Home Energy Management LEED Gold MGM National Harbor Meets Lofty Sustainability Goals

LEED Gold MGM National Harbor Meets Lofty Sustainability Goals

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Glenn Hasek

December 8 was an important day for MGM Resorts International. It was then that it officially opened the LEED Gold MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Md. The 308-room property is located minutes from Washington, D.C. The MGM National Harbor is MGM Resorts International’s ninth LEED certification. Cindy Ortega, Senior Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer for MGM Resorts International, said in a press release that the hotel exemplifies MGM’s long-standing effort to implement sustainable and responsible practices across its resorts.

I spoke with Todd Megrath, Executive Director of Sustainable Development, MGM Resorts International, about the new property and he told me LEED certification “is absolutely the standard we set for our larger-scale development projects.” He added, “Allowing us to benchmark a common program is a first step. It gives us a way to focus on sustainability and make sure all of our goals are met. It helps us communicate to the community.”

The MGM National Harbor is situated just off the banks of the Potomac River, in the Chesapeake Bay region. One priority of the MGM National Harbor team was to protect the water resources in and around the project site. “We knew early on that water was going to be a focus for us,” Megrath said.

Cistern Collects Rainwater

MGM designed and implemented a range of innovative approaches to store, reuse and reduce consumption of water to help protect the local ecosystem. High-efficiency fixtures, including automatic faucets, low-flow toilets and shower fixtures help reduce the property’s water consumption by more than 45 percent. Water features (fountains) rely on recirculated water. A 700,000 gallon cistern collects, stores and treats rainwater captured from the roof structures. The repurposed water is used for the resort’s irrigation, cooling towers and flushing in back-of-house areas.

Energy efficiency was also a focus. Megrath told me he set a target of 100 percent LED lighting for the project. “We knew it was going to be a challenge,” he said. “Ninety-nine percent are LEDs.” Lighting controls and in-guestroom occupancy sensors also keep energy costs down. At the core of the property’s energy management program is an 800 kW combined heat and power energy plant. The system works to generate on-site electricity for the resort. Instead of using waste heat to heat domestic water, the system is connected to an adsorption chiller that cools the hotel’s spaces.

To encourage the use of alternative transportation, MGM installed 28 electric vehicle (EV) charging stations and 185 low-emitting-fuel efficient vehicle parking spaces. These help to promote the use of alternative transportation modes for both guests and employees. Megrath said the 28 EV stations is the highest allocation within the company. For the project MGM focused on all aspects of public transportation—walking and biking paths included. “We worked to expand bus service and designed a bus stop adjacent to the site,” Megrath said.

Particularly impressive was the percentage of construction waste recycled and diverted from the landfill—more than 96 percent, or more than 15,000 tons. This happened with a lot of careful planning, Megrath said. “It was a goal we set early on. We wanted to set a new industry standard. We identified recyclers who could take each waste stream.” Moving forward, the property will have a comprehensive recycling program and a biodigester has been purchased to consume food waste.

The MGM National Harbor’s restaurants will be led by prominent chefs who will focus on local, sustainable food.

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