Tahoe Center for Environmental Sciences at Sierra Nevada College
Having opened its doors to students on August 21, 2006, the Tahoe
Center for Environmental Sciences (TCES)—a collaborative project between the University of California, Davis and Sierra Nevada College—is the second Labs21 Partner project, and one of only a few laboratories in the world to achieve LEED® Platinum certification.
Located at Sierra Nevada College on Lake Tahoe, the largest alpine lake in the U.S., the
40,000-square-foot facility provides a world-class venue for education
and scientific research on alpine lakes and preservation of such
important natural resources.
The building was awarded LEED platinum certification in the summer of 2007, having achieved energy savings of 60 percent over ASHRAE 90.1 and 65 percent water savings over traditional systems. To achieve such high results, the building incorporates numerous innovative design features, such as:
- A cogenerator that alone cuts the carbon impact of the building’s electrical consumption by two-thirds.
- Electrical generation by 30kW of integrated photovoltaics.
- Nighttime chilled water production and chilled beams for cooling.
- Laboratory exhaust heat recovery.
- A unique snow and rainwater catchment system.
- Waterless urinals and low-flow toilets.
- Light shelves to increase daylighting.
Beyond energy and water use reductions, the facility promotes environmental stewardship through many other features. Exterior walkways are made of recycled materials, the structural concrete contains coal fly ash, and a compressed natural gas (CNG) pump allows the use of CNG vehicles by academic staff.
The facility houses research laboratories and a public education center for the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center; Sierra Nevada College’s science program (teaching laboratories and classrooms); and office space for the Desert Research Institute and University of Nevada, Reno’s Academy for the Environment.
Labs21 provided technical support throughout the design of TCES and continues to promote TCES as a model of sustainable laboratory design. Visit the TCES Web page to learn more.
Sierra Nevada College (SNC) is a small liberal arts college located in Incline Village, Nevada, on the northeast shore of Lake Tahoe. Several years ago, the institution began building a new campus on 20 acres of forest land in the heart of Incline Village. With a current undergraduate population of 320 students, major academic programs include Business Management, Computer Science, Environmental Sciences, Fine Arts, Humanities, and Psychology. For more information, visit the SNC Web site.
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