ECO-CULTURE Buildings
The new Public Library, Amsterdam, The netherlands
 
| Typology |
1.000 + seats (600 PC's/ internet/ Ms-office) Theatre 270 seats 5 meeting rooms (education, culture, information) 1 meeting place (foyer, restaurant, literary café) |
| Useful floor area |
28,000 m2 |
| Promotor |
Municipality of Amsterdam |
| Other participants |
Architect: Jo Coenen & Co Architects
Constructor: Hillen & Roosen - De Nijs
Assigner: Gemeente Amsterdam |
Context
The Amsterdam Public Library was opened on 7 July, 2007 (07-07-07). The building has a total area of 28,000 m². Of this area, roughly 9,000 m² are office spaces. The architect of the project is Jo Coenen.
The Library has wireless internet access for users with laptops. Further, there are nearly 500 computers throughout the library, which can be used for ad-vanced searches of the library databases. The building also has a restaurant on the top floor with views of the city. Visitors can park their bike in one of the 2,000 parking spaces for bikes.
More than 200 persons are working at the Library.
The Library is highly appreciated in Amsterdam by the citizens and library users. The number of visitors has exceeded expectations. This means that over 2 million users have visited the building on a yearly basis over the first two years of operation. Tours of the building are offered once a week for the public.
The building is open 12 hours per day or 84 hours per week - or 24/7, if ac-cessed through the Internet.
The energy concept in the Library consists of a Long-Term Energy Storage (LTES) in an aquifer, an advanced ventilation system, Building Energy Man-agement System, lighting management, and PV-panels on roof and facades. The energy storage is a combined system for all buildings in the Oosterdok-seiland, which makes the system more efficient than if it was only for one building.
Solutions
Long-term energy storage (LTES) in an aquifer:
The buildings at the Oosterdoks location will all be connected to a central cold and heating system. The distribution system comprises two rings, cold and warm, that will supply the connected buildings with heat and cold.
In total there are 4 times two wells (cold and warm). Via heat exchangers the groundwater cold respectively the heat will be transferred to two circular underground pipes (two rings), the distribution system. The wells will be charged during winter respectively summer in such way that the system is in energy balance.
Innovative is that all buildings will have both access to the cold and warm well at the same time. Excess cold or heat will be stored in the buffer rings. Due to the fact that not all buildings have the same pattern of heat and cold demand the buildings can use the residue heat or cold of each other.
For peak loads a bio-oil fired boiler is used. When extra cold is needed this will be produced by a heat pump. The excess warmth will be stored in the buffer ring. The heating system of the building is a low temperature heating system. There are no negative environmental effects of this system.
Ventilation system:
The ventilation system of the library is designed to have a high temperature air inlet into the building with a temperature range of 18 to 21°C. This means that a long period over the year outside air can be used without heating.
The ventilation system will be controlled by minimum CO2 levels. The CO2 levels of the exhaust air are measured. In this way an efficient use of energy for ventilation will be achieved. Between incoming and outlet air a heat recovery system is placed.
Solar façade and roof:
Two photovoltaic solar energy systems are realised in the building of the library. Together with the architect an integrated façade system has been designed. The use of this type renewable energy on a highly visible location where per year a lot of visitors will come enhances the awareness of renewable energy systems and the ECO-building concept. A PV roof system of 75 kWp is installed for a more efficient power generation.
Building Energy Management System (BEMS):
A building energy management system controls the ventilation and the heating/cooling system. All levels of heat and/or cold usage are monitored. The elektricity production of the photovoltaic energy system is also connected to the system.
Energy data
For this new building the contributions to the overall energy savings are:
Long term energy storage (i.c.w. heat pumps):
- LTES heating (heat pump): Saving = 814 MWh/year.
- LTES cooling, electricity: Savings = 106 MWh/year.
- Annual saving of CO2 for heating: 23%.
- Annual saving of CO2 for cooling: 67%.
Photovoltaic system (roof and façade):
- Roof system, extra generated electricity = 10.500 kWh/year.
- Façade system, extra generated electricity = 45.000 kWh/year.
- Annual saving of CO2: 33 tons.
Intelligent controlled ventilation system - BEMS - lighting:
- Electricity: Savings = 306 MWh/year.
- Annual saving of CO2: 13%.
First Hand experiences
In the Amsterdam Public Library, focus has been on energy storage using double aquifer in external system, building-integrated PV system and intelligent ventilation including BEMS and benchmarking.
So far, only very limited data exist for the Library and therefore final conclusions cannot be made concerning energy consumption for heating, cooling and electricity consumption as well as reductions in CO2-emissions.
However, the target for the total energy use has not been met. The main deviation is in the electricity use, where further analysis is necessary. Heat and cold usage are within the target range. Additional cold usage can be explained by the larger electricity use and extra heat usage.
| Objective |
Target |
Status |
| Reduce the energy consumption related to cooling |
75-80% reduction |
60 % achieved |
| Reduce CO2 emission related to cooling |
75-80% reduction |
60 % achieved |
| Reduce the heat consumption |
35-50% reduction |
41 % achieved |
| Reduce CO2 emission related to heating |
35-50% reduction |
15 % achieved |
| Use renewable heat sources |
Use |
Use of PV |
| Use intelligent control for maximised utilisation of the used technologies |
Use |
Included |
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