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International Green Building Challenge 2000 — Zion Visitor Center and Comfort Station

Photograph of the Zion National Park Visitor Center, which utilizes energy efficiency to protect the natural beauty of Zion. South facing windows and Trombe walls allow for passive solar heating; photovoltaic (PV) panels on the roof provide electricity; and cooltowers rise above the building to allow for summer cooling by the passive down-draft method. The dramatic cliff and canyon landscape of Zion National Park is complemented by the new, highly efficient Visitor's Center and Comfort Station. One of the National Park Service's most energy-efficient complexes, the 7,600-square-foot Visitor Center and 1,100-square-foot Comfort Station feature daylighting, Trombe walls for passive solar heating, downdraft cooltowers for natural ventilation cooling, energy-efficient lighting, and advanced building controls. It is estimated that these features result in about 10 kW of electrical demand savings. A roof-mounted photovoltaic (PV) system provides electrical power. The PV system reduces the amount of power purchased from the utility and it supplies backup power when grid power is not available.

Zion Visitor Center and Comfort Station, National Renewable Energy Laboratory Web site
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Last updated: 10 August 2006