Mark Nelson Deputy Commissioner Division of Capital Asset Management Office of Facility Maintenance March 29, 2011

1. Innovation, Technology & Sustainable Design:
An Owner’s Perspective
Mark Nelson
Deputy Commissioner
Division of Capital Asset Management
Office of Facility Maintenance
March 29, 2011

2. What is DCAM?
• State agency that provides space to other state
agencies – mostly by construction, but also
through leasing
• About 230 FTE in DCAM
• Responsible for public building projects requiring
study, design, and construction – awarded to
lowest responsible bidder
• Don’t do college dorms or highway buildings or
vertical construction
• Starting to use BIM and testing IPD
• We have two ZNEBs in the works

3. Typical Projects
Courthouse Worcester Holyoke Community College
Courthouse Plymouth Westfield State College

4. DCAM and Sustainability
• All DCAM new construction projects will be LEED
certified – Silver is the lowest level we seek
• DCAM has numerous comprehensive energy projects
underway that upgrade older buildings and campuses
• We strive to meet the Governor’s goals for renewable
energy, energy efficiency, and greenhouse gas
reduction.

5. Technologies In Use or Under Consideration
• Solar power
• Wind power
• Solar thermal
• Geothermal
• Co-generation
• Tri-generation
• Green roofs
• Storm water harvest
• Fuel cell
• Bio-fuel and gasification
• Microturbines
• And more….

6. Some Issues
• We can get LEED, but can we keep LEED?
• Can “Gus the Janitor” deal with LEED?
• Can “Gus the Janitor” deal with BIM?
• How can we get the user to budget for the capital expense of
the future, e.g. turbine overhaul?
• Are we really aware of the maintenance involved with these
new technologies?
• How far do we push the planners/designers to think beyond
their comfort zone with new sustainable technologies?
• How do we get the data from the installed equipment to
maximize opportunity, e.g., RECs?