Official laboratory facility and performance text, the 2011 measured-and-modeled data catalog, and laboratory design and capital-cost papers.
Why this project is in the CFIG demonstration set
Primary CFIG capability
Requirement-to-result traceability and model-versus-measured performance control.
Decision sweet spot
At target definition, design tradeoffs, controls tuning, and the first full year of occupied performance data.
Client payoff
Verifies the return on design decisions and turns operating data into targeted improvement.
This is an independent historical demonstration built from public records. It does not claim CFIG worked on, advised, or was endorsed by the project.
One condition. One decision path. Three usable outputs.
The energy promise was useful because it was made measurable, assigned to design decisions, checked during operation, and kept visible after occupancy.
Primary evidence spine
WHAT THE SOURCE SAYS
Official Research Support Facility performance text — National Laboratory of the Rockies, formerly NREL
“Designed To Influence an Industry” text version, paragraphs on real-time data and 2020 zero-energy validation.
“Researchers working in the RSF use real-time building performance data to study the building’s energy use and energy-saving practices.”
PLAIN-LANGUAGE TRANSLATION
The owner watches how the building uses energy and uses the data to improve performance.
What was reviewed—and what remains outside the claim
The register names each public record used here. “Targeted” means the listed project sections were reviewed for this demonstration. It does not mean every linked attachment or all project files were reviewed.
| ID | Original document and exact area | Coverage used | Status | Public source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S1 | Official RSF performance text Facility purpose, passive and active design, real-time data, photovoltaic system, and 2020 validation. | Full text page reviewed. | VERIFIED | Open original sourceCLICK HERE |
| S2 | 2011 Measured and Modeled Energy Data Official NREL data submission 40 and primer. | Dataset identity and purpose reviewed; raw model not rerun. | VERIFIED | Open original sourceCLICK HERE |
| S3 | The Role of Modeling When Designing for Absolute Energy Use NREL report NREL/CP-5500-49067. | Target and design-model method reviewed. | VERIFIED | Open original sourceCLICK HERE |
| S4 | Controlling Capital Costs in High Performance Office Buildings NREL report NREL/CP-5500-55264. | Project cost-control method reviewed. | VERIFIED | Open original sourceCLICK HERE |
| S5 | Official research facilities page Current federal-laboratory description of the completed 2010 facility. | RSF section reviewed. | SUPPORTING | Open original sourceCLICK HERE |
Explore the Research Support Facility across all eight phases
The published records connect requirements, modeling, delivery, and operation. Each phase links to a supporting source or makes its evidence limit clear.
Land / Site Acquisition
Evidence reviewed: The laboratory materials describe the Golden campus, orientation, and solar resources. They do not establish a land acquisition or title record for this portfolio.
Decision use and limit: Use site and climate constraints for performance modeling without claiming a parcel history.
Planning / Project Definition
Evidence reviewed: The design paper states an absolute energy-use objective, occupant assumptions, and a fixed budget as design-build constraints.
Decision use and limit: Set a target, measurement boundary, and decision owner before design alternatives are judged.
Design / Preconstruction
Evidence reviewed: The 2011 modeling paper explains iterative whole-building and detailed analysis for daylight, ventilation, data-center load, thermal behavior, and photovoltaics.
Decision use and limit: Trace each design change and model assumption against the energy target.
Contract / Procurement
Evidence reviewed: The design paper identifies a performance-based fixed-price design-build procurement and explicit contractual energy goals. The reviewed papers are not the complete executed contract file.
Decision use and limit: Check that performance duties, required proof, and acceptance criteria travel with procurement.
Guaranteed Maximum Price / Cost Formation
Evidence reviewed: The laboratory paper describes capital-cost control under performance objectives. Its fixed project budget does not by itself establish a guaranteed maximum price or complete final-cost history.
Decision use and limit: Compare first cost and energy value using verified commercial records without inventing a GMP.
Construction / Project Controls
Evidence reviewed: The completed building and its daylight, ventilation, controls, and solar systems are described in laboratory sources. This is not a full as-built installation or commissioning-log audit.
Decision use and limit: Map tests and installed systems to their performance requirements for future control.
Changes / Claims / Disputes
Evidence reviewed: The modeling paper addresses design iterations and operating tuning. The source set does not establish a construction claims or change-order history.
Decision use and limit: Document performance impact for any future changes without presenting them as historical claims.
Closeout / Warranty / Operations
Evidence reviewed: The laboratory data catalog publishes 2011 hourly measured, weather, and modeled datasets; the facility text describes later performance validation. Raw models and all utility, commissioning, and warranty files were not independently re-audited here.
Decision use and limit: Assign an operating owner to compare measured and modeled energy and investigate material variance.
The eight CFIG lifecycle phases
A phase may be evidence-supported, supporting, or requirements-only. No blank phase is presented as completed field proof.
| Phase | Coverage status | Project evidence | CFIG use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Land and Site Acquisition | SUPPORTING | Campus and solar-resource context support orientation and performance choices. | Carry site, climate, access, and renewable opportunity into the target. |
| 2. Planning and Project Definition | EVIDENCE-SUPPORTED | Absolute energy target, federal mission, office needs, and living-laboratory goal. | Define measurable success, baseline, meter plan, and cost limit. |
| 3. Design and Preconstruction | EVIDENCE-SUPPORTED | Integrated modeling, orientation, daylight, ventilation, envelope, equipment, and systems. | Use the requirement-to-design matrix before each design freeze. |
| 4. Contract and Procurement | EVIDENCE-SUPPORTED | Performance and first-cost goals shaped acquisition and team decisions. | Keep performance duties, evidence, and acceptance in procurement. |
| 5. Guaranteed Maximum Price, Cost Formation, and Purchasing | EVIDENCE-SUPPORTED | NREL cost-control publication connects performance choices to capital cost. | Compare energy value, first cost, life-cycle effect, and target impact. |
| 6. Construction and Project Controls | EVIDENCE-SUPPORTED | Completed 2010 building and installed passive, active, control, and renewable systems. | Trace installation and tests to each performance requirement. |
| 7. Changes, Claims, Disputes, and Commercial Resolution | SUPPORTING | Design and tuning choices can be assessed; no claim opinion is offered. | Record each change’s target, cost, schedule, and performance effect. |
| 8. Closeout, Warranty, Audit, and Final Resolution | EVIDENCE-SUPPORTED | 2011 measured/model data, real-time operations, and 2020 zero-energy validation. | Use variance dashboard and corrective-control action plan. |
Source language beside plain language
RSF-01The performance promise was measurableTARGET / DESIGN
WHAT THE SOURCE SAYS
NREL modeling report and official facility record
“designed to use half the energy of an equivalent minimally code-compliant building”
NREL report NREL/CP-5500-49067, opening project description.
PLAIN-LANGUAGE TRANSLATION
The team set a number it could test, not just a green goal.
Condition Found
An absolute target controlled design tradeoffs.
Significance
A vague promise cannot guide scope or acceptance.
Lifecycle Effect
Target → Model → Design response → Test.
Decision Window
Before concept and at each design freeze.
CFIG Intervention
Use the Performance Requirement-to-Design Traceability Matrix.
Responsible User
Owner, designer, contractor, and commissioning provider.
Consequences of Taking No Action
Features can be added without proof they meet the whole-building goal.
Expected Benefit
The target stays visible through design and cost decisions.
RSF-02Measured data made model variance visibleMEASUREMENT / VARIANCE
WHAT THE SOURCE SAYS
NREL Data Submission 40
“A Primer to the 2011 Measured and Modeled Energy Consumption Datasets”
Official dataset title and project description.
PLAIN-LANGUAGE TRANSLATION
The owner published both expected and actual energy information for the same building.
Condition Found
The result could be compared with the promise after occupancy.
Significance
Real use can differ from design because people, equipment, controls, and weather change.
Lifecycle Effect
Model → Meter → Compare → Investigate.
Decision Window
During the first occupied year and every later reporting cycle.
CFIG Intervention
Use the Model-versus-Measured Energy Variance Dashboard.
Responsible User
Energy manager, facilities, controls, designer, and executives.
Consequences of Taking No Action
A gap can persist without a clear cause or owner.
Expected Benefit
Work focuses on the largest supported performance gaps.
RSF-03The building kept using performance data after openingOPERATIONS / PAYOFF
WHAT THE SOURCE SAYS
Official RSF performance text
“use real-time building performance data to study the building’s energy use and energy-saving practices”
Official text version, operations paragraph.
PLAIN-LANGUAGE TRANSLATION
The facility team keeps watching the result and learning from it.
Condition Found
Closeout became a continuous measurement and improvement loop.
Significance
A strong first year does not guarantee long-term performance.
Lifecycle Effect
Operate → Measure → Tune → Retest → Share lessons.
Decision Window
Every time a material variance or operating change appears.
CFIG Intervention
Use the Measurement, Verification, and Corrective-Control Action Plan.
Responsible User
Facilities, controls, commissioning, energy manager, and occupants.
Consequences of Taking No Action
Controls drift and operating changes can slowly erase the design benefit.
Expected Benefit
Verified savings and lessons continue after project closeout.
Exactly three primary outputs
Each option is a usable work product. It names the user, the decision, and the payoff.
| No. | Tangible Option | Usable output | User | Decision enabled | Benefit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Performance Requirement-to-Design Traceability Matrix | A matrix joining each energy, cost, comfort, daylight, ventilation, equipment, and renewable requirement to design response, model result, owner, test, and acceptance proof. | Owner, designer, contractor, commissioning provider, energy manager, and facilities. | Whether the design still supports the target before a choice is locked. | Better protection of energy and capital goals. |
| 2 | Model-versus-Measured Energy Variance Dashboard | A plain dashboard comparing target, model, meter, end use, weather, occupancy, plug load, control state, variance, confidence, and owner. | Energy manager, facilities, controls team, designer, and executives. | Which variances matter and where investigation or tuning should start. | Faster, evidence-based operating improvement. |
| 3 | Measurement, Verification, and Corrective-Control Action Plan | A closed action log for each variance with cause hypothesis, professional review, change, test period, expected gain, actual result, and closure approval. | Facilities, controls, commissioning, occupants, energy manager, and Human Authority. | What to tune, repair, change, monitor, or accept. | Sustained savings and reusable project learning. |