• Posted: April 6, 2020
• better construction, Countryside Municipal Complex, Hy-Power Electric, Jerry Kosteck

Earlier this year, city officials in Countryside celebrated the opening of the Countryside Municipal Complex, the state’s first net-zero government building. The building, which will house all civic operations and the city’s police, is a 34,500-sq-ft, three-story building that replaces the old city hall from the 1960s. To be net-zero, the building must produce as much energy annually as it uses.

“We had never worked on a net-zero project before,” said Jerry Kosteck, of Hy-Power Electric. “I didn’t realize that we had reached net-zero until the project was fully completed.”

Kosteck and his team at Hy-Power Electric were responsible for lighting, networked lighting control, and all power for the building.

When Powering Chicago members set out on completing the building, the original thinking wasn’t for it to be a net-zero project, but after comprehensive energy modeling came together with new design strategies, it became a possibility.

To achieve net-zero status, the building had to be completely sealed on the outside. By doing this, the building is able to properly regulate air floor and not use too much heat in the winter or too much air conditioning in the summer months. Any and all penetrations to the outside had to be sealed with a rubber material to ensure no air was able to move in or out of the building.

This sealing of the building allowed the City of Countryside to submit an application to the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation for a net-zero energy building grant. A $1 million grant was awarded to help reach net-zero status.

“There is a green building information system installed,” Kosteck explained. “So, when the public walks in the front door they can see how much electricity is being produced from the building and how much they are reducing their carbon footprint.”

Hy-Power partnered with Continental Electric to install the extensive photovoltaic system that was integrated into the building with the help of the $1 million grant through the use of solar panels on the building’s roof and parking stalls. The building features 638 solar panels, a high-performance thermal envelope to ensure no air gets in or out, LED lighting, digital networked lighting controls, and energy-efficient mechanical systems incorporating geothermal heating and cooling technology.  

Construction on the project took roughly 18 months to complete.