The first building project in Minnesota to receive Green Globes certification, Apple Valley Liquor Store No. 3 uses a highly efficient geothermal heat pump system to save on energy costs.
The “sustainable” CNH Architects design appeared in southeast Apple Valley in 2008, before the word was widely recognized in environmental circles.
“This was all about building performance and sustainability, and energy usage was a big part of that,” said Wayne Hilbert, lead designer and a principal of CNH Architects. He noted that the store would use no natural gas or oil for heating. Geothermal energy utilizing ventilation exchange is used for heating, ventilation and air conditioning needs, as well as for refrigeration equipment. The beer coolers are included in the process.
The structure at the corner of 157th Street West and Pilot Knob Road uses half the energy of an average liquor store of its size, and has since recovered the extra costs involved for the advanced systems resulting in significant annual energy savings, explains Hilbert.
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Other energy savings features include a green roof application in which sedum (fleshy plants) are used on parts of the roof along with more typical, highly reflective heat rejecting roof materials. Strategically placed, energy efficient windows and light sensing technology utilize sunlight and decrease demand for artificial lighting.
Geothermal elements have since been included in other CNH projects, one involving a second liquor store north of the Twin Cities.
The Green Globes, first developed in Canada, were introduced in the United States at the beginning of 2005 and GBI was the first green building organization accredited as a standards developer by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).