10,000 SF SERPA Building
10,000 SF SERPA Building
Client: Dekker/Perich/Sabatini
Location: Espanola, NM
Lopez Engineering, Inc. (LEI), subcontractor to Dekker/Perich/Sabatini, provided electrical design services for the 10,000 GSF (est) Solar Engineering Park and Academy (SERPA) for Northern New Mexico College, located in Espanola, NM, which will be LEED Silver Certified.
The building is a new high-tech academic study, research laboratory, testing, and evaluation facility designed to reflect and advance the “solar culture” of the region.
LEI performed field investigation, coordinated with the electric, telephone, and cable TV utilities, prepared basis of design documents, calculations, drawings, and specifications, and developed cost estimates. Calculations include load, lighting, short circuit, voltage drop, overcurrent coordination, IECC, and potential Photovoltaic (PV) energy generation.
The main architectural goal for the building, led by Dekker/Perich/Sabatini, is to create a welcoming and modern exterior that expresses the building use for engineering and the function of the building systems such as expression of the structural system and integrated solar collecting strategies.
This building will provide the infrastructure to train and develop NNM technicians and engineers to work in the energy efficiency and renewable energy field. A portion of the site has been set aside for experimenting with PV and wind systems. Classrooms have been dedicated to teaching energy audit techniques. Central monitoring systems will be installed in this building to enable students to learn about PV systems as well as other renewable energy technology both building mounted and located on the site.
SERPA was designed with a building envelope that emphasizes energy performance while meeting the client’s desire to express both technology and local material traditions. These envelope strategies, along with the mechanical and lighting strategies, are expected to reduce the building’s energy costs by 35%.