Suburban Office Complex Claims 49% Lower Energy Use

May 4, 2009

Email this story Print this post Add your comments

A new 200,000-square-foot building in Newton Square, Pa., includes numerous sustainable design features including a grass roof, toilets that use rainwater for flushing and an air-conditioning system that makes its own ice for cooling.

The building is expected to have 49 percent lower energy usage than a comparable conventional building.

The building, which is owned by SAP AG, was builty to comply with LEED platinum-level certification, according to a press release. The building is under review by LEED, and SAP hopes for certification to come in 2010.

As for energy efficiency, the building uses geothermal wells to employ constant ground temperature to both heat and cool areas of the building. Lighting systems are controlled by sensors to dim the lighting levels and raise or lower window shades based on the level of sunlight coming in.

A hybrid air conditioning system makes ice overnight when energy demands and electric rates are lowest, then during the day the chilled water from melting ice is used to cool the building.

To take maximum advantage of available daylight, the new building features a floor-to-ceiling glass exterior and an open-space plan.

To integrate the building into the surrounding natural environment, grass grows on the roof and native and regional vegetation is used in landscaping.

To reduce water use, rainwater from the green roof and other areas is collected in a 50,000-gallon cistern to supply water for landscape irrigation and flushing toilets in some of the building’s bathrooms. Another aspect of the bathrooms includes low-flow bathroom fixtures that should save more than a million gallons of water per year.

The new complex is at SAP North America’s 110-acre campus, adjacent to SAP’s existing LEED-certified building. The building falls in line with the company’s efforts to reduce its CO2 emissions to 2000 levels, by 2020, according to a press release.

More and more buildings are being constructed to save energy and other resources. As an example, the EPA’s Energy Star rating for new construction certified 60 percent more buildings in 2008 than 2007.

Email this story Print this post Add your comments

Advertisers

Make sustainability part of your strategy.

Get equipped at the SAP Sustainability Resource Center. >>

Unclear about the EPA's new GHG Rule?

Learn how it could affect your business. >>

EPA mandatory emissions reporting starts Jan 1st

CSA Standards can help your organization get ready for compliance. Find out how. >>

Survey Results: Product Environmental Compliance Best Practices

How to achieve compliance at a significantly lower cost. Download the full report. >>

Join the Discussion

Recent Daily News [ see all ]

11/20/2009
11/19/2009
11/18/2009

Charts [ see all ]

European Paper Industry Cuts CO2 Emissions by 42% since 1990

S. America Takes Most Urgent View of Copenhagen Talks

Nike Tops Annual Climate Action Scores

Oceans May Trap more Carbon than Forests

Jobs

View All Jobs >> Post a Job >>

Comments and Discussions

Trade Association on Trade Group on EPA Chemical Regs: ‘If Everything is a Priority, Then Nothing is a Priority’
"Seriously… that..."

Gary Markowitz on Supermarkets Tackle Emissions Reductions, Fuel Efficiency
"Supermarkets waste over 10 percent of their energy through improper..."

peter in ireland on Ontario May Follow California’s Lead on TV Energy Efficiency
"Governor Schwarzenegger is shooting himself in the foot! 1...."

Environmental Leader on S. America Takes Most Urgent View of Copenhagen Talks
"The survey respondents (the PDF report mentions 4,000 respondents in 38..."

Jake on UPS Trying New Hydraulic Hybrid Trucks
"A point of clarification: the Reuters press release referenced herein reports that 20 UPS will purchase..."

Custom Organic Shirts on S. America Takes Most Urgent View of Copenhagen Talks
"90% of North Americans believe it is urgent to get a global climate..."

peter dublin on California City’s Green Building Ordinance Applies to Commercial Buildings
"Why energy efficiebnt regulation on buildings –..."

Environmental Leader