Great River Energy Headquarters Aims For LEED Platinum
by Justin Thomas, Virginia on 04.21.08
In Minnesota, Great River Energy is seeking LEED Platinum certification for their newly constructed headquarters, which will open tomorrow on Earth Day. Solar cells on the building's roof will generate power, together with a 160-foot-tall wind turbine, that will generate 225 kilowatts of electricity. The headquarters will have a geothermal heating and cooling system that utilizes an adjacent lake. Rainwater will be captured in cisterns, and be used to flush toilets, and irrigate the restored native-plant gardens on 12.5-acre site.
Extensive use of daylight will provide working light. Dimming ballasts and daylight sensors will reduce the level of artificial lighting and its associated cooling loads required.
The construction process was also green: 90% of construction waste was recycled, and the structural concrete contains 60% fly ash, a byproduct of coal burning.
:: Via Press Release
