Dayton's First Net-zero Organization

For Mission of Mary, “Sustainability” isn’t a buzzword. It’s at the center of how we run our organization. From our inception, we’ve worked to be conscious of our environmental impact. Today, through the use of solar and geothermal technology, we produce more renewable energy than we consume.

 What is net-zero?

• The New Buildings Institute defines net-zero energy buildings as “buildings with greatly reduced energy loads such that, totaled over a year, 100% or more of the energy use can be met with renewable energy generation.”

• September 2018 to August 2019 was the first “year” we tracked and found we produced 93 kWh more energy than consumed - making our headquarters a net-zero building for the first time! 

• In January 2020, New Buildings Institute (NBI) confirmed that Mission of Mary headquarters as a net-zero building and added our organization to their online Getting to Zero Database

How did MMC become net-zero?

• In 2017, we developed a goal to become the first net-zero energy organization in Dayton.

• We retrofitted our headquarters building with energy efficient updates including LED lighting, energy star rated doors and windows, and energy efficient insulation.

• We also improved our energy behavior through education - such as placing signs near our light switches and thermostat - every action counts!

• In 2018, a geothermal HVAC system and an 11.5 kW rooftop solar photovoltaic system were installed to cover our heating, cooling, and electricity needs