In Business, Creating Sustainable Enterprises & Communities

HOW GREEN CAN YOU BUILD

In Business, January-February, 2005, Vol. 27, No. 1, p. 26

Owners get first-hand experience in constructing new manufacturing facility and are extremely pleased with the low additional costs.

Sally Kieny

WHEN our growth was pushing us through the walls of our leased 15-year-old industrial park building, David and I asked ourselves, what would it take to build absolutely the most environmentally friendly, energy efficient building we could create,” recalls Jan Blittersdorf, CEO of NRG Systems in Hinesburg, Vermont. “Then we asked other people-architects, designers, energy specialists, environmental specialists, green building experts-everyone we could think of who might want to join our design team and plan a building unlike any other. We never dreamed there would be so much available and so much to learn about building green.”
The new result for Jan and David Blittersdorf, founders of NRG Systems - briefly described in the November-December 2004 issue of In Business - is a beautiful 46,000 square foot, $8 million facility for their 43 employees who make wind measurement products. This report provides additional details on designing and building green. The architects - William Maclay Planners - last month received the state's highest award from the Vermont Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA). According to AIA jury members who reviewed 44 projects, the NRG building “breaks out from the model of the typical metal industrial box … so few industrial buildings reach this level of sophistication.”
“Having a building that runs almost completely on renewable energy lets us walk our talk and demonstrate that this not only can be done, but it's practical and affordable, even in a cold climate like Vermont's,” declares David Blittersdorf, NRG's director of engineering.
“The extra cost of building this way was surprisingly low - about eight percent. We think of it as prepaying our energy bills as we operate this building for about 25 percent of the energy cost of a conventionally made building the same size. As the cost of energy continues to rise, and we think it will, our energy bills will be stable and predictable because we're relying primarily on renewable energy. Super efficiency combined with renewable energy is key.” Two-thirds of the building's electricity is supplied by a 67-kilowatt solar photovoltaic installation, which will avoid the emission of up to 105,000 pounds of carbon dioxide annually. The $450,000 solar installation is the largest of its kind in Vermont.
The extra cost of building to green standards was $13.81 per square foot with total project cost at $168 per square foot. But cost is just part of the story. The NRG building's use of natural and recycled materials, the natural light, healthy indoor air and efficient water usage and its abundant use of wood and stone, make it an environment people say they enjoy working in.
A series of 12 solar trackers along the road leading up to the building are part of an energy system that includes building-mounted solar panels, a wind turbine, and a silo that holds enough wood pellets to heat the building for a year. The pellets are made of compressed wood waste from lumber milling and other sources and are 30 percent cheaper than oil and half the cost of propane. Two home-sized wood pellet-fired boilers provide primary heating for the building's radiant heating system.
The landscape design features native Vermont trees and plants to eliminate the need for a watering system and a 1.3 million gallon pond for the heating and cooling system.

AN EARTH- AND PEOPLE-FRIENDLY DESIGN
Inside, the entrance welcomes visitors with color and light. The building's attractive, colorful floors are made with stained concrete, without the use of glues or solvents. Hand-painted floor tiles placed throughout the floors depict the use and development of wind power through the centuries. High panels of glass, clerestory windows, allow light to travel through to adjacent administrative offices and deep into the building's core.
Office areas are connected by a main “street” with low walls and planters filled with beautiful greenery contribute to indoor air quality. Office spaces feature operable windows so employees can enjoy fresh air and natural cooling. Indicator lights tell employees when outdoor temperatures are suitable for opening windows without wasting energy.
High efficiency fluorescent general lighting directs light toward the ceiling to mix the electric light with natural light coming in through the windows. Automatic dimming ballasts dim or brighten the lights as sunlight increases or decreases and occupancy sensors throughout the building turn lights off when they are not needed.
All work areas in the plant, including the manufacturing and warehouse area, enjoy natural light and feature views of the wooded outdoors. Skylights and large windows in the warehouse practically eliminate the need for artificial lighting on sunny days-a dramatic change from the windowless warehouse space in NRG's previous building. Meeting rooms at both ends of the building feature Vermont made furniture using Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified wood and windows to allow natural light in and give views of the outdoors.

THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE WORK
The café commons area offers a comfortable place for employees to gather and have meals. The room's focal point is a 3-story fireplace of native stone facing a meeting and dining area furnished with Vermont made FSC certified wood furniture. Adjoining the cafe commons area is a double kitchen that provides the space and energy efficient appliances employees need to prepare and enjoy meals at work. Upstairs, an “endless lap pool” and an exercise room provide healthy ways for NRG employees to add fitness to their days. By working in close coordination with natural sources of heat, light and other materials and with renewable fuels, the NRG building provides a hospitable and enjoyable place for employees to spend their own creative and productive hours.
“One wish we have,” said David, “is that people will see our building and want to plan a green building project of their own.” “If we can spark someone to build differently as a result,” said Jan, “that would be a wonderful effect.” For more information about NRG's building and other green building resources, please visit www.nrgsystems.com/about/green_building.php.