Net Zero Plus Electrical Training Institute

Strategy & Services: The Net Zero Plus (NZP) Electrical Training Institute (ETI) is the largest commercial building Net Zero Energy (NZE) retrofit in the nation. stok worked with ownership and design teams to identify Net Zero Energy as a general goal, with Net Zero Plus as the specific target, and provided energy engineering and project management services to achieve it. stok also played a roll in hiring the architect and vetting subcontractors, writing the Basis of Design, and developing specific guidelines for the teams that would help execute the project. Additionally, stok used energy modeling to discover economically sound strategies for the project.

Design Details: The largest NZE retrofit in the country, the NZP ETI showcases the full gamut of sustainable design features, excelling in energy efficiency, onsite renewables production, advanced battery storage, and consequent resiliency. stok maximized the energy performance trade off of MEP systems, then looked at plug loads and identified a way to invest in IT equipment with a 4x ROI compared to purchasing offsets. Additionally, the project piloted cutting-edge battery storage that discharges during peak load to maximize ROI, then recharges when energy is cheapest. This serves as a demonstration piece for an innovative financial model of renewables, showcasing the energy technology and strategies of the future. Beyond these measures, the facility achieved NZE via an advanced, utility-scale microgrid; a 500kW rooftop and parking structure PV solar array, producing over 920,000 kWh annually; 144,000 square feet of LED lighting; significant sub-metering to help understand energy use throughout the entire building; dashboards to display real-time data on the building’s energy performance, including analytics on energy generation, consumption, and storage; a High Solar Reflective Index (SRI) roof; and 12 electric vehicle charging stations.

 

Outcome: Through building commissioning and over a year of rigorous Measurement & Verification, stok identified opportunities to improve the building use performance by 40%. Designed to NZE standards and certified LEED Gold, the NZP ETI helps lead a growing global movement in support of the rapid adoption of NZE buildings. Recognized as the premier electrical training school in the nation, more than 6,000 electrical workers and contractors are immersed in a transformational curriculum at the state of the art living laboratory annually to be prepared for challenging and rewarding careers in a clean energy future.