Sustainability at Roger H. Perry Hall

Projected to be LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum certified, the highest certification a building can receive.

Roger H. Perry Hall is projected to be LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum certified, the highest U.S. Green Building Council certification a building can receive. Among the sustainable features incorporated into the overall design:

Geothermal heat pump: The steady earth temperature from underground water sources provides extremely efficient cooling in summer and heating in winter. The wells are connected to a natural underground aquifer that provides the thermal mass that creates the water base temperature of 50°F to 52°F for the system. Perry Hall contains 36 heat pumps to transfer energy throughout the building.

Super insulation and tight construction: Perry Hall's super insulated and low-infiltration building skin design is so tight that it requires ventilation systems to exchange stale indoor air for fresh outdoor air. The building systems use energy recovery ventilators to bring fresh air into the building while keeping the temperature and humidity constant.

Materials: Whenever possible, materials were sourced from within 500 miles of the site and preferably from Vermont. All the additional site stone was cut from quarries in Vermont.

Building Envelope: The new addition to the building is extremely well insulated, with 4-inch solid spray foam insulation on the walls, and triple-paned glass filled with argon. This gives the walls an actual average R-value of 20, which is an impressive number for a large structure.

Lighting: To ensure efficient use of electricity, Perry Hall is designed to utilize natural daylight whenever possible. Its orientation and window placement create optimal natural light penetration, reducing the need for electrically powered light sources. Exterior lights use "dark sky" technology. These lights are designed to illuminate spaces below them, but release no ambient light upward.

Additional Features

• Water conservation: use of ultra-low-flow fixtures and dual flush fixtures.
• Installation of pervious concrete on the site to reduce runoff and encourage groundwater infiltration.
• Installation of constructed gravel wetland to collect all site runoff and detain and clean it.
• Green roof on one of the additions to reduce runoff.
• Use of local and non-invasive plants. Local plants will not require irrigation.
• Installation of green screen wall on south exposed windows to reduce summer heat infiltration.
• Use of long-life materials and avoidance of materials that are not sustainable.

Geothermal Explained