On April 24, Governor Tom Corbett, Mayor Michael Nutter and Penn State President Rodney Erikson gathered at the Navy Yard to celebrating the groundbreaking of a $33 million development project. But, more importantly, they were lauding the experimental retrofitting of Building 661, slated to reopen as the Center for Building Energy Science, a permanent headquarters for the Energy Efficiency in Buildings (EEB) Hub. 

During his address, Mayor Nutter pointed out that Philadelphia's energy problems and solutions are deeply connected -- they both depend on our aging building stock. Building 661 is a prime example. The former naval recreation center typifies a large sector of U.S. buildings: containing 30,000 to 50,000 square feet and built between 40 and 80 years ago. Philly has up to 40,000 buildings just like 661. 

After sitting vacant for more than 20 years, the structure is derelict, but it's also ideal for retrofits. Open floors allows for better distribution of heating and cooling, and the building has both skylights and south-facing windows. As early as next year, the Center for Building Energy Science is expected to emerge as an interdisciplinary workspace -- with educational conference rooms and tech labs -- for the growing retrofit industry.   

The EEB Hub -- established in 2011 by Penn State and funded by the U. S . Department of Energy (DOE) -- has been asked to reduce energy costs in Philadelphia's building stock 20 percent by 2020. Rather than developing more technologies, the center is focused on market-driven adoption of existing solutions. The current retrofit project uses "integrated energy efficiency design," a methodology based on two years of Hub research, to deliver energy savings more cheaply and effectively.  

The plan was developed with local architecture firm Kieran Timberlake and construction manager Balfour Beatty. It includes solutions as advanced as a floor system that delivers climate-controlled air, and as rudimentary as new trees planted on the building's south side for shade cooling. Combined, the implemented systems are expected to achieve 43 percent more savings than the baseline standard set by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers. 

If these goals are met, Building 661 will serve as a national model for making old buildings better.

Currently, retrofits are often approached piecemeal -- a building owner might choose to replace windows, update their HVAC or add solar panels without thought to how these technologies affect one another. 

According to Steven DiBartolo, project leader for Building 661, an optimally performing building should work like a car. In automobiles, performance information is gathered and sent to a central computer, which makes adjustments based on that information. 

Building 661 will boast central controls that allow HVAC, lighting, windows and other parts to communicate. On a sunny day, the lights will automatically dim or shut off. If one part of the structure is warmer, the system will circulate that air throughout the building. Rather than assuming peak performance, the building will collect ongoing data on three separate HVAC systems using censors. "We're going to put a lot of devices in that actually measure, so that we can understand what the building is doing," explains DiBartolo.

Futuristic as these advancements may seem, they're geared towards simplicity. Technologies are "off the shelf," and selected for economy as well as results.

"We're trying to get more building owners to say 'Yeah, I'm going to retrofit my building,'" says DiBartolo. "There are a lot of existing buildings that shouldn't be torn down -- they should be retrofitted in a cost-effective way."

As part of the integrated approach, all stakeholders -- including the Hub, architects, engineers, construction managers, energy technologists and labor unions -- collaborated on the goals, designs and plans for the project. 

"In the design and construction industry, everything happens sequentially," explains Laurie Actman, deputy director at EEB Hub. "Usually it's a pretty inefficient process, because you don't get all the professionals around the table at the beginning. It's very easy along the way for something to get complicated or to need more money than you want to spend."

Directly across the street from Building 661, Penn State's Center for Building Energy Education and Innovation, a brand new 25,000-square-foot facility, is also under construction. The project features a green roof, solar panels, a water reclamation system and geothermal system. It will host Penn State's educational programing and energy centers, including the Grid Smart Training and Application Resource Center (GridSTAR).

Currently, the Hub is pursuing residential retrofit projects and demonstrations throughout the region. With the new headquarters, they expect to expand educational programing and serve as a product testing center for growing energy businesses, providing more and more data on affordable solutions for urban buildings across the country.

The University City Science Center has partnered with Flying Kite to showcase innovation in Greater Philadelphia through the "Inventing the Future" series.

DANA HENRY is Flying Kite's Innovation & Job News editor.