The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) recently released “LEED in Motion: Industrial Facilities,” a report highlighting collaborative efforts to implement the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) green-building rating system and prioritize environmental stewardship for industrial facilities.
Currently, there are more than 1,755 LEED-certified industrial facilities totaling more than 496 million sq ft and an additional 2,710 registered projects totaling nearly 737 million sq ft worldwide.
“The world’s manufacturing plants, industrial facilities, and product factories have become an important cornerstone for the global green-building industry," Rick Fedrizzi, chief executive officer and founding chair, USGBC, said. “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."
Industrial facilities include manufacturing buildings, warehouses, distribution centers, and industrial campuses. The manufacturing sector alone is responsible for 30 percent of the nation’s total energy consumption and uses an estimated 15,900 million gal. of water per day, which is roughly 4 percent of total daily water use.
The report highlights 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, Mich. (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).
“LEED in Motion: Industrial Facilities” is the latest in a series of reports from the USGBC designed to provide a holistic snapshot of the green-building movement in international markets. The reports are intended to equip green-building advocates with insight and perspective to understand the use of LEED and to make a strong case for sustainable-building activity.
To read the full report, click here.