Engineering Design Services for Auto Club Group LEED Certified Birmingham Branch

The new office was designed to the be the first AAA branch in the Great Lakes Region to pursue and achieve LEED Certification. As the project proceeded, design demanded careful balance between LEED considerations and budget constraints. With this in mind, the mechanical HVAC system choice was limited to packaged rooftop equipment. PBA worked closely with the architect to achieve an efficient building envelope by utilizing low-e insulating glass and reflective roof/overhangs to deflect solar loads, thereby reducing the total energy consumption of the HVAC equipment. Each mechanical rooftop unit was individually metered to measure actual energy usage and compare to the energy models in order to verify that the systems were working properly.

Efficient lighting systems design was also a key component to the energy conservation measures, contributing to LEED certification. PBA’s lighting design included the use of LED cabinet lighting, lower lighting levels, occupancy sensors with time of day control, and daylight harvesting.