2015_Melink_SustReport_Final

Integrity, Service Excellence, Innovation, Environmental Stewardship, Walk the Talk, Integrity, Service Excellence, Innovation, Environmental Stewardship, Walk the Talk,Integrity, Service Excellence, Innovation, Environmental Stewardship, Walk the Talk, Integrity, Service Excellence, Innovation, Environmental Stewardship, Walk the Talk,

Integrity, Service Excellence, Innovation, Environmental Stewardship, Walk the Talk, Integrity, Service Excellence, Innovation, Environmental Stewardship, Walk the Talk,Integrity, Service Excellence, Innovation, Environmental Stewardship, Walk the Talk, Integrity, Service Excellence, Innovation, Environmental Stewardship, Walk the Talk, Integrity, Service Excellence, Innovation, Environmental Stewardship, Walk the Talk, Integrity, Service Excellence, Innovation, Environmental Stewardship, Walk the Talk,


Integrity, Service Excellence, Innovation, Environmental Stewardship, Walk the Talk, Integrity, Service Excellence, Innovation, Environmental Stewardship, Walk the Talk,Integrity, Service Excellence, Innovation, Environmental Stewardship, Walk the Talk, Integrity, Service Excellence, Innovation, Environmental Stewardship, Walk the Talk,


Integrity, Service Excellence, Innovation, Environmental Stewardship, Walk the Talk, Integrity, Service Excellence, Innovation, Environmental Stewardship, Walk the Talk,

IntroOverview What We Do Economic Environmental Community2014 Sustainability Report

2015 Sustainability Report

IntroOverview What We Do Economic Environmental Community

page 3


The 2015 Melink Sustainability Report offers you a look at the heartbeat of our business. We share data from 2014 as well as noteworthy accomplishments from early 2015.

This inaugural report will serve as a baseline for future reporting and is a tool to communicate our sustainability efforts and performance with all our stakeholders.

We hope you find this report enjoyable! If you’re interested in touring the Melink headquarters or would like to request Steve Melink, CEO, to speak with your organization, please call 513-965-7300 or email [email protected].

About This Report


page 3


Future Goals• In 2015 we will install an extra 60 KW of ground-mounted Solar PV to

offset new electric loads from car charging stations.• We are educating team members on proper waste management to reach

our goal of composting, reducing, reusing, or recycling 90% of our waste.• In 2015 we will be launching our Save the Monarchs Initiative, planting

milkweed to attract monarch butterflies at our corporate headquarters while also giving seeds to our remote employees to plant where they live.

• Beginning in 2015, employees will be able to purchase solar components for their personal residence at Melink’s solar supplier pricing.

• We are working toward becoming a micro-grid which will allow us to disconnect from the traditional grid and operate autonomously to help mitigate grid disturbances.

• Steve Melink is currently writing a book to be released in 2015.• Starting in April 2015, Melink has partnered with UPS to reduce climate

impact, one package at a time, by using Carbon Neutral Shipping.• By 2019, 80% of our team members will drive hybrids, plug-in hybrids, or

electric vehicles.

9,533,972 kWh$ $

Offset per year

GHG Emissions from

2,784 passenger vehicles

all equating to

& Energy Savings of $2,720,648

thussaving

2014 Total of Melink Employees

Driving Clean Fuel Vehicles

55%24

ThousandGal lonso f G a s

Solar Rexnord Project

Solar CedarvilleProject

Solar CincinnatiZoo Project

Solar EquityProject

Solar Urbana University Project

HQ Geothermal

HQ Solar

produced9,647,143

kWhAC energy

In 2014 Melink Renewables and Solar Projects:

While Intelli-Hood® projects conserved:

√ We Installed 10 EV Charge Stations

2014 at a Glance


page 4


A Letter From Steve Melink, CEO

Steve Melink, CEO of Melink Corp.

Welcome to the Melink Sustainability Report. We are proud to be a pioneer and leader in clean energy solutions for the commercial building industry. Serving as an example for our customers, industry, and community has been the best business decision we ever made. Melink started almost 30 years ago as an HVAC testing & balancing firm. As a direct result of this work, we invented energy-saving kitchen hood controls. Years later we also started a solar PV project development business. And geothermal HVAC is now our fourth business.

But our sustainability journey did not start in earnest until about 10 years ago. Inspired at a green building conference, we decided to design/build the first LEED Gold building in Ohio for our headquarters. Since then it has been upgraded to LEED Platinum and Net-Zero Energy (NZE) status. We knew we could and should do more, however. So we invested in a fleet of hybrid cars for our technicians and incentives for our office employees to buy either hybrid or electric cars. Today, over 50% of our employees drive alternative fuel vehicles to further promote our mission and brand.

The combined energy savings amount to over $50,000 per year. But the bigger advantage of our journey has been the HR and PR benefits. We are now able to attract and retain more talented employees than ever before by providing a healthier and more productive working environment.

We are also able to attract and retain larger and more successful customers since they are increasingly selecting partners and suppliers who are aligned with their own mission and values. And make no mistake: sustainability is becoming a corporate value that America and the whole world is embracing.

The net result is Melink has gained a long term strategic competitive advantage. Our costs and risks are lower, our people are more committed and productive, and our sales have grown dramatically. And this has also allowed us to expand our customer offerings to make an even bigger difference going forward.

As we continue growing and more employees plug into our EV charging stations, maintaining our NZE status will require adding more renewables to our super-green headquarters over time. Therefore, we are planning to install another 50+KW of solar PV in 2015 to offset increased electric loads.

Success requires constant vigilance. But we are determined to exercise such vigilance and continue serving as a leader in the clean energy revolution. We believe this will help make the world a better place. Please let me know if you have any questions or would like to visit us for a tour!


We are headquartered in Milford, Ohio, where 68% of our employees are located. The remaining 34% are remotely located across the nation. We provide national and international energy efficiency and renewable energy solutions to commercial and institutional building industries. Today, we offer four products and services:• Melink® T&B- Provider of Commercial HVAC Testing and Balancing. Our service is National,

Certified, and Independent for restaurant, retail, and supermarket chains.• Intelli-Hood® - Manufacturer of Demand Control Kitchen Ventilation System. Our product is

the global industry standard for restaurants, supermarkets, hotels, schools, and hospitals.• Melink® Solar- Developer of Large-Scale Solar PV Projects. Our service includes financing,

installation, maintenance, and monitoring for projects across the U.S.• Melink® Geo- Manufacturer of geothermal HVAC pumping stations. Also includes

independent commissioning and financing services for the ground heat exchanger.

About Melink Corporation

It all started in 1987 with a vision and a basement.

Vision: A transformative clean energy industry that improves our global economy, security and environment for ourselves, our children and future generations.

Mission: To save the world, one building at a time.

Values: Integrity, Service Excellence, Innovation, Education

Professional Affiliations:

NZE

NZE

NZE

GEO

1987Steve Melink founds Melink Corp and provides HVAC test & balance services to restaurant chains. First customers were Wendy’s, Golden Corral, Brinker, and Darden.

!=1990

Melink invents & patents the first variable-speed controller for kitchen hoods, “REM-1”, and wins a U.S. DOE grant to commercialize the technology. Steve & team advocate for code changes to make it legal.

2004Steve attends his first green building conference and is inspired by opportunity to help lead the green building move-ment. Starts by leasing hybrid cars for the National Network.

2006Melink moves into its new LEED Gold headquarters in Milford, Ohio and USGBC President and Ohio Governor attend dedication. Team starts giving building tours and talks across state and region.

2008Melink starts a 3rd business in solar PV based on interest from touring groups seeing us as leaders in this emerging technology. First customers were The Mound, Cincinnati Zoo, and Urbana University, and Cedarville University.

2011Melink HQ becomes Net-Zero Energy after earning LEED Platinum certifica-tion and Energy Star 99 out of 100 points. Becomes one of greenest in world via energy conservation, efficiency, and renewables.

A brighter tomorrow

2015Melink launches its 4th business in geothermal HVAC pumping stations, financing, and commissioning. Purpose is to mainstream this super-efficient technology.

2015Meanwhile, Melink T&B and Intelli-Hood are industry standards and Melink Solar a national leader. Company strives to grow 30% per year and become a Best Place to Work.

1997Melink starts developing a National Network of technicians and moves from home basement to office in Madeira, Ohio. Provides first national, certified, and independent T&B services.

2000Melink leases a manufacturing plant for its next generation controls , “Intelli-Hood”, in Fairfax, Ohio. First customers were individual restaurants, schools, hospitals, and supermarkets.

®

650

®

GEO

The Melink Journey[ ]


page 6

Melink HVAC Test & Balance (T&B) is a national, independent, and certified service that tests and reports on an indoor environment’s health and HVAC performance, as well as energy efficiency. As reported by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), buildings consume 73% of the nation’s electricity consumption and account for 38% of CO₂ emissions. The chart to the left is from an Energy Star report to explain how restaurants can turn energy into profit. It shows that HVAC accounts for 28% of a restaurants energy consumption. We believe it is an even higher percentage for retail stores because they are not preparing food.

With HVAC being such a large piece of consumption, it needs to be controlled and monitored. To assist in the monitoring of HVAC health, T&B performed 2,410 balances and found an average of 8 punchlist items and a savings of 3 amps per store in 2014. Further, 239 HVAC rooftop replacement inspections were performed to verify proper performance and installation of new HVAC equipment.

Another way this service contributes to sustainability is the direct connection between a healthy HVAC system and occupational health. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, a “sick building” is a source of illness for its occupants with headaches, physical irritations, and cough, all having been reported symptoms of an unhealthy indoor environment. In 2014, Melink T&B commissioned 6 quick serve restaurants for LEED indoor air quality credits.

page 7


Food Preparation

HVAC

Lighting

Refrigeration

Sanitation

650

®

6

239

2,410Test & Balance Jobs

LEED QSR Commissioning Services

HVAC Rooftop Replacement Inspections

Energy Star Representation of Avg Energy Consumption in a Full-Service Restaurant (British Thermal Units [BTU])

28%

35%18%

6%13%

8 HVAC deficienciesfound per store on avg

2014


9,533,972 kWhof conserved energy

$ Intelli-Hood® is the first invention of the Demand Control Kitchen Ventilation (DCKV) product category, as defined by ASHRAE. The context for this technology begins in the commercial kitchen hood. Without DCKV, kitchen hood exhaust fans operate at 100% capacity all day, wasting expensive energy and conditioned air, as well as increasing the generation of greenhouse gas emissions. When Intelli-Hood® is installed into a kitchen hood, it will read cooking activity and adjust the exhaust fan speed according to the necessary level to rid the cook line of smoke and high temperature.

Typical fan energy reductions range from 70-97%, while typical make-up air heating and cooling loads reductions range from 20-30%. The return on investment is estimated to be between 1 and 3 years. In addition, DCKV also provides better working environments for employees, since it dramatically reduces noise levels from the exhaust ventilation system, while building owners enjoy the energy bill reductions.

Offset per year

GHG Emissions from

1,384 passenger vehicles

and

12.8 Mpoundsof CO2in energy

costs

$2.1 M

2014

equating to

& saving

Solar photovoltaic systems are a mature technology and the cost of materials has decreased dramatically. Solar is a clean and readily-available energy solution and, with the current incentives and rebates, it not only saves money but also reduces reliability on non-renewable and expensive forms of energy. Systems are easily adapted to existing sites whether roof- or ground-mounted, or solar canopies and easy to maintain due to no moving parts, and warrantied for 25 years.

Our two solar projects from 2014 produced a total of 3,769,676 kWh of AC energy for the year since construction completion. Our Rexnord Industries project was completed in March 2014 and the Equity Industrial Partners in July 2014. These arrays are both located in Indianapolis, IN and amount to 6.29 megawatts of renewable solar energy.

page 9


6.29 MW24,040 Modulesof Installed Solar

Rexnord Industries

Equity Industrial Partners

3,769,676 Solar AC

kWh

2014

2014 Energy Produced by Melink Solar Projects

Offset per year

GHG Emissions from

547 passenger vehicles

& saving

5.7 Mpoundsof CO2

equating to

$4,164with energy credits

$20,394without energy

credits

page 10


Green Saves GreenSince we consider each business offering to be mission-led, we count the sales of our products and services to be a part of our committment to a more sustainable world.

In addition, we financially benefit from operating out of a green building. Our headquarter’s renewable technolgies-solar PV, geothermal, and wind-generated a total of 120,854 kWh in 2014. This clean energy production powered both a high proportion of our own energy to use onsite, as well as sent back energy to the electric grid for which we recieved credits. These credits benefited us by way of only having to pay 20% of what we used from the grid.

Further, we invest in energy conserving technologies such as LED lights, waterless urinals, timed lighting, Energy Star appliances, and more that save a considerable amount of energy costs. Our water conserving technolgies such as timed faucets and waterless urinals save us cost on our water bills, as well.

$27.6 M

20% reduction

$60 K

2014 Cumulative Revenues, all Business Units

Confident Approximation of Savings per year from our green investments

2014 Financial Benefit of Utility Credits


The 31,237 sq. ft Melink Home is LEED Platinum-certified and Net-Zero Energy. It is the cumlination of curiousity in environmentally friendly technology. Seeing our building as a green laboratory, we’re always drumming up ideas for our next experiment. We maintain a balance of solutions that are focused on renewable energy, energy efficiency, and energy conservation. Here we present the performance of some of our technologies. For a comprehensive list of our building’s green features, see Appendix A.

Melink uses 28 geothermal wells to heat and cool the building, with over 5 miles of underground piping. The total geothermal energy for 2014 was 616,711 kWh - 78% used for heating and 21% for cooling.

To conserve energy in the winter months, we keep our heating set-point hovering around 68 degrees and utilizing non-electric means for getting warm. We have 2 biomass heating stoves that act as fireplaces to warm common areas. Further, Melink provides warm sweaters and jackets to employees to layer up.

Extensive use of exterior and interior windows provide employees with natural daylight and reduces needs for electrical light. Roughly 80% of our exterior and interior walls are composed of windows.

Home Office

0

20,000

40,000

kWh

60,000

80,000

100,000

DecNovOctSepAugJulJunMayAprMarFebJan

2014 Geothermal Energy Transfer at Melink HQ

Heating & Cooling

Geothermal

Conservation

Natural Lighting


page 12

We monitor our power usage via an electrical distribution system, which includes sub-meters for each section of the building to allow separate monitoring of HVAC, lighting, and plug loads. Monitoring also includes trending of key building health parameters like temperature, CO₂, lighting levels, geothermal water temperature, and flow-rates.

Our talented engineers and developers have custom-built a monitoring software platform named MPower. We display MPower on a monitor in our lobby that allows users to view building loads down to the circuit level, and to empower them to find their biggest opportunities to save energy. Easily adaptable to existing building management systems (BMS), MPower allows users to verify reduction in loads both short and long-term and has alert functions to notify of excursions beyond pre-set parameters. It also integrates renewable energy data to show a net energy usage (renewable energy generation/offset minus the total load). MPower is used to help us achieve net-zero energy status and allows us to compare production of all of our solar PV systems on an equal footing. It adjusts for differences in system size and orientation to the sun using the latest in sensing technology.

At Melink, we use several water conserving technologies. These include our automated sink faucets in all bathrooms and waterless urinals in all men’s restrooms.

In 2014, our water consumption was 45% less than the national average for commercial buildings, as calculated by Kohler’s Save Water America calculator.

Building Automation & Monitoring Software

Water Conservation

MPower allows us to monitor our electric loads & generation in real-time

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

35,000

40,000

US Avg = 47,298 gallons per month

LEED Baseline = 31,642 gallons per month

45,000

Melink Bill Avg = 21,500 gallons per month

50,000

Dec-14Aug-14Jun-14Apr-14Jan-14

2014 Water Consumption at Melink HQ


Cadmium Telluride

Thin Film

Crystalline (Mono, Poly)

3000

6000

9000

12000

15000


kWh

In total, we have 107 kilowatts of solar PV installed in seven different types of PV technology all over our office building. Included in this technology are seven of our own pre-engineered 2 kW ground-mounted solar PV systems, called Ingrid®. The remaining technology is comprised of one 25.5 kW ground-mounted solar array, and one 11.8 kW solar canopy installed on the corporate campus. Further, we have thick concrete walls to serve as a massive solar collector and heat sink on sunny days, allowing heat to be slowly released into the building at night when it is cooler outside.

In 2014, we produced 107,339 kilowatt hour (kWh) of solar renewable energy. This load is either used, stored, or credited back to the grid. At an average retail price of $.06 cents per kWh, that amounts to a savings of $6,440 and 74 metric tons of CO2. This amount is enough to offset annual greenhouse gas emissions from 15 passenger vehicles.

Solar Photovoltaic (PV)2014 Solar PV Energy Production at Melink HQ

2014 Performance of Different Solar Technologies

Offset

163 K pounds of CO2$6,440

Saved

in 2014

15.6 Passenger Vehicles

Solar PV

equaling

Amount of energy we produced compared to amount of

energy we consumed 70%


-5,000

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

kWh

Net Electric ConsumptionTotal Electric Produced by Melink RenewablesTotal Electric Load


170 Energy StarAppliances

2014 Electric Consumption at Melink HQ

2014 Estimate of Total Wastethat is recycled, reused,

or composted 77%

Although Southwestern Ohio is not known for high winds, we have chosen to expand our campus laboratory to the sky by experimenting with a low wind turbine.

In its early months of operation, the new 60 ft wind turbine with its 21 ft blades generated over 500 kilowatt hours per month. However, our experiment in wind energy brought disappointing results in subsequent months. In 2015, our engineers are continuing their “lab work” on our campus, including a renewed effort to bring the wind turbine back to optimal operation.

Our renewable investments offered great return in 2014. The graph to the top left shows our net consumption of electricity from the grid. From May to October, we earned credit from our utility provider and were considered a “Net Generator”, sending 8,700 kWh back to the grid and had $0 electric bills. We used this credit from the summer and fall months to offset energy load in the winter months. Our year-end total electric load to operate our building was 183,000 kWh, while our net energy usage from the utility was only 47,096 kWh.

Wind Energy

Purchased Electricity from Utility

In recent years, our efforts of recycling and composting resulted in diverting 90% of our office waste from the landfill and earning an Energy Star rating of 99. Achieving this is a worthy challenge that requires regular waste disposal education. The results from a waste audit in 2015 show that our diversion rate has dropped to 77%. To once again achieve 90% of waste diversion from landfill, the sustainability committee is providing company-wide lunch and learns on waste management practices.

In effort to reduce energy waste in our technology and appliances, all of our appliances and technology are Energy Star rated- refrigerators, dishwasher, coffee makers, water dispensers, computers, monitors, etc.

Additionally, we maintain an E-Waste recyling bin and encourage our employees to bring in old appliances and other electrical equipment.

Waste Management

600

900

1200

1500


kWh

A solar thermal system was installed for the second floor gym showers to minimize the need for electric water heating. The system is interconnected with the geothermal loop to dump waste heat to the heat pumps during the winter to improve efficiency. For the showers in the manufacturing plant, a heat pump was installed to minimize the need for electric water heating since the building has no gas service.

Solar Thermal

2014 Solar Thermal Production at Melink HQ


2014 Total of Melink Employees Driving Hybrids and Electric Vehicles

Hybrid and Electic Vehicle Fleet

Employee Hybrid and Electric Vehicle Initiative

Traveling employees are provided with hybrid or electric vehicles. While at the home office, individuals with electric vehicles can plug into any of our 13 charging stations. Most companies in our industry use trucks for transportation. Choosing to use hybrids and electric vehicles has saved us a high amount of cost in transportation, as well as substantially reduced our environmental impact. To calculate saved cost, we use an average price per gallon of $3.50, equating to $85,642 we didn’t have to spend on fuel.

In late 2014, Melink began to offer a $5,000 cash incentive for employees to purchase electric vehicles or plug-in hybrids in addition to the existing incentive of $3,000 to purchase a hybrid. As well, Melink installed an additional 10 new EV charging stations, in addition to our existing Solar Carport, to offer complimentary charging to employees during the workday. As of March 2015, seven employees have redeemed this incentive.

We have a goal that by 2019, 80% of our employees will drive hybrids, plug-in hybrids, or electric vehicles. This incentive, coupled with education and our values, are the means for how we will achieve this vision.

In 2014 3 0 P r i u s e s a n d

4 Electric Vehicles

drove

& saved

24ThousandGal lonso f G a s

480 K poundsof CO2

55%

Transportation at Melink

in fuelcosts

$86 K

7 2 3 5 9 0 miles


“Sustainability is all about integrity.”-Steve Melink

Social & Educational Outreach Community involvement is a priority for Melink employees. We feel a high sense of responsibility for educating the world on environmental stewardship. The following are a few examples of what we’ve done and are doing to help people learn more about the importance of energy solutions.

Our Cincinnati Zoo Solar project from 2011 (pictured to the left) came about with a purpose of improving our local community’s green economy. We knew that the parking lot solar canopy would be seen by millions of individuals from our community and thus increase exposure and awareness of solar PV technology in our city.

Another instance of purposing our projects for education is the 2013 Melink Solar Cedarville University project. Melink and TMI Electric installed an interactive educational touch-screen in the Cedarville University Student Center, which displays the live benefits of the school’s PV array. Our intention for this kiosk is to inspire and motivate students, faculty, and other stakeholders to better assess the environmental and financial benefits of choosing clean energy.

Additionally, Melink regularly guides tours of our home office, pointing out our green technology and sharing the story of our sustainable journey. A sample of groups that have visited us include: Dunnhumby International, Procter & Gamble, Green Energy Ohio, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, summer camps from the YMCA, student groups from Xavier University, Net Impact Student Organization from Miami University, and University of Cincinnati.


Melink’s leadership position for corporate environmental sustainability presents several opportunities to share our perspective with external audiences. Since 2010, Steve Melink has been invited to Washington, D.C. several times to discuss energy topics with Senators and Representatives. Most recently, Steve actively lobbied in support of clean energy in Ohio during the SB310 debate to halt Ohio’s progress in renewable energy.

Melink has participated in two mission trips with SonLight Power, a missions organization that works to tackle a global challenge of supplying underserved communities with affordable electricity. Melink team members worked alongside this organization to install solar in communities in Mexico in 2012 and Panama in 2013.

Policy Advocacy

Partnership with SonLight Power


0

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Great Place to Work

Camara-derie

PrideFairnessRespectCredibility

2014 Best Place to Work Survey Results

goal =90%

National Presence

Workplace Perks

Melink has a corporate goal of becoming a Best Place to Work (BPTW) employer. BPTW is a national surveyer of workplace environments. We believe that the workplace is an excellent opportunity to contribute to a lifestyle of sustainability. Just like the value of stewardship of our physical world’s limited resources, we believe in being good stewards of the strengths, limitations, and work/life balance of our employees. We are taking action in our workplace to achieve a rating of 90% in each BPTW category. In 2014, our employees awarded us Great-Rated status, a milestone toward BPTW.

In 2014, we had a total of 76 individuals on our team, 50 of those are at our Milford Headquarters and 26 are remote across the United States. The map to the left shows the states where our employees are located.

A popular place at the Melink home is our onsite gym to offer a convenient place to keep up physical health. Another enjoyable perk is our complimentary membership to the Cincinnati Nature Center just 5 minutes from our office. During the nice months, many Melink employees will go enjoy a run or walk on the trails during their lunch break.

Where are we located?

Workplace Environment

Sustainability Committee

The establishment of our internal sustainability committee was with the intention of having a designated, voluntary group to manage and hold accountable the green practices and projects within our company. In addition, the committee plans and executes Melink green initiatives, such as waste audits, recycling education, and sustainability reporting.


page 3


1. Indoor Air Facts, No. 4: Sick Building Syndrome. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Air and Radiation, 1991. US Environmental Protection Agency. Feb. 1991. Web. Mar. 2015.

2. “Green Building Facts.” US Green Buildings Council. N.p., 23 Feb. 2015. Web. 27 Mar. 2015.

3. “Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator.” EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d. Web. 27 Mar. 2015.

4. “Putting Energy into Profit.” EPA Energy Star. Energy Star, n.d. Web. 27 Mar. 2015.

5. “Water Calculators.” Save Water America. Kohler, n.d. Web. 30 Mar. 2015.

6. Great Place to Work. Great Place to Work, n.d. Web. 30 Mar. 2015.

Report References


3. Natural LightingExtensive use of exterior and interior windows provide employees with natural daylight and reduces needs for electrical light. Skylights and low-profile workstations in the center of the building allow natural daylight to permeate the office environment and provide an open office atmosphere. Exterior sun shades were installed on the south windows to reduce solar gain during the warmer months and increase solar gain during cooler months. Mini-blinds were installed on south windows to serve as sunscreens and light “shelves” by creating an angle that reflects sunlight up towards the ceiling during winter afternoons when the sun is low.

4. Electric LightingAll office, conference room and bathroom lights have automatic control sensors to turn lights on when a room is occupied, and off when unoccupied for a programmed amount of time. Manual controls are also available to turn lights off, if adequate light is available for working. Employees also have the ability to use a 13-watt task lamp, which provides enough light without adding significant head load to the office space. Exterior building lights are controlled by time of day, photocell, and motion sensors, so they only illuminate when needed. Sidewalk lights are solar powered, and exterior parking lot lights turn on an hour after dusk and turn off an hour before dawn.

5. Building AutomationMelink monitors its power usage via an electrical distribution system, which includes sub-meters for each section of the building to allow separate monitoring of HVAC, lighting, and plug loads. Monitoring also includes trending of key building health parameters like temperature, CO2, lighting levels, geothermal water temperature and flow-rates.Melink has developed MPower, a building monitoring system that allows users to monitor any building loads down to the circuit level and to empower them to find their biggest opportunities to save energy. Easily adaptable to existing building management systems (BMS), the system allows users to verify reduction in loads both short and long-term and has alert functions to notify of excursions beyond pre-set parameters. It also integrates renewable energy data to show a net energy usage (renewable energy generation/offset minus the total load). MPower is used to help Melink achieve their net zero energy status and allows us to compare production of all of our solar PV systems on an equal footing. It adjusts for differences in system size and orientation to the sun using the latest in sensing technology. Melink also uses this tool as a public information display to educate building visitors.

1. Building Orientation and LayoutTo maximize daylight, the building faces south. This orientation provides maximum solar heating during winter, and minimizes cooling in the summer. The building’s restrooms, stairwells, and storage rooms are located on the east and west ends of the building to minimize sun glare and hot spots, also providing additional insulation. The roof over the manufacturing plant area was reduced in height to minimize HVAC operating costs, with ceiling fans used in the summer for convection cooling and during the winter to reduce stratification (heat rising to the ceiling and cool air falling to the floor).

2. Building EnvelopeTo help create a net-zero energy building, the building has precast concrete walls with R-19 insulation, a roof membrane with R-30 insulation, and high-performance exterior windows. These features all work together to maximize solar reflection while minimizing convection losses. Metal doors are covered with foil-backed bubble insulation and the plant’s bay doors are sealed and insulated to minimize infiltration when opened for shipping and receiving purposes.

Green Features

Appendix A


page 22

MPower Screen Shot, view live tracking at www.melinkcorp.com/mpower

6. Plumbing• Restrooms - Sink faucets have infrared sensors for automatic on/

off operation and aerators to reduce water usage. Waterless urinals in the men’s restrooms use zero water (versus 1 gallon per flush for conventional urinals) and the toilets have dual-flush capacity. Melink estimates its water usage is 40% less than conventional buildings of the same size.

• Septic system - The septic system, with leach fields, promotes a self-sustaining mentality and eliminates the need for a sewer line.

• Showers - A solar thermal system was installed for the second floor gym showers, to minimize the need for electric water heating. The system is interconnected with the geothermal loop to dump waste heat to the heat pumps during the winter to improve efficiency. For the showers in the manufacturing plant, a heat pump was installed to minimize the need for electric water heating since the building has no gas service.

7. Solar EnergySolar Energy- Melink installed six different types of solar photovoltaic

(PV) systems on its roof, not only to increase its energy independence, but also to test performance and ease of installation and maintenance for its customers. Melink also has seven of its own pre-engineered Ingrid® 2kW ground-mounted solar PV systems, one 25.5kW ground-mounted solar array, and one 11.8kW solar canopy installed on the corporate campus. The thick concrete walls of the building serve as a massive solar collector and heat sink on sunny days, allowing heat to be slowly released into the building at night when it is cooler outside. It also has an auxiliary electric meter to have the capability of “spinning” backwards so on the weekends when there is little to no electric load, power can be fed back to the grid.

8. Wind EnergySouthwestern Ohio is not known for high winds and to address this challenge Melink installed a low-wind turbine to complement the solar PV systems to generate power at night and when the sun is not shining.

9. Geothermal Heating & CoolingMelink burns no fossil fuels. Instead, we use 28 geothermal wells to heat and cool the building, with over 5 miles of underground piping. This provides the offices with a stable temperature year-round, and variable-speed water circulating pumps and differential pressure sensors save pump energy during partial-load conditions with 25% minimum speed setting.

10. Purchased Electricity from UtilityMelink is employing renewable energy strategies were highly offset in terms of electricity bills in 2013. Melink did not pay any electricity to its provider during the months of April, May, June, July, August and September.

11. Waste ManagementDuring construction, Melink set up a recycling system for paper, glass, plastic, and metal, and much of the building was constructed out of recycled materials. Melink employees currently recycle, reuse, or compost a majority of their waste. This was one of the activities that helped reach a 99 Energy Star rating.

http://www.melinkcorp.com/mpower/


page 2312. Landscaping

The 9-acre headquarters are relatively self-sustaining and do not require irrigation or maintenance, other than minor lawn cutting and tree pruning. The courtyard offers paver sidewalks, gardens and wood benches, and there are two separate patio areas with lawn furniture near a pond and river to facilitate outdoor lunches and meetings on nice days.

13. BiomassWood-pellet stoves were installed in the main conference room and library to supplement the heating system and further reduce its reliance on electrical power from the grid.

14. Heath & Well-BeingA fitness room and green library were built on the second floor to promote healthy living and continual education on the green movement. Eighty percent of our building is composed of windows, making the outdoors visible to most everyone from their workspace. All workspaces are the same size to communicate each employee is equally valued as a team member.

Kitchens were set up to focus on employee comfort and energy efficiency. Thermos-type coffee pots allow coffee makers to be turned off after brewing and still keep the coffee hot for hours. A dishwasher minimizes use of paper cups, plates and plastic utensils and saves 20% of the water normally used when hand-washing dishes. Melink also provides washable dishes for employees to use and compostable cups for visitors.

In addition, Melink promotes green awareness and offers incentive programs. Employees are encouraged to bike or carpool to work, rewarded with close-to-the building alternative vehicle and carpool parking spaces. The company leases hybrid cars for regional supervisors, technicians, and the leadership team, and incentives are also provided to employees to purchase their own hybrids. Everyone is encouraged to bring in their energy bills for the company bulletin board to display their progress in conserving the energy they use at home.

Melink promotes continual improvement in an effort to reduce its impact on the environment. As a result of these environmental innovations and

its focus on employees, Melink has become an innovator we hope other companies will look to when setting their own corporate sustainability and lifestyle goals.

15. Green Cleaing PolicyMelink uses cleaning and grounds care products and methods that reduce adverse impacts on public health and the environment. Cleaning methods set emphasis on the removal of indoor pollutants (including soils, particulates, microbes, etc.) while maintaining a safe and healthy environment for all employees and visitors. Additionally, methods minimize the amount of product used as well as the amount of waste that is created.

Melink also implemented a detailed indoor pest plan to remove pests without harm to health of our indoor environment.

Melink Employees use sustainable products in everyday activities, such as recycled cups and fairtrade products (coffee, chocolate, etc.). Whenever possible, Melink encourages its employees to use regular coffee mugs and cups which can be washed in a dishwasher.

16. Energy Star ApplicancesAll Melink appliances are Energy Star rated - microwaves, refrigerators, dishwasher, coffee makers, water dispensers, and all computer technology.

17. E-WasteMelink has also always been very careful about how to dispose of its E-waste. In 2015, the company will shift to Cohen Recycling. Cohen Recycling, located in Cincinnati, OH, shows a higher level of transparency and privacy in terms of e-waste disposal.

2015_Melink_SustReport_Final

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