Hinesburg, VT - NRG Systems' recently completed 46,000
square foot manufacturing facility and office building in Hinesburg has
received LEED gold level certification, making it the first gold and
highest LEED-certified building in Vermont and one of only four
manufacturing facilities in the world to receive this designation.
LEED, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is the nationally
accepted standard and rating system for high performance, sustainable
(green) buildings developed by the U.S. Green Building Council. The $8
million building, located in Hinesburg, is powered primarily by
renewable energy and features the latest in energy efficiency
technology and green building design.
"It was our goal to
build the most energy efficient and environmentally friendly building
possible. When we started this process, we wanted to explore just how
'green' we could go with this kind of building," said Jan Blittersdorf,
president and CEO of NRG Systems, Inc., a global manufacturer of wind
measuring systems. "The result is a building that achieves new
standards for manufacturing facilities."
Two-thirds of the NRG
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. A 10-kilowatt wind turbine complements the
$450,000 solar installation, the largest installation in Vermont. The
building also uses another renewable resource–wood pellets made from
lumber milling waste–for its heating needs.
Conventional
buildings use more than three times the energy as the NRG building.
Water-saving devices, such as dual-flushing toilets and faucet
aerators, save more than 100,000 gallons of water per year.
According
to the U.S. Green Building Council, green building and design is a
booming trend. In Vermont, two projects have been certified–ECHO at the
Leahy Center for Lake Champlain and Waterfront Housing–16 other Vermont
projects are registered and seeking certification. There are more than
1,700 new construction projects in the U.S. seeking certification–only
43 have received gold level certification. There are four progressive
levels of certification–certified, silver, gold and platinum.
According
to NRG Systems, the cost of building to green standards was $13.81 per
square foot or 8.21% more. NRG expects these additional costs to be
paid for in five years.
The building features dozens of
skylights and operable windows designed to take advantage of natural
light, allow for natural ventilation and provide employees with views
of the outdoors. Laptop computers and Energy Star-rated office
equipment were selected to reduce electricity usage and heat gain.
Earth- and human-friendly materials were used throughout the building,
including low- or no-VOC stains, paints and adhesives, stained concrete
flooring, certified wood, and recycled glass bathroom tiles. The
building features a first floor commons area that includes a cafe,
double kitchen and 3-story stone fireplace; the third floor features an
endless swimming pool and fitness area for employees.
In
addition to the building's green features, the new facility includes
greatly expanded space to accommodate NRG's administrative and sales
offices, shipping, manufacturing, tower production and assembly areas,
more than four times the area of its former facility. NRG plans to
develop recreation paths around its facility and eventually throughout
Hinesburg for community use.
The design team included William
Maclay Architects and Planners, Breadloaf Construction, Energy Balance,
Salem Engineering, Krebs and Lansing Consulting Engineers, Engineering
Ventures, Erickson Consulting, and Naomi Miller Lighting Design. NRG
Systems received energy efficiency services and qualified for rebates
from Efficiency Vermont.
NRG Systems, owned by David and Jan
Blittersdorf of Charlotte, has grown steadily since its formation in
1982. The company has 45 employees and expects to more than double its
sales within five years. NRG wind assessment systems and products can
be found in more than 100 countries, serving electric utilities, wind
farm developers, research institutes, universities, government agencies
and homeowners.
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