Bennington Superior Courthouse and State Office Building
Breathing New Life into a Renovated State Building
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:
Attachment Size 
1 year energy use80.56 KB Detailed electricity use 30.78 KB
Datasets and utility bills sources and reliability: The State of Vermont
Bennington Superior Courthouse and State Office Building
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
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
Propane ~1,000 gal/ year for DHW not produced by the solar thermal system.
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| 1 year energy use | 80.56 KB |
| Detailed electricity use | 30.78 KB |
The State of Vermont
Bennington Superior Courthouse and State Office Building
| 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 |
|---|