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News & Announcements
7/19/2010 | Energy and sustainability team guides ambitious, green project
A bank branch is aiming to be as green as possible, and the BLJC energy and sustainability team is providing guidance for the project.
One of BLJC’s financial services client’s building based in London, Ontario is seeking to be certified Platinum through the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) for Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance (EBOM).
The energy and sustainability team is working with the client to undertake the steps necessary to achieve accreditation.
“It’s the most exciting (project) we have underway,” says director of sustainability Michael Wymant.
Innovative features of the building include a solar panel on the roof, as well as a new technology called the Ice Bear chiller.
The Ice Bear is a low-cost, energy-storage module that plugs into standard air conditioning systems. The storage module is charged at night when efficiency is at its peak and the stored energy is used during the heat of the day to run the air conditioning.
Some of the newest technologies around lighting have been implemented to save energy, and a building automation system installed, which allows controllers to turn lights off and on and control the building’s electrical system from remote locations through a laptop.
Bathroom fixtures have been replaced with those that use less water, and Energy Star equipment has been installed where appropriate.
Products that have received an Energy Star approval “use less energy than standard equipment, which means they cost less to operate.”
These products can include office, lighting or HVAC equipment.
A number of other innovations are also being considered to increase the building’s green factor, says Wymant. These include ripping out the current landscaping and replacing it with native and adaptive vegetation that doesn’t require watering, a zero-waste program and composting.
In addition, the parking area may be painted a lighter colour to help reduce the solar reflective index and cool temperatures.
The project is now underway, with the goal of achieving Platinum certification by the end of the year.
The branch is one of 12 for which the energy and sustainability team is providing LEED consulting services.
In addition, the team is involved with 60 buildings for another green building program, GREEN UP, of the Canada Green Building Council.
Wymant says the momentum around the greening of existing buildings is exciting to observe and participate in.
“It’s not just one client coming to us, asking us for help in making their facilities more environmentally responsible. It’s all of them,” he says.
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