The Weidt Group of Minnetonka, MN served as energy consultants on the project. T he CEEE is located adjacent to Dry Run Creek and UNI s on-campus prairie on the south side of the campus. The design places the building along an east-west axis which established a long southern exposure. Glazing on the south provides for direct gain and appropriately size overhangs shade the glass during the hottest part of the summer. Inside the building a long lime stonewall is both an attractive design element and a thermal mass.
Windows are low-e, argon filled, with vinyl clad wood casings.
A very important part of the solar design is daylighting in almost all interior spaces. A significant amount of the total energy savings come from this feature. In addition to the passive solar aspect, several other energy efficiency features are built into the facility. Where fiberglass batts are used in metal framing, additional rigid insulation is applied on the exterior. All lighting fixtures are high-efficiency and are equipped with room occupancy sensors.