Garden State boasts net zero energy commercial building

I knew there was a reason to be proud of my status as a Jersey Girl. Most people joke about our nickname, pointing to the despicable New Jersey Turnpike corridor near Newark Airport, but Jersey is getting greener in different ways.

The state is home of Ferreira Construction, which is creating buzz here locally because of its leadership stance in the green building movement. Its new headquarters in Branchburg, N.J., developed in conjunction with Live Data Systems, is one of the first if not THE first commercial building to boast a Net Zero Energy status. That is, the systems in the building have AT LEAST a neutral impact in terms of a carbon footprint. Indeed, Ferreira’s building is capable of creating excess electricity that is being pushed back to the grid to be used by other businesses.

Driving Ferreira's Net Zero Energy Profile are 1,200 solar photovoltaic panels, solar thermal technology, a 96 percent efficient boiler system and a radiant-slab heating system. The systems are being monitored by sensors and management technology from Sensicast Systems. Among other things, these sensors report on energy consumption patterns and report any issues that could lead to a decrease in operating efficiency.

Aside from its own building, Ferreira is, of course, into working on green buildings for other people. It's involved with the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association, which is involved with the National Solar Tour and a series of open houses about green and alternative energy. A whole slew of these educational sessions is planned for this weekend, on Oct. 6. Click here to get more details or locations. Hope it's extra sunny!