David and Lucille Packard Foundation


Project Description
Los Altos, CA, USA

At the time of construction, the David and Lucille Packard Foundation headquarters had the distinction of being the worlds largest net zero energy building, setting a new standard for all future development.  The building also achieved LEED Platinum certification.  Venetian blinds, controlled by Embedia's Solarai system, play an integral role in the efficiency of the building design.  Regardless of the season and time of year, predictive solar tracking ensures the blinds are always optimally positioned to harvest natural light.  The increased daylight autonomy lead to a 30% reduction in energy consumption from artificial lighting compared to standard commercial buildings.  The optimal positioning also reduces thermal gains from the sun reducing the load and energy consumed by mechanical cooling systems.