Intel Achieves First LEED Gold for Design Center

Intel Corp. has earned its first LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council for its new design center set to open in Haifa, Israel in June. Achieving a Gold-level rating, the Intel Design Center 9 (IDC 9) also is the first building in Israel to receive this level of certification for sustainable construction.

A key feature of the design center is the Intel Xeon processor-based data center that significantly reduces power consumption. It is expected to provide an annual savings of $200,000.

Other “green” building features include energy-efficiency fixtures including controlled lighting and air conditioning systems, an automatic control system that regulates the flow of natural light, a rooftop garden to improve thermal insulation and prevent the building from retaining excessive heat, and an automatic system for measuring carbon-dioxide levels in the office space for improved air quality.

The building also has a method for capturing and recycling condensate water from the air conditioning system for irrigation, and uses dissipated heat from the air conditioners and data center computers for heating.

The IDC 9 design reduces total building energy use by 17 percent compared to “ordinary” buildings, according to the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) 90.1-2007 standard.

KM 1, an Intel factory and office building in Kulim, Malaysia, achieved basic LEED certification in April for improvements made to the 14-year-old facility. LEED Gold certification is currently pending for Intel’s Ocotillo campus in Chandler, Ariz.

In addition to its sustainable building strategy, the semiconductor manufacturer is also beefing up its solar energy projects. Intel plans to install approximately 2.5 megawatts (MW) of new solar power projects at eight locations in Arizona, California, New Mexico and Oregon.

In May last year, Intel unveiled a 100-kilowatt (kW) solar installation at its Jones Farm Campus in Hillsboro, Oregon.

Intel also retained its number one spot as the EPA’s top renewable energy purchaser, with 1.433 billion kWh annually, up from 1.301 billion kWh in the October 2009 rankings. Intel uses renewable energy for 51 percent of its operations, up from 48 percent in October.