Miller Place, NY - July 24, 2015 - PSEG Long Island and Brinkmann Hardware announced the grand opening of the first net zero retail store in New York State.

The family-owned and -operated Brinkmann True Value hardware store in Miller Place, NY will celebrate its grand opening tomorrow as the first net zero retail store in New York State. During the planning and construction phase of the Miller Place store, Brinkmann worked with PSEG Long Island and contractor, GreenLogic Energy, to develop efficiency and renewable plans to result in zero net energy consumption.

A net zero building has zero net energy consumption. This means the total amount of annual energy used is approximately equal to the amount of renewable energy created on the property. Energy efficiency measures utilized for this project include solar PV, geothermal heating and air conditioning, LED lighting equipment and a thermoplastic “Cool Roof.”

“Becoming the first net zero retail store in New York State, as well as the first net zero True Value hardware store in the world is an amazing accomplishment and the Brinkman family should be proud of their efforts to reduce their carbon footprint,” said Michael Voltz, director of Energy Efficiency and Renewables for PSEG Long Island. “By participating in PSEG Long Island’s Commercial Efficiency Program, Brinkmann Hardware has set new standards on how customers can gain control of their energy usage and work towards energy independence through alternative technologies.”

By employing energy efficient measures, the Miller Place True Value hardware store will save 64,000 kilowatt hours of energy annually for a savings of approximately $11,000 per year and will reduce its peak electric demand by an estimated 21 kilowatts per year. The Brinkmann’s also installed a 99.408 kilowatt PV system. This will produce over 125,000 kilowatt hours annually and save approximately $18,000 in annual energy costs.

The energy savings from the geothermal, solar PV and energy efficiency initiatives is equivalent to removing 27 cars from the road or 14,804 gallons of gas not consumed per year.

"We are surprised that we are not only the first in our industry to do this but the first net zero retail building in New York State,” said store co-owner Hank Brinkmann. “With our new net zero energy buildings we can provide the local community with a convenient location, a competitive value for our products and set the civic example for what an environmentally conscious business can do.”

“Growing up in the hardware business that our father started in 1976 we have seen may changes in our industry,” said co-owner Ben Brinkmann. “We have been the second generation owners since (2006) and it is a great feeling to know that we have done something in our buildings that will allow us to continue our family business well past the third generation of Brinkmanns”.

The Brinkmann family contracted Long Island-based GreenLogic Energy to design and enhance the different technologies needed to efficiently and effectively create a net zero result.

“We at GreenLogic are very excited about the completion of the Brinkmann’s project. This building will produce more power then it consumes, it will never pay for electric usage, and it will never consume any oil or gas. The compound economic and environmental benefits of that fact are simply amazing,” said Al Harsch, renewable project developer, GreenLogic energy. “The completion of this GreenLogic-certified net zero project shows that you can build a major retail store here on Long Island that is Net Zero Energy.”

Making energy-efficient changes to businesses can increase productivity and the bottom line. PSEG Long Island’s Commercial Efficiency Program offers solutions and resources, to get industry-specific advice on how companies can increase production, reduce costs, and save money. To learn more about the PSEG Long Island Commercial Efficiency program visit here.