Northglenn, a Denver suburb, opens a net zero, all-electric city hall with a mass timber structure

Northglenn, Colo., a Denver suburb, has opened the new Northglenn City Hall—a net zero, fully electric building with a mass timber structure. The 32,600-sf, $33.7 million building houses 60 city staffers. Designed by Anderson Mason Dale Architects, Northglenn City Hall is set to become the first municipal building in Colorado, and one of the first in the country, to achieve the Core certification: a green building rating system overseen by the International Living Future Institute.

Office Buildings

Fact sheet outlines benefits, challenges of thermal energy storage for commercial buildings

A U.S. Dept. of Energy document discusses the benefits and challenges of thermal energy storage for commercial buildings. The document explains how the various types of thermal energy storage technologies work, where their installation is most beneficial, and some practical considerations around installations.

Government Buildings

One of the country’s first all-electric fire stations will use no outside energy sources

Charlotte, N.C.’s new Fire Station #30 will be one of the country’s first all-electric fire stations, using no outside energy sources other than diesel fuel for one or two of the fire trucks. Multiple energy sources will power the station, including solar roof panels and geothermal wells. The two-story building features three truck bays, two fire poles, dispatch area, contamination room, and gear storage.

Geothermal Technology

Rochester, Minn., plans extensive geothermal network

The city of Rochester, Minn., home of the famed Mayo Clinic, is going big on geothermal networks. The city is constructing Thermal Energy Networks (TENs) that consist of ambient pipe loops connecting multiple buildings and delivering thermal heating and cooling energy via water-source heat pumps.

St. Vincent Health Sciences Center at St. John’s University will feature geothermal heating, cooling

University Buildings | May 5, 2023

New health sciences center at St. John’s University will feature geothermal heating, cooling

The recently topped off St. Vincent Health Sciences Center at St. John’s University in New York City will feature impressive green features including geothermal heating and cooling along with an array of rooftop solar panels. The geothermal field consists of 66 wells drilled 499 feet below ground which will help to heat and cool the 70,000 sf structure.

Once completed, the all-electric 1 Java Street property in Brooklyn will be the largest residential project in New York State to use a geothermal heat exchange system

Geothermal Technology | Mar 22, 2023

Lendlease secures grants for New York’s largest geothermal residential building

Lendlease and joint venture partner Aware Super, one of Australia’s largest superannuation funds, have acquired $4 million in support from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority to build a geoexchange system at 1 Java Street in Brooklyn. Once completed, the all-electric property will be the largest residential project in New York State to use a geothermal heat exchange system.

Boston University's new Center for Computing and Data Sciences

Geothermal Technology | Dec 12, 2022

New building accentuates Boston University’s commitment to data sciences and sustainability

The 19-story tower, in staggered blocks, is fossil-fuel free.

Geothermal Technology | Dec 6, 2022

Google spinoff uses pay-as-you-go business model to spur growth in geothermal systems

Dandelion Energy is turning to a pay-as-you-go plan similar to rooftop solar panel leasing to help property owners afford geothermal heat pump systems.

Energy Efficiency | Star Building Systems | Jul 2, 2018

Going solar has never been easier

There is an efficient system for mounting solar panels to roofs and turning roof real estate into raw power.

Resiliency | Jan 24, 2018

A luxury community in Florida mandates resilience in new-home construction

Alys Beach’s in-house GC builds to standards set by the FORTIFIED program.

K-12 Schools | Oct 28, 2017

A new elementary school in Cambridge, Mass., aims at being a pilot for that city’s NZE commitment

The building’s programming will provide more access to the community at large.

Rendering: Integrated Environmental Solutions (IES)

Dec 28, 2014

Using energy modeling to increase project value [AIA course]

This course, worth 1.0 AIA LU/HSW, explores how to increase project value through energy modeling, as well as how to conduct quick payback and net present value studies to identify which energy strategies are most viable for the project.

Nov 25, 2014

Behnisch Architekten unveils design for energy-positive building in Boston

The multi-use building for Artists For Humanity that is slated to be the largest energy positive commercial building in New England.

Every aspect of the Centerlocation, materials, utilities, operation and usemee

Nov 12, 2014

Chesapeake Bay Foundation completes uber-green Brock Environmental Center, targets Living Building certification

More than a decade after opening its groundbreaking Philip Merrill Environmental Center, the group is back at it with a structure designed to be net-zero water, net-zero energy, and net-zero waste.