an expert on solar technologies, but you can BE CREATIVE and develop a compelling outline.

The caveat: While your design team is nationally known, you live in St. Louis, MO. This means that you will have to do some background research for an upcoming pitch to the regional manager. Your goal is to make a convincing argument for them to arrange a charrette that your team will eventually lead. I would suggest you develop the outline by addressing three topics that commonly occur in a solar integration discussion: (1) energy efficiency, (2) adding PV on site or off-site, and (3) possibility of adding solar hot water on site.

Elements to include in your outline:

General Information for Locale (in its diverse meaning)
Building Energy Information (energy demand, energy provider, energy sources, e.g. natural gas, electric., etc.)
Location Analysis for SECS: PV / Solar Hot Water Systems / Passive solar / Solar roof control (white roof, green roof)
Energy Efficiency Strategies
Economic Considerations
Key Stakeholders (not only Regional Managers)
Environmental Impact

Resources:

Another Company previously developed a similar summary for Costco NY location. It is available to you as an example (see Canvas), but resist to just copy their format - do a better job organizing and presenting your data!

Diverse resources available from the USA Dept. of Energy:

Open EI [3]: Energy Information Database
Buildings Performance Database [4]
Green Power Network [5]
Commercial Buildings Resource Database [6]: (see Top Resources)
- Soaking Up the Sun Article [7]
- Handbook for Planning a Charrette [8]
Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy [9] (NCSU and DoE/NREL)

There are also extensive resources available at the 7Group website [10].

Submission:

Submit your outlines as PDF files in the Canvas Learning Activity 6.1 Dropbox: Pre-Design Summary. Appropriately cite any references used in your report.

Grading Criteria

You will be graded on your ability to develop a compelling outline that raises new questions and provides scope for the upcoming charrette. All this is based on limited information of the actual sites, but extensive access to general information about the type of building and potential stakeholders. The activity assesses your knowledge of investigating the client and stakeholders and the locale when planning to maximize solar utility in the pre-design phase.

Grading Rubric

This is a 20 point assignment

4 pts: includes at least 4 elements of locale
4 pt: assesses the building type (commercial retail/warehouse) for on-site energy demand
4 pt: assesses the comparative utility of installing new technologies for local energy production
2 pt: assesses the comparative utility of reducing energy demand
2 pt: includes a list of at least five types of potential stakeholders for the charrette
2 pt: outline includes economic questions to consider
2 pt: outline includes environmental questions to consider

Deadline

See the Calendar tab in Canvas for specific due dates.