Edificio per la nuova sede Norvento

Sustainable Architecture Award

Silver Medal

Credits

Client

Norvento Enerxia S.L.

Collaborators

Sergio Helguera
Jose M. Gastaldo
Luis Alves
Eduardo Ruiz
Angel Martinez
Paula Juango

Authors

Francisco Mangado

Tecnical drawings:

Extended report:

Relazione estesa

The new head offices of the firm Norvento has a floor area of 4,000 m² and can accommodate 200 employees. Physically disconnected from electrical and gas networks, it will cover all its energy needs through renewable sources, becoming a zero-energy building. For this it is equipped with a hybrid micro-network, incorporating different technologies for generating and storing energy. The building obtained an Exceptional BREEAM score during design phase.

Energy needs are limited through these additional measures:

• The building opens on to the adjacent forest, creating protected south- and west-facing spaces that help to maximize capture of heat. The windows and skylights bring in natural light.

• LED lighting solutions combined with a system for lighting control contribute to making the most of natural light.

• System for recapturing heat by which as much as 20% of the thermal load of ventilation air is regained, and so with 35% of the energy used to equip the server room.

• Insulating solutions that reduce thermal conductivity by 35% in the roof and 70% in the facade of eucalyptus wood.

In turn, the following systems for generating and storing energy are implemented:

• Wind power: nED100 wind turbine for 100kW

• Photovoltaic energy: 165 kWp panels installed on parking roof

• Biodiesel: 50kWe cogeneration system and 90 kWt to support HVAC, plus a 120 kWe backup system

• Control of micro-network: OG+ advanced control system, making it possible to coordinate energy generation, storage, and consumption in real time

• Geothermal energy: underfloor heating provided by geothermal pumps of 52 kWt each

• Thermal accumulation by water: two tanks for hot water and one for cold water through which surplus electrical energy can be stored in the form of heat. In this way, in accordance with strategies set by the OG+ system, supply and demand need not be equal.

• Batteries: system for accumulating electrical energy through 350 kWh and 200 kW lithium batteries, maximizing use of renewable energies

• Electric vehicles: five loading stations for electric vehicles

Other sustainability features:

• System for collecting rainwater and reusing gray water—sufficient for flushing toilets

• Facade of eucalyptus wood, fostering new appreciation for the use of local wood, with a natural durability that avoids the need for biocidal products, and dimensions adapted to the locally available raw material, making industrial drying of thick walls unnecessary. This gives added value to exploiting eucalyptus trees, improving forests. The eucalyptus had been chopped down young for paper production.