"The prairie-style City of Countryside Municipal Complex meets net zero energy standards while fulfilling the needs of a public facility and battling the fluctuating Illinois weather. As a mixed-use combined facility, the building houses the City of Countryside municipal administration and police department. Located on a Route 66 intersection, the building serves the surrounding community and aims to revitalize the corridor.

The all-electric building is powered by a 638-panel solar array across the rooftop and police vehicle carports. The system produces a combined 275.2 MWh per year and delivers excess power directly back to COMED in times of peak production. It also uses (32) 450-foot-deep geothermal wells with a heat pump system to meet the building’s heating and cooling demands.

Initially, Countryside’s goal was to achieve LEED Silver certification. During the design process, the team pursued energy credits focusing on creating a tight building envelope, using passive design strategies, and making mechanical systems as efficient as possible. Eventually, the team realized thhttps://www.illinoisgreenalliance.org/net-zero-building-case-study-countryside-municipal-complexat these features brought them very close to net zero energy and all they needed to add to the design was a solar array. The design team pitched the idea of a fully net zero energy building to the City and received enthusiastic support to go for it."