Integrated PV, ESS and smart control deliver net-zero performance

Delta’s Americas headquarters in Fremont, CA—previously LEED Platinum—achieved LEED Zero Energy certification, becoming the Bay Area’s second Zero Energy commercial building. The project added 616 kW of rooftop PV and 504 kW of bifacial carport PV, paired with Delta high-efficiency inverters and a 330 kWh battery energy storage system. Together these generate over 1.4 million kWh annually—exceeding the building’s yearly consumption—and enable net-zero operation. The deployment also integrated energy optimization for the data center and facility systems, leveraging advanced SCADA and BMS platforms to maximize renewable utilization and operational resilience.

Integration challenges to achieve zero energy

Zero energy demands that on-site renewable generation meet or exceed annual consumption, requiring real-time coordination among distributed PV, storage, and building loads. High-consuming systems—especially data centers—require strict power quality and cooling performance. The project also needed to unify legacy BMS, lighting, elevator regen, EV charging, security, and other subsystems into a coherent, secure, and maintainable management framework, while ensuring grid stability and future scalability.

Integrated renewables, storage and smart control systems

Delta’s integrated solution is designed to achieve net-zero energy:
• Solar and Energy Storage: Large-scale photovoltaic deployment combined with a 330 kWh energy storage system optimizes renewable utilization and peak load support.
• High-Efficiency Components: Incorporates Delta solar inverters, EC fan heat exchangers, and variable-frequency drives to enhance operational efficiency.
• Data Center: Equipped with economizers and EC fans, while leveraging VFDs to optimize cooling. Annual PUE improved from a minimum of 1.50 to 1.25.
• Monitoring and Integration Platform: Implements Trihedra VTScada and Delta Controls enteliWEB to enable subsystem data collection, trend analysis, fault alarms, and remote management.
• Integrated Applications: Combines rainwater harvesting, EV charging, geothermal and ground-source heat pumps, elevator energy recovery, energy-saving lighting, and smart security.

Zero-energy milestone and broad performance gains

Key outcomes include:
• LEED Zero Energy certification (Bay Area’s 2nd) while maintaining LEED Platinum performance;
• >1.4 million kWh annual renewable generation, exceeding the building’s annual demand;
• Data center PUE improvement from 1.5 to 1.25;
• Measurable energy performance gains versus conventional buildings and support for Delta’s RE100 commitment (100% renewable by 2030 at global sites);
• A unified, scalable operations platform delivering real-time visibility, predictive maintenance capability, and a replicable blueprint for sustainable corporate campuses.