Minneapolis-based Ryan Companies US, Inc. has been selected by MidAmerican Energy to receive a 2012 Excellence in Energy Efficient Design Award for the Van Meter Inc. Industrial Office and Warehouse in Iowa City, Iowa.
The award was handed out on Sept. 27 at an awards celebration during the American Institute of Architects Iowa Convention. The award recognizes excellence in building design that creates significant and measurable energy savings through sustainable design practices.
“Ryan has long been committed to sustainable design and construction,” said Marc Gullickson, Ryan’s Midwest region president. “Van Meter Inc. is the perfect client because they understand energy efficient design and are willing to invest to bring that efficiency to the project.”
The new Van Meter Inc. Industrial Office and Warehouse is a 22,840-square-foot $3 million facility located on Ruppert Road in Iowa City. The building’s sustainable design includes 60 rooftop solar panels that produce 14 kilowatts of power. Other energy-saving features include a geothermal HVAC system, daylight harvesting system, LED lighting in office spaces, a building power monitoring system, high R-value insulation and two electric vehicle charging stations. During the winter months, even the truck docks are heated with geothermal energy.
“We estimate the new location will use 57 percent less energy than a similar building,” said Dave Kurka, facilities manager for Van Meter Inc. “Van Meter Inc. is an advocate for environmental sustainability, so this was also a perfect opportunity for us to ‘walk the talk’.”
