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Volusia County
Government has found that it’s easy
being green. The county is a state
leader in environmental protection,
land acquisition and conservation,
smart growth and recycling efforts.
Its focus on conservation and smart
energy use also applies to
construction projects, including the
massive Ocean Center expansion.
In the
construction of the expanded
facility, Ocean Center engineering
and design firms set the standard
for use of renewable resources and
recycled products. And, the
technology incorporated into the
expansion will help the facility be
efficient in its daily operation.
The Ocean
Center expansion and renovation
includes many materials and designs
that conserve resources and energy.
For example, Daytona Beach weather
brings sunny skies, but also a need
for an impressive cooling and air
conditioning system. Ocean Center
contractors have installed
high-efficiency heating and cooling
systems that operate with an
environmentally friendly coolant.
And, automatic closures on all
exterior doors will be installed to
minimize the loss of conditioned
air.
Effective
insulation also is essential to
keeping the Ocean Center cool and
comfortable for its 10,000-person
events and intimate meetings.
Insulated glass, double-walled
exterior masonry and reflective
exterior elements help to ensure the
building’s efficiency.
The most modern
of technological advances are also
inherent to the new Ocean Center
structure. Construction of the Ocean
Center includes the installation of
low-energy lighting fixtures and
coatings on glass surfaces and
computer-controlled lighting and
sound systems that will help
conserve energy in unused parts of
the complex.
An extensive
waste recycling and reduction
program helps to round out the many
ways the Ocean Center will be one of
the most red-hot – and greenest –
facilities in the Southeast.
Other green initiatives at the Ocean
Center include:
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Cardboard recycling –
Employees aggressively recycle all
corrugated cardboard waste that is
generated in the facility with
separate compactor facilities for
cardboard and solid waste.
-
Recycling of other materials
– As other types of recyclable
waste materials, mostly metals and
wood, are generated through the
production of events or
maintenance activities, they are
disposed of using reuse or
scrapping services.
-
Use of recycled paper products
– All paper products used in Ocean
Center rest rooms and cleaning
operations are made from 100
percent recycled materials.
-
Fluorescent lamp upgrade –
All T12 fluorescent lamps have
been upgraded to T8 lamps, which
reduce energy usage.
-
Fluorescent lamp ballast –
All fluorescent lamp ballasts have
been upgraded from magnetic-type
to electronic-type ballast, which
reduces energy usage hazardous
waste.
-
Heavy
metals reclamation – All
burned-out lamps containing heavy
metals are sent to an approved
reclamation center.
-
Cleaning chemicals – The
Ocean Center has switched most
cleaning chemicals to maintain the
facility to peroxide-based,
“green” products.
-
Irrigation controls – All
irrigation systems have rain
sensors to turn off the sprinkler
system if rainfall has been
adequate to sustain the plants.
All planter areas are watered with
drip irrigation systems.
-
Chiller replacement – All
the chillers in the Ocean Center
air-conditioning system have been
replaced with new high-efficiency
units, which subsequently changed
the refrigerant being used from
R11 to R134A, further reducing
fluorocarbons.
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Architecture – The design
of the Ocean Center expansion
incorporates a window-shading
“bill” that reduces the amount of
direct sunlight that shines on the
glass.
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Glass – All exterior glass
installed during the Ocean Center
expansion is thermally insulated
and has a low-e film built into
the glass panels.
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