MINNEAPOLIS—Carlson, a global hospitality and travel company, announced on Earth Day that it has registered for the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Silver Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification for the company’s corporate headquarters in Minneapolis. Carlson is pursuing LEED certification for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance, which helps building owners and operators measure operations, improvements and maintenance on a consistent scale, with the goal of maximizing operational efficiency while minimizing environmental impacts. LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance addresses whole-building cleaning and maintenance issues including chemical use, recycling programs, exterior maintenance programs, and systems upgrades.
Below are a few of the highlights from Carlson’s corporate offices’ phase one certification actions:
• Completed re-ballasting and re-lamping of light fixtures throughout the building, which reduced mercury in the lamps and electrical use.
• Estimated total savings for lighting projects yearly equals more than 457,000 watts.
• Installed new restroom fixtures to ensure they exceed EPA standards.
• Estimate the total yearly savings to equal more than 1.1 million gallons.
• Fresh airflow rates increased to meet or exceed current American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) standards.
• Optimized energy efficiency performance.
The Carlson corporate headquarters is currently in the first of a four phase plan to achieve LEED status and expects to receive certification no later than February 2012. In addition to the benefits of becoming LEED certified, the company expects the cost associated with the project to be recouped in less than two years.
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