First Net Zero Government Building Opens in Illinois

City officials recently celebrated the opening of the Countryside Municipal Complex in Illinois, the state’s first Net Zero government building. The 34,500-sq-ft, three-story building, designed to produce as much energy annually as it uses, replaces a 1960s-era city hall and police department. Designed by Fairfax, VA-headquartered Dewberry, the building features numerous sustainable technologies as well as a flexible and modern environment for police and civic operations.

Although not originally intended as a Net Zero building, comprehensive energy modeling combined with design strategies that included a highly efficient continuous air barrier, a carefully tested thermal envelope featuring continuous insulation and glazing with a ceramic frit pattern, and a geothermal mechanical system demonstrated early on that a Net Zero performance was attainable.

With this objective established, Dewberry and the City of Countryside submitted an application to the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation for a Net Zero energy building grant. The foundation awarded the project a $1 million grant that supported the addition of photovoltaic arrays on the roof and above parking stalls, ultimately transforming the project from energy efficient to energy neutral.

Key sustainable features include:

• 638 solar panels with an estimated annual output of 275.2MWh, enough to produce 100% of the building’s electricity
• High-performance thermal envelope
• Energy-efficient mechanical systems incorporating geothermal heating and cooling technology
• Water-efficient plumbing fixtures
• LED lighting
• Insulated, low-emissivity glass
• A green roof with native plants that reduces storm water run-off
• A 198-ft monopole tower that will generate revenue for the city by serving as a Verizon cell tower
• Interpretive signage and displays that describe sustainable features.

For more information, visit http://www.dewberry.com.