To achieve these goals, the design team explored ways to make each of the building systems as efficient as possible, from the building envelope and domestic water heating systems to the space heating and cooling systems.

Electricity is generated on-site via a roof-mounted PV array and a ground-mounted 100 kW wind turbine, with excess power being exported to the local utility grid. Domestic hot water is generated on-site via roof-mounted solar collector array. Heating and cooling for the facility are provided by geothermal standing column wells, geothermal heat pumps, valance convectors, and dedicated outside air systems with energy recovery.

During the design phase, 2RW developed detailed computer models of the annual energy-use of the facility and predicted that the building would use only 19.2% of the amount that would be consumed by an equivalent structure that meets the minimum Massachusetts Energy Conservation Code — without the benefit of solar thermal and PV.

The facility is designed to be net zero ready.