Supply Chain Brain - December 2009

equipment loads during the cooling season, lowering electric costs. An intensive integrated investigation of the design of the HVAC system was performed to optimize energy and maintenance costs while providing as high a level of indoor air quality as possible.

The building isn’t air-conditioned. Instead, a pressurization and ventilation system coupled with fans the size of heli-

lavatories, and a low-flow shower head helped the project exceed 50 percent water savings as compared to a baseline calculation.

For lighting systems, energy efficiency was achieved through T5 fluorescent high-bay lighting in the warehouse and T5 volumetric lighting in the office. The lighting in all periodically occupied office spaces is controlled by occupancy sensors with

the environmental impact of transportation, the project insured that 70 percent of the materials installed were locally produced and extracted within a 500 mile radius of the project site. Furthermore, over 60 percent of the regionally produced and extracted materials noted above came from a distance of 200 miles or less.

The collaborative approach of the project team encouraged “creative problem

copter rotors circulate air in the building with the result that employees say that it feels like it is air conditioned, Carron says.

“You can do so much better when it comes to energy efficiency, water use and productivity in the facility when you build green from the outset,” he says.

The use of low-emitting materials such as interior paints, adhesives, sealants and carpet were installed to help provide a higher quality of indoor environment for the contractors and visitors during construction and to maintain this air quality for the duration of building life. Furthermore, no interior wood products contain urea-formaldehyde, which further enhances indoor air quality.

The use of water-conserving toilet fixtures, waterless urinals, half-gallon per-minute aerators on all faucets and

unoccupied times controlled via a schedule in the lighting control system. Warehouse aisle lighting was installed with an integral occupancy sensor so that off-hours use is automatic and only on when required.

The building’s landscaping does not require permanent irrigation which eliminates the need for potable water or other natural surface or subsurface water resources available on or near the project site.

During the design and construction phase the team worked to select materials that were locally produced and contained a high recycled content. Forty percent of the total products that were installed within the facility contained recycled content. Of those materials installed, 12 percent contained post-consumer content and 34 percent contained pre-consumer products. To reduce

solving,” DiVall says, such as removing 12,130 tons of bottom ash waste from a local landfill and reusing it in construction.

The project received Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification and other recognition from the U.S. Green Building Council. In 2007, it won the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties’ national Green Development Award, reportedly the first and only warehouse to be so recognized. Most recently, CoreNet Global recognized the distribution facility with its 2008 Sustainability Leadership Award for Design & Development.