Greener Building

 

The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) building rating system is a nationally recognized standard for sustainable building design. The standards incorporate a range of environmental and public health considerations, including energy efficiency, building site selection, indoor air quality, water use, and many others.

Whether planning a new building construction, a major renovation, or retrofitting your current building, consider pursuing LEED certification.

Ask your developers and architects about LEED, and contact the U.S. Green Building Council at leedinfo@usgbc.org or (202) 82-USGBC for more information.

Vendors

Visit the LEED-Accredited Professionals Directory to find qualified green building specialists near you.

LEED Certified Professional Sports Facilities

Many teams are renovating, designing or retrofitting their facilities in efforts to achieve LEED Certification. As of 2012, there are ten professional sports venues that have received LEED Certification for both Existing Buildings and New Constructions, and several others are completing feasibility studies for certification. For example:

American Airlines Arena, Miami Heat: LEED Certified Existing Building

The American Airlines Arena earned LEED Certification for Existing Building Operations and Maintenance (EBO&M) in April 2009. Energy and water cost savings achieved by arena improvements save $500,000 annually, or 10 to 15% of utility costs.

LEED qualifying features include:

  • Reflective roof materials that reduce cooling needs
  • A drip-and-soak irrigation system which runs underground and reduces the amount of water that evaporates
  • Drought-resistant landscaping
  • Underground parking that reduces the amount of exposed asphalt causing heat island effect
  • Elimination of the on-site water chiller at the arena that reduces energy use.

Amway Center, Orlando Magic: LEED Certified Silver New Construction

The Amway Center, completed in October 2010, received LEED Silver Certification for New Construction, the first NBA arena construction to receive this certification. The arena’s sustainable features include:

  • High-efficiency heating and cooling systems
  • A reflective and insulated roof that will reduce cooling costs
  • High-tech monitoring systems that turn off unused lights
  • Ultra-low-flow toilets and efficient water systems estimated to use 40% less water than a traditional arena
  • A stormwater system to treat runoff before it can pollute nearby water sources
  • A rainwater catchment system to provide all water for irrigation needs
  • Preferred parking for hybrids and other energy-efficient vehicles
  • Front-of-house recycling bins for attendees
  • Construction materials incorporated recycled content (15% of materials) and 20% were locally sourced
  • An 83% recycling diversion rate for of the wood, concrete and steel waste generated during construction.

AT&T Park, San Francisco Giants: LEED Certified Silver Existing Building

AT&T Park was the first major league ballpark to receive LEED Silver Certification for EBO&M in April 2010. While the stadium has long embraced green operational practices, and the Giants were also the first MLB team to install a solar power system in 2007, the stadium made many additional improvements to earn LEED credit, including:

  • Re-commissioning of the entire mechanical system
  • Energy-efficient compact fluorescent lighting throughout the ballpark
  • An aggressive recycling and composting program that diverted 75% of the ballpark’s waste from going to the landfill in 2009
  • Low-flush water closets, urinals, shower facilities, and aerators
  • An HD scoreboard which is 78% more efficient than its predecessor.

Bell Centre, Montreal Canadiens: LEED Certified Existing Building

In 2009, the Bell Centre received LEED Certification EBO&M, with energy retrofits making the venue 35% more energy-efficient than similar-type facilities throughout North America. Other improvements included:

  • Installing water-efficient toilets and faucets to reduce water usage by 20%
  • A diversion rate of 85% for recycling and composting
  • A purchasing policy requiring that 80% of Bell Centre purchases are recycled, re-used, or local materials
  • Reducing carbon gas emissions by 28%.

Consol Energy Center, Pittsburgh Penguins: LEED Certified Gold New Construction

Consol Energy Center, certified LEED Gold for New Construction in 2010, is the first NHL construction to receive LEED certification. The project received high marks for water use reduction, recycled materials, regional materials, demolition and construction waste diversion, certified wood and energy efficiency. Sustainable features of the new arena include:

  • Locally procured construction materials
  • Energy-efficient lighting and HVAC retrofits and maximized natural lighting
  • Increased green space around the outside of the building
  • Low-flow and water efficient plumbing fixtures
  • Enhanced thermal performance and reduced solar gain
  • The purchase of renewable energy for a portion of energy use.

Nationals Park, Washington Nationals: LEED Certified Silver New Construction

Nationals Park was the first professional sports venue to be awarded LEED Silver certification. This park was built on a brownfield and constructed using 95% recycled content and regionally procurement construction materials. Among its green features are:

  • A 6,300-square foot green roof in the left-field concession area that helps minimize heat gain and water runoff
  • Low-flow fixtures in restrooms, saving a projected 3.6 million gallons of water per year
  • High efficiency field lighting and time/motion sensors on lighting with a projected 21% energy savings
  • A recycling program that diverts about 80% of common waste items (glass, metal, plastic, cardboard, and paper)
  • Close proximity to public transportation metro stations
  • A contract to purchase renewable energy to cover 70% of expected consumption over two years.

Philips Arena, Atlanta Hawks: LEED Certified for Existing Building

Philips Arena completed a handful of projects in each of the rating system’s six categories to earn 39 points and LEED certification for EBO&M. Improvements included:

  • HVAC, chiller, and lighting retrofits that reduced energy use by 8%, saving 4.5 million kwh per year
  • Reflective roof materials that reduce cooling needs
  • Water conservation measures such as low-flow toilets and showerheads, faucet aerators, and adjustments to the cooling system that cut water use by 2 million gallons
  • A composting and recycling program.

Rose Garden Arena, Portland Trailblazers: LEED Certified Gold for Existing Building

The Rose Garden, home of the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers, is the first professional sports facility to earn LEED Gold Certification for an Existing Building. The arena has implemented a range of efficiency improvements, including:

  • Lighting upgrades and cooling tower VFD and sequencing improvements that save a combined 771,000 kilowatt hours annually
  • Replaced bathroom fixtures with low-flow models, saving 162,000 gallons of water
  • Promote public transit and alternative transportation methods which are used by 30% of attendees
  • Subsidize transit passes for staff and uses bikes and electric vehicles for on-site operations
  • Divert 80 percent of waste from landfills, using practices such as post-game sorting and a food-waste composting program with vendors.

Target Field, Minnesota Twins: LEED Certified Silver New Construction

Target Field earned LEED Silver Certification for New Construction in 2010, and then went on to earn LEED Silver Certification for Existing Building Operations and Maintenance in December of 2011. Aiming to set a new standard for water use in professional sports facilities, the Minnesota Twins have installed a rainwater recycling system that should help reduce the need for municipal water by 50 percent. The rainwater recycling project captures and purifies water to be used in washing down the lower decks of Target Field, as well as to water the baseball field. The effort is estimated to save 2 million gallons of water a year.

Toyota Center, Houston Rockets: LEED Certified Silver for Existing Building

The Toyota Center in Houston received LEED Silver certification for EBO&M in June 2010, making it the first professional sports facility to receive certification in Texas. Improvements to the facility included:

  • 50% reduction in landscaping water use
  • Optimization of energy performance by reducing consumption levels to gain Energy Star recognition
  • Improved indoor air quality exceeding the most stringent standards set by ASHRAE
  • Increased recycling program in-stadium and in team offices
  • Introduction of a high-performance green cleaning program
  • Green Committee projects, Green Games, community outreach efforts, public outreach initiatives featuring Rockets players, and e-cycling events which earned Innovation points towards certification.

Salt River Fields, Spring Training Facility for Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies: LEED Gold New Construction

Salt River Fields, a training facility that opened in February 2011, received LEED Gold certification for New Construction in June 2011. The 140-acre venue has separate training facilities and clubhouses for both the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies, as well as a 11,000 seat central stadium. Sustainable project elements which earned the facility LEED Gold included:

  • Energy efficiency measures such as displacement ventilation, operable windows, and maximizing evaporative cooling which are expected to reduce energy use by nearly 24%
  • Local and regional building materials (40% of materials purchased)
  • Low-VOC paints, sealants, flooring and furniture
  • Low-flow and water efficient fixtures which are expected to reduce potable water use by over 45%
  • Reduced stormwater runoff by using salvaged vegetation and native plants, passive water harvesting through desert arroyos, and an onsite retention pond.

Other LEED Buildings

NRDC Santa Monica
NRDC San Francisco
The Chicago Center for Green Technology
Alberici Office Headquarters
Genzyme Center
The Solaire/20 River Terrace

Environmental Benefits

The materials, energy, and water used to construct buildings and keep them running smoothly and comfortably all have environmental impacts. Green buildings are designed to minimize these impacts on the environment by using environmentally preferable construction materials and techniques, including: reducing water and energy use, minimizing waste, and making better use of natural features like shade, daylight, and rainwater. In so doing, green buildings reduce their contribution to biodiversity loss, global warming, and many other environmental pressures.

Additional Resources

NRDC Green Building
US Green Building Council’s LEED
NRDC’s LEED information website