Making a Better Environment

Dimming ballasts—dimmer technology that continually adjusts light levels in response to a signal—and daylight sensors will reduce the level of artificial lighting and its associated required cooling loads. “Daylighting strategies will have a major impact on the building’s form; however, the general public will not perceive it as a green or energy-efficiency strategy,” Strassburg says.

Indeed, the new building will be no shrinking violet. Planners hope to use three 100-kilowatt wind turbines, placed in front of the building, and photovoltaic panels to provide up to 12 percent of the building’s total energy needs.

Native and adapted-vegetation landscaping will be a manicured version of the natural growth you might see along the highway on a trip to Duluth. Native plants are more drought and pest tolerant than exotics, reducing the need for water and pesticides.

As for the upfront costs, “we’re taking the long view in terms of making decisions about first cost versus life-cycle costs,” Strassburg says. The project will also include a public education center that instructs visitors on the building’s energy usage and production, water usage, and rainwater collection—with the building itself providing a vital, real-time visual aid.