New USGBC report examines green practices in industrial facilities
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has released LEED in Motion: Industrial Facilities. The report highlights the collaborative efforts across the manufacturing sector to design and implement LEED and prioritize environmental stewardship for industrial facilities. Currently, there are more than 1,755 LEED-certified industrial facilities worldwide totaling more than 496 million sq ft and an additional 2,710 projects registered totaling nearly 737 million sq ft. The report also showcases the LEED-certified industrial facilities from around the world.
“The world’s manufacturing plants, industrial facilities, and product factories have become an important cornerstone for the global green building industry," said Rick Fedrizzi, CEO and founding chair of USGBC. “The growing adoption of LEED in this sector gives corporations another tool to achieve high-performing business operations and positively impact worker health, reduce water and energy use, and increase cost-savings all at the same time. The companies who are using LEED for these facilities are raising the bar for the kind of leadership that will deliver the world we want for our children and our communities."
According to USGBC, industrial facilities include manufacturing buildings, warehouses, distribution centers, and industrial campuses, and operate on a vastly larger scale than homes, office buildings, or even a university campus. The manufacturing sector alone is responsible for 30% of the nation’s total energy consumption and uses an estimated 15,900 million gallons of water per day, which is roughly 4% of total daily water use.
In the U.S. alone, the manufacturing industry contributed $2.1 trillion in gross domestic product (GDP) in 2014 and, according to the National Association of Manufacturers, for every $1 spent in manufacturing an additional $1.40 is added to the economy. The sector also provides 12.33 million jobs and indirectly supports an additional 18.5 million jobs. USGBC's recent Green Building Economic Impact Study found that across industries, green construction jobs are poised to create more than 3.3 million U.S. jobs and $190.3 billion in labor earnings by 2018.
The LEED in Motion: Industrial Facilities report aims to show how LEED can be a tool that positively impacts the quality of built space and can be applied to all building types. Because environmental, climate conditions, worker health and safety codes, standards, and laws vary, LEED provides a mechanism for recognizing those differences while still achieving the same credit intent and requirements. In developing the newest version of the rating system, LEED v4, the LEED Warehouse and Distribution Center adaption was designed to meet the specific needs of the global manufacturing sector and looks to ensure high-performance in human and environmental health, sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, supply chain, and indoor environmental quality.
The report also features LEED-certified projects from international brands, including:
• Colgate-Palmolive Facility Expansion, Swidnica, Poland: LEED Gold
• Diageo/Guinness Brewery at St. James’ Gate, Dublin, Ireland: LEED Platinum
• FCA US LLC Trenton South Engine Plant, Trenton, MI: LEED Gold
• Intel Israel IDPJ Certification, Jerusalem, Israel: LEED Platinum
• Liberty Property Trust: Tasty Baking Co., Philadelphia: LEED Silver
• L’Oreal Florence North Project, Florence, KY: LEED Certified
• Method Southside Soapbox, Chicago: LEED Platinum
• Prologis Park Tres Rios, Cuautitlan Izcalli, Estado de Mexico: LEED Silver
To read the full report, go here.
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