General Energy Use, Strategies and Systems

Energy Use:

The Bennington Superior Courthouse and State Office Building achieves a net-zero ready design, with a minimum 13% rate of return on energy investments. Measured energy use confirmed a 78% reduction in energy consumption over the existing facility and a 40% reduction in energy over a similar code compliant building. The energy intensity has been reduced from 110 kBtu/sf-yr in the existing building, to 26 kBtu/sf-yr, saving the state $180,000 in annual energy costs the first year. The building is one of the best performing state office buildings. It uses no fossil fuel combustion on-site for space heating or cooling and only a very small amount of propane for backup heating domestic hot water (after the solar thermal system). Heating and cooling are provided with a ground source heat pump.

Energy Strategies:

The electricity meter associated with the Bennington Courthouse and State Office Building will be in a group net-metering agreement, offset by a 500kW solar installation in Charlotte, VT to be constructed in 2016.

Zero Net Energy Definition Used Site Energy Use

Monthly Energy Data and Utilities

Energy Data Type:
Verified
Other purchased Fuels:

Propane ~1,000 gal/ year for DHW not produced by the solar thermal system.

Datasets and utility bills:
AttachmentSize
PDF icon 1 year energy use80.56 KB
PDF icon Detailed electricity use30.78 KB
Datasets and utility bills sources and reliability:

The State of Vermont

Renewable Energy System Description & Details
Annual Renewable Energy Generated Data Type Modeled
Renewable Energy System Type(s) Source of Annual Production Data
Photovoltaics

Annual Energy Import/Export

Electricity amount (imported from grid) 459,052 kWh/year