Our Building

Our building is energy efficient and eco-friendly

We incorporated our Nebraska rural values which include energy optimization, energy cost savings and most importantly long-term sustainability. To explain, our spatial arrangement capitalizes on the use of natural daylight as well as low energy use LED bulbs. To power the building, we harness the energy of the sun with a 2,500-kilowatt solar panel array. By using a combination of occupancy sensors, LED lighting, ambient energy recirculation venting and high efficiency insulation, the building is a net energy producer! This means that on most days, the solar panels generate enough electricity to power the building while also sharing unused electricity with our surrounding Lincoln community!

LED Lighting

Light Emitting Diode (LED) lighting is found throughout our building. LED bulbs utilize 75% less energy than regular incandescent light bulbs. To explain, incandescent bulbs generate light by passing electricity through a filament. The filament generates not only light, but also heat (up to 90% of the energy used). In contrast, LEDs produce light exciting electrons to create photons, which generate almost no heat. Another benefit of LED lighting is that it lasts about 25 times as long as a standard filament light bulb. So, over the estimated lifespan of one LED bulb, you can save 25 regular light bulbs from ending up in a landfill. Even with a higher up-front cost of installing LED lighting, we end up saving money by reducing our energy waste. Plus, we decrease the amount of garbage that would have gone into our local landfills.

Energy Recovery Ventilation

The air you breathe matters to Dermatology Associates of Lincoln. That is why we utilize the Energy Recovery Ventilation (ERV) by Renew Aire. ERV is a process that optimizes energy efficiency by reusing otherwise wasted heat and humidity. With ERV, the load on our heating and air-conditioning system is reduced and can lower our energy costs by up to 40% each year. In the summertime, outside air entering the building is pre-cooled and dehumidified. Then in the winter, the air is pre-heated and humidified. Indoor air quality is improved when the stale indoor air is vented to the outside. At the same time, outside air is HEPA filtered before it enters the indoor air system. Air cross-contamination is prevented because the indoor and outdoor airstreams are kept completely separate. To learn more about the Renew Aire ERV system you can read their handout online here.

Building Materials

Natural stone and recycled materials can be found throughout the interior and exterior of our building. We used low VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) paints and building materials during construction to maximize air quality. As an added benefit, low VOC paints and materials are found to be safer for the environment.