Environmental Leader

Seeking an edge in gaining clients, convention centers are pumping cash into making their facilities more energy efficient, as well as adding other “green” aspects.

The Monroeville Convention Center in Monroeville, Pa., opened at a cost of $16.2 million, features energy efficient heating and cooling, along with a white roof, reports PopCityMedia.

In another example, the Santa Fe Community Convention Center has received a LEED Gold designation, reports BizJournals. The building was designed to LEED Silver standards but, because of higher construction standards, it was able to qualify for the higher Gold rating. The Santa Fe City Council chipped in an extra $1 million to help the building attain the LEED status.

The new building was constructed on the site of Santa Fe’s previous convention center, of which about 88 percent of demolition material was recycled. About three-quarters of new construction waste was recycled, as well.

The building has rooftop gardens to buffer the effects of the hot New Mexico sun. It has a 45,000 gallon rainwater collection system that feeds into the irrigation system.

All meeting rooms have recycling containers, and the building itself has three recycling centers.

The Raleigh Convention Center earned LEED Silver status, reports Green Lodging News.

The 11-acre site in Raleigh, N.C., took advantage of infrastructure, including water, sewer, roads and parking, left over from a car dealership that was there before.

About half the construction materials came from within 500 miles of Raleigh.

With low-flow toilets and urinals, the center expects to save 825,000 gallons of water a year. The center has a rainwater collection system that should be ample enough to keep landscaping from using any municipal water, according to the article.

A white, rubber membrane roof helps reflect heat, reducing demands on the HVAC system, according to the convention center’s Web site.