In the conceptual documents of the original RFP (dated February 6, 2008), the objectives were prioritized and then divided into three groups: Mission Critical, Highly Desirable, and If Possible. Competing design-build teams were judged based on their ability to meet as many objectives as possible while meeting the overall budget constraint. A subset of those goals related directly to energy modeling and the low energy design process includes:
a. LEED™ Platinum designation
b. ENERGY STAR® appliances, unless another system outperforms
2. Highly Desirable
a. 800 staff capacity
b. 35.1 kBtu/(ft2·yr)
c. Measurable 50% energy savings versus ASHRAE 90.1-2004
3. If Possible
a. Net zero energy building approach
b. LEED Platinum Plus
c. Exceed 50% savings over ASHRAE 90.1-2004 baseline
The absolute site energy consumption, net zero energy balance, and LEED Platinum goals in particular influenced the modeling tools and design process. The RFP also specified parameters such as temperature and humidity set points, nighttime setback, maximum U-value of windows, and compliance with elements of ASHRAE 55 that have energy impacts.