GRE as shortly called is a member owned electric utility cooperative, located at Maple Grove, Minnesota adjacent to Arbor Lake, artificial lake created due to gravel excavation. Designed by architects Perkins + Will and spread about 12.5 acre, the build is a four story office building with concrete frame and glass curtain walls.

The building has many green features that lead it to achieve Top Ten Green Project 2009 by AIA (American Institute of Architects). It uses latest state-of-the-art technology that helped it to reach such status, the low energy HVAC system that features under-floor displacement ventilation and geothermal heating and cooling system that utilizes the lake nearby.

The 160 ft, 200kW wind turbine generates energy that is used by the building apart from the contribution from the solar panels which provides about 15 percent of the building’s total electric need. 40 percent of energy is saved by the daylight design structure of the building.
Great River Energy serves as a model of sustainable practices follows the entire standard that will help the environment. Providing with good view of exterior allows plenty of daylight to enter into building.

Good air and water management system conserves these valuable resources. This in-turn allowed reduces the use of HVAC system to conserve the energy. GRE is a second largest electric wholesale supplier in Minnesota, presently it generates and transmits electricity to more than 620,000 residential, commercial, industrial customers and 28 other distribution cooperatives.

Source: AIA Top Ten, Worldarchitecturenews.com