NRG Systems expects to use on-site renewable energy for all its electricity needs at its Hinesburg, Vermont, manufacturing campus.
The achievement may make that the first such net-zero U.S. manufacturing site, according to a press release.
NRG recently added a 140-kilowatt solar tracking system adjacent to the site. It also has a 70.6 KW solar photovolatic system on site.
NRG manufactures wind measurement equipment for the wind energy industry.
With the renewable energy and other sustainable construction efforts at its 31,000 square foot factory and office building, the company received LEED Gold certification.
The building has the following attributes:
- super-insulated building envelope
- solar photovoltaics
- two wood-pellet boilers
- solar hot water
- radiant heating and cooling system.
The radiant heating/cooling system pulls water from two 500-feet deep wells.
The campus demonstrates that "demonstrates that net-zero energy buildings are not only possible, they can be quite practical from both the economic and environmental perspectives," said architect Bill Maclay of Maclay Architects.
The building also uses dozens of skylights and Energy Star-rated computers and office equipment.
