Boone National Guard Aviation Support Facility

Using CMTA’s Building Science Leadership (BSL) principle of “Operational Engineering,” this facility was designed and is the most energy efficient Aviation Support Facility in the world. The project is Net Zero Ready, and easily achieved LEED Gold, by achieving all 19 points for EA Credit 1 – Energy Optimization, including an exemplary point and regional priority credit for a total of 21 points. The project bid under budget, and the Kentucky National Guard was able to accept and alternate to install an 80 kW monocrystalline photovoltaic system. The 80 kW photovoltaic system will offset 20% of the total building energy usage. The building infrastructure is in place to increase the photovoltaic system and allow for 100% energy offset. 

The building was modeled to operate at a Energy Use Intensity of 23, and currently is trending toward an energy usage of 15.2 EUI. A radiant slab heating system was used in the maintenance bays, with ground source heat pump water heaters for hot water generation. The 90°F hot water heating temperature increased the heat pump efficiency by 20%, operating at a COP of 5.4. High volume, low velocity fans were used for summer time ventilation. The two story administration and operation space is conditioned using an enhanced geothermal HVAC system with dedicated outdoor air unit with energy recovery. All LED lighting was used in the administration space, and high efficiency linear fluorescents in the maintenance bay. 

Early on, CMTA employed the BSL practice of The First 30 to impact the project. The design team and owner were challenged to figure out how to design a tight building envelope, including the maintenance bay doors. A building pressurization test was included in the project requirements, and the maintenance bays passed at an air leakage of 0.19 cfm per square feet of building envelope.