PSU Applied Research Labs Building 5
Certified LEED NC Silver

This 120,000 sq. ft. laboratory/office building was built by a private developer, for long-term lease by the Pennsylvania State University for one of its research and development groups. Because the university requires all new construction to be designed to achieve at least LEED Silver Certification, they expected this off-campus building to also meet those requirements. Mike Norris was hired by Penn State to design the HVAC and compressed air systems. MLNAI also generated the energy simulation model and other documentation required for all LEED credits involving the mechanical and electrical systems.

MLNAI assisted the project’s original mechanical and electrical designer in bringing the plumbing and electrical system designs up to the standards required by LEED for New Construction Version 2.2. Plumbing systems included a rainwater capture system to flush toilets and water landscaping and a 300 sq. ft. green roof. Using low flow fixtures along with this system allowed the project to achieve all five possible LEED points for Water Efficiency as well as an ID credits for exemplary performance in Water Use Reduction. The HVAC system design, combined with energy efficient lighting systems, achieved nine out of ten possible points for Optimized Energy Performance with a projected energy savings of over 38.5% compared to typical buildings of comparable size and usage.