Here's the latest roundup of some of the most recent businesses and office buildings that have earned the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. These include Hampton Hotels, PNC Financial, Kappen Aquatic Center, Vacon, and ABVI-Goodwill.
Here are highlights for each LEED certification project
Hampton Hotels has announced the brand's second LEED certified hotel, the Hampton Inn and Suites in Folsom, Calif. Sustainable design features include advanced mechanical systems, water saving fixtures that will reduce water use by one-third, and zero CFC-based refrigerants in the air conditioning system.
In addition, the hotel's efficient insulation system, glazing, roof, hot water production, air conditioning, heating and lighting equipment allows it to reduce its annual energy use by at least 24 percent compared to a hotel built to standard building code.
The hotel purchased 572,000kWh worth of Tradable Renewable Energy Certificates, which amounts to 70 percent of the building energy use over a two-year period. The goal is to reduce the carbon footprint of the hotel with the purchase of wind powered energy certificates.
The project also used low emitting (VOC) materials (glues, sealants, woods) and native plants for landscaping to reduce water use. The hotel also features high-tech storm water filtering devices to reduce the environmental impact of run offs.
During construction, 84 percent of all construction waste was diverted for recycling or reuse.
The PNC Financial Services Group has exceeded 100 green-certified building projects with the opening of its Greater Washington regional headquarters, PNC Place, which has earned LEED platinum certification.
PNC has 104 LEED-certified buildings, including 84 certified as new construction, more than any company, according to PNC.
PNC Place offers 350,000 square feet of office space and retail, topped by a 15,000 square-foot Eco-Skygarden covering half its roof.
A new PNC Bank branch shares the street-level mezzanine with a glass bridge through the lobby. The bridge passes a three-story Climate Wall of constantly falling water that helps control temperature and humidity in the lobby, while a Green Wall of living plants below improves air quality, says PNC.
Philadelphia's Kappen Aquatic Center at the Overbrook School for the Blind (OSB) is the nation’s first LEED platinum natatorium, reports Consulting - Specifying Engineer.
OSB officials were tasked with replacing the campus' 102 year-old former pool building with a green, energy-efficient aquatic facility.
The energy-efficient design of the aquatic center saves an estimated 43 percent of the 25,000-sq-ft facility’s energy costs compared to a conventional natatorium, according to the article. Energy-saving features include off-peak energy loading, insulated concrete forms and a HVAC dehumidification system that uses heat recovery from its dehumidification cycle to partially-heat/cool the space while also providing free pool water heating to the 75 x 50-foot competition pool and large therapy pool.
Other green features include water efficient landscaping, low-flow water-saving fixtures, recycled and local materials, low VOC materials, and 77 percent construction waste recycling.
Also in Pennsylvania, Vacon announced its new factory in Chambersburg has been awarded LEED Gold certification. The project's energy efficiency measures include an improved thermal envelope, high efficiency glazing, reduced interior lighting power density, and demand control ventilation.
In addition to cutting energy use, the project also reduced potable water use, diverted construction waste from the landfill, as well as used local materials and FSC certified wood.
The Call Center facility for the Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (ABVI)-Goodwill Industries of Greater Rochester has been awarded LEED Gold certification. A two-story addition of 1,540 square feet including an entrance lobby, elevator and stairs was also added to the existing 21,220 square foot building.
Green design feature include solar and wind power, VOC-free materials including paint and glues, energy-efficiency measures, CO2 sensors for monitoring indoor environmental air quality, water-saving plumbing fixtures, and a white roof design to reduce heat island effect.
ABVI-Goodwill says 35 percent of the building's annual electricity needs comes from wind power.
During construction, the project recycled 6.5 tons of wood, 6 tons of metal, 59 tons of concrete, and 15 tons of general waste.
Here's a link to EL’s previous roundup of LEED buildings.
