Environmental Leader

In building its $90 million new headquarters in Philadelphia, SAP America is expecting energy and water savings of 40-50 percent, when compared to similar buildings.

SAP, which sells software that help companies reduce energy use, is using the building as a bit of a “credibility booster,” reports the Philadelphia Inquirer.

The building, which has applied for the LEED platinum designation, features:

- a one-acre green roof with blue fescue, lavender, goldfinger and sedum,

- air-cooling ice tanks in the basement,

- triple-paned, high-performance glass on 80 percent of the exterior,

- 10 400-foot-deep geothermal wells in the back lawn that both heat and cool the building’s main floor,

- cubicles and flooring made from recycled parts, and

- doors made of bamboo.

In addition to providing a cooling effect, the green roof is expected to extend the life of the rubber roof underneath it by 30 years.

The building so far is using about one kilowatt of electricity per square foot, said SAP Project Manager Brian Barrett. That compares to about 2.5 kilowatts per square foot that is typical in other buildings, he said.

View the building’s Energy Star profile here.