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06/21/2024

Lt. Governor, DEEP and DAS Commissioners, Cut Ribbon on New DEEP Western District Headquarters, the First Net Zero Executive Branch State Building

(HARTFORD)—Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz today joined Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) Commissioner Katie Dykes and Department of Administrative Services (DAS) Commissioner Michelle Gilman for a ribbon-cutting and tour of DEEP’s new Western District Headquarters in Watertown. The new headquarters is the first net zero executive branch state building.

The new headquarters, situated in Black Rock State Park, uses no fossil fuels to operate, and produces as much power as it uses. It features several sustainable design elements that help it achieve its net zero status, including geothermal heating and cooling, rooftop solar panels, low carbon concrete, smart building controls, heating and ventilation innovations, and more. The building is designed to use 40% less energy and 50% less water than a building designed to comply with current baseline building and energy codes. DEEP is pursuing LEED Platinum Status for the building.

The new headquarters also consolidates work that is currently spread across 11 buildings in 5 towns. One of the 11 buildings has been demolished, and the remaining 10 are in different stages of decommissioning.

“This building represents State Government leading by example,” Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz said. “Gov. Lamont’s first executive order recommitted State Government to leading in the area of sustainability, and we are doing just that with this building, increasing efficiency, and minimizing energy and water consumption. This building is a great demonstration of our GreenerGovCT initiative.” 

“We’re really excited to unveil this building, the first of its kind among executive branch state buildings, with hopefully many more to follow,” DEEP Commissioner Katie Dykes said. “Reducing emissions from our building sector is a great way to save money and increase grid reliability. It’s also critically important to achieving our greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals in our effort to mitigate the climate crisis. As DEEP’s most recent Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory found, residential heating with fossil fuels, and commercial building heating with fossil fuels only trailed transportation as the top three GHG emitting sectors. It’s especially impactful when State Government walks the walk of sustainability in the buildings and resources we manage, and this building is a powerful example of that. Thank you to our DAS partners, and the many members of DEEP’s engineering, Environmental Conservation, and Energy teams who assisted in this effort.”

"Today’s ribbon cutting, for the first ever net zero energy building in the executive branch, is a symbol of the commitment of the Lamont-Bysiewicz administration to a green future, and DAS is proud to be a major part of that transition,” DAS Commissioner Michelle Gilman said. “From building out an electrified state fleet, to making sustainable choices in our day-to-day operations, to new building projects and renovations that prioritize energy efficiency, sustainability is central to our agency’s mission.” 

  • Construction on the building concluded earlier this year. Sustainable design elements of the building include:
  • A geothermal system to heat and cool the building. The system features 16 500-feet deep wells with 4 10-ton heat pumps.
  • The roof holds 186 photovoltaic solar panels, generating 73kW, estimated to provide 105% of the building’s annual electrical needs.
  • The building features a thermal mass “Trombe” wall that absorbs thermal energy for heating and promotes the circulation of air for natural ventilation.
  • The materials used to construct this building were selected to reduce embodied carbon in the building’s construction, and its operation. That includes the low carbon concrete made from recycled materials from local company Urban Mining CT. DEEP received an Innovative Project Award last year from the National Ready-Mixed Concrete Association for its use of concrete in this project. 
  • The building design also incorporates water-use reduction strategies to achieve a 50% reduction compared to a baseline building’s use. Design elements to help achieve this include low-flow toilets and sinks, and native and adaptive plantings that don’t require water or irrigation.
  • The building’s paneling, trim, screen walls, and railings consist of sustainably harvested wood from State Forests that were cut and finished by the DEEP Sawmill.
  • Enhanced Building Controls with alarms and troubleshooting that are tightly monitored to obtain net zero goal.
  • Areas of the building are zoned with geothermal-fed hot water in-floor radiant heat.
  • Ventilation systems incorporate energy recovery “heat wheels” mounted within air handling equipment.
  • Stormwater management and native plantings ensure minimal impact on the environment by cleaning water before it drains to the wetlands and eliminating the need to mow or water groundcover.

The new headquarters will house DEEP Staff who work in several different areas, including Agency Support Services, State Parks, Inland Fisheries, Forestry, Law Enforcement, Boating, and Wildlife. 

DEEP Western District Headquarters

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