SALISBURY, Md. — Perdue Farms announced that it has received Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Platinum green building certification — the highest possible ranking — from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) for the renovation of its corporate office building.

The completion of a four-year, $10.5 million renovation of the 94,000-square-foot building makes the Perdue headquarters the first LEED Platinum building on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, and one of fewer than 20 LEED Platinum-certified commercial projects in the state, said the company.

“Through the years at Perdue, we’ve built a program of protecting and preserving the environment through such projects as Perdue AgriRecycle, the first large-scale litter recycling operation, investments in our state-of-the-art wastewater treatment facilities, and reformulation of products and processes to reduce waste streams,” said Jim Perdue, chairman of Perdue Farms. “Now having LEED Platinum certification of our corporate offices helps underscore our ongoing commitment to environmental sustainability and corporate responsibility.”

Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO, and founding chair of the U.S. Green Building Council, said, “Perdue Farms’ LEED certification demonstrates tremendous green building leadership. The urgency of USGBC’s mission has challenged the (building) industry to move faster and reach further than ever before, and Perdue serves as a prime example with just how much we can accomplish.”

Aspects of the corporate office renovation that earned LEED recognition include:

• Nearly 40 percent reduction in utility demand through high-efficiency HVAC, lighting, and on-demand hot water heaters.

• Up to 95 percent of the energy demand for the corporate office is generated by a solar field during occupied daytime hours and, on average, the solar field supplies up to 40 percent of the total energy demand (daytime and nighttime hours combined).

• Integrated carbon dioxide sensors and fresh air ventilation help exceed minimum indoor air quality standards by 30 percent.

• 42.3 percent water reduction through low-flow plumbing fixtures.

• Reused 99.6 percent of existing building envelope.

• Diverted 97 percent — 631 tons — of construction waste from landfill.

For more information, visit www.perduefarms.com.

Publication date: 10/7/2013

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