World's Greenest Building

Just the Facts

Independence Station in Independence, OR, is expected to receive the highest LEED rating ever awarded for new construction when it is completed in 2010, so because of this and many things we are doing that are not yet addressed in the LEED rating system, we're already calling it the World's Greenest Building. The highest LEED rating will be the result of combining sustainable technologies including solar power, biofuel conversion, rainwater harvesting, geothermal cooling and many others. First, here are the basic facts.

What: Independence Station will be a 57,000 square foot mixed-use building that runs completely on renewable energy (mostly solar power and used vegetable oil). The building will contain 15 residential condominiums, real and virtual office space, retail, restaurants, community classrooms, research facilities and DC power based data storage.

Who is creating it: Developed by Aldeia, LLC, designed by LEED accredited architects and constructed by Johnson Controls, Inc.

Who can be part of it: Just about anyone! Think virtual office space, ecotourism, home ownership, possible fractionalized ownership, research, partnerships -- the possibilities are endless.

When: Scheduled for occupancy in early 2010, but it will never be complete. The World's Greenest Building will continually evolve with the newest green technologies.

Where: Independence, OR, the official end of the Oregon Trail for America's early pioneers. Independence Station now welcomes 21st Century Pioneers who are ready to live and work in a "2,000 Watt Society".

Why: Take your choice: Energy Independence...Environmental Stewardship...2,000 Watt Society goals...basic desire to prove it can be done now.

How much: $15 million

How will we do it? The combination of off-the-shelf components, Jr. High School level physics and common sense.

Solar energy:

Independence Station will harness solar energy through a unique 125 kilowatt installation of photovoltaic panels. The first set will collect the sun's energy from the roof, and the second group will provide a solar awning to cover a garage and parking lot. Connected to a massive battery system, the solar awning will power the data server room, provide power for the building and help charge electric cars. During certain emergency power situations, the electric cars themselves can supply additional energy back to the building if needed. The roof array will be grid connected to feed power back during peak demand times, while the building runs off-grid on a daily basis. The credit with the local electric utility will be used to make ice at night for the next day's cooling needs. More on this in a moment.

During sunny months, this combination of photovoltaic panels will produce more than enough energy to run the building, store extra energy in a large battery bank for nighttime use, and feed power back to the grid. Independence Station will be the highest performing, most comprehensive Smart Grid project ever built.

Waste vegetable oil:

Independence Station's biodiesel-fueled cogeneration system serves two primary purposes. Developed in cooperation with the Chemical Engineering Department of Oregon State University, the system transforms waste fryer oil into both electricity and heat, providing both power and warmth. The used vegetable oil will be recovered from restaurants in the area.

When green is cool

With ice storage technology by CALMAC as part of the overall HVAC system, Independence Station will offset its energy usage during the peak demand hours. By using ice created during off-peak hours inside two ice storage tanks, the building will be able to run off grid during daily peak power times, thereby saving costs by minimizing expensive electricity demand charges. During the utility's peak demand period the building will operate on power produced by biodiesel generators and be cooled by the ice storage plant. During this time, excess power generated by the 125 kW photovoltaic system will be sold back to the utility, helping the utility meet peak demand load. At night, the computer based building management system will decide when to shut down the generators, and start making ice. The goal is for Independence Station to be a net zero energy building using Smart Grid technology, with CALMAC's IceBank Energy Storage at the heart of the cooling system.

Rainwater harvesting:

Systems on the roof collect the area's abundant rainwater (average 49 inch rainfall annually). The rainwater will be filtered, stored, purified and separately plumbed to the laundry machines, toilets, hose spigots and irrigation systems throughout the building. Low-flow faucets will further conserve water, and PermaFLOW P-Traps will reduce plumbing problems and eliminate any need for harsh chemicals to unclog drains.

And we couldn't forget:

NatureMill Composters in each residential unit will transform up to 10.5 tons of residents' food waste each year into beautiful compost. Initially, the rich soil amendment will be donated to community gardens. In future phases, the compost will support food production at the World's Greenest Building.

A 45-foot high vertical garden inside the main lobby will not only cover two exposed elevator shaft walls but also provide healthy air delivered directly to the high tech office space. Slightly cooled fresh air will be gently diffused near the top of the living wall and gently cascade down and through the various types of plants that add oxygen and remove VOCs. This healthy air will then be drawn into a duct at the bottom of the living wall to be passed through a HEPA medical grade air filter and delivered to office space through an efficient displacement ventilation system rather than the inefficient and less effective mixing method used in most buildings.

Seventeen electric car charging stations will be in the project so that transportation will be from 100% renewable sources, rather than from coal fired power plants as is common around the country. In an extreme event, the cars can be use to supply critical needs by powering the building.