High-performance residence hall expected to deliver more than 20 percent cost savings

Dominican Hall
Edgewood College
Madison, Wisconsin

The addition of a sustainable, high-performance residence hall on campus is expected to deliver a significant payback in terms of cost savings.

With 90 percent of the interior spaces enjoying outside views, daylighting reduces the demand on electricity. High-efficiency systems and equipment, including solar-powered pre-heating for hot water, enhance student comfort and reduce consumption. Early modeling exercises indicate the systems will deliver a 20 percent cost savings over a baseline building. Low-flow fixtures are also reducing water use by 30 percent over conventional fixtures.

Project features

• 78,100 square feet with 200 beds
• Mechanical systems include closed-loop water source heat pump system, high-efficiency natural gas boiler with solar pre-heating, and heat recovery units
• Exterior high-pressure sodium lamps, compact fluorescent lamps, and motion sensors enhance the life of electrical fixtures while conserving energy use
• Rain water is captured and stored for irrigation