NRG Systems - NRG Systems Receives Governors Award for Environmental Excellence

Montpelier, VT- NRG Systems, the Hinesburg-based manufacturer of wind measuring technology to the global wind industry, received the 2004-05 Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence in Environmental Stewardship and Resource Protection in a ceremony at the statehouse today with Governor Douglas. NRG received the award for their recently completed green manufacturing facility and office building.

“We are honored to accept this award for our new manufacturing facility,” said Jan Blittersdorf, CEO and President of NRG Systems. “As a renewable energy company, we are deeply committed to furthering the use of clean, safe energy sources and reducing our impact on the planet. We also know that building green makes economic sense. In a time of rising energy prices and uncertainty about our energy future due to a declining worldwide supply of oil, it makes good business sense to invest in energy efficiency and renewables to protect our company over the long-term."

The NRG building received gold LEED certification from the U.S. Green Buildings Council. LEED, Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design, is the national standard and rating system for high performance (green) buildings. NRG’s building is the first in Vermont to receive this level of certification and one of four industrial buildings worldwide. The super-efficient 46,000 square foot manufacturing facility, which operates on renewable energy from the sun, wind and wood pellets, uses one-fourth the energy of similar-sized buildings. 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 surrounding rural setting. 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 also features a third floor endless swimming pool and fitness area.

The Governor’s Awards for Environmental Excellence were established in 1993 to honor Vermont individuals, organizations, institutions, public agencies, businesses, and industry using innovative approaches to reduce or eliminate the generation of pollutants and wastes at the source. The winners are selected by a panel of judges appointed by the Agency of Natural Resources.

NRG Systems is a home-grown Vermont company started in Bristol in 1982. NRG wind energy assessment systems can be found in more than 110 countries, serving electric utilities, wind farm developers, research institutions, government agencies, universities and homeowners. NRG recently received the Business of the Year Award from the Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce.

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