Sustainable Sites Water Efficiency Energy and Atmosphere United States ¦" Environmental Protection ^ W I M Ik Agency Qy & en^ Recycled/Recyclable, Printed on paper that contains a minimum of 50% post-consumer fiber and is processed chlorine free. nnovation and Design Process U.S. Environmental Protection Agency National Computer Center Research Triangle Park, NC Materials and Resources More information on EPA at Research Triangle Park can be found at: www. epa. gov/rtp r Environmental Quality More information on LEED® is available at: www.usgbc.org ------- The U.S. Green Building Council has developed a voluntary system to promote sustainable building - Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. LEED® rates a building's environmental performance in six categories. Points are awarded for each category - Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Energy and Atmosphere, Materials and Resources, Indoor Environmental Quality, and Innovation and Design Process. A LEED® Certified rating signifies solid environmental performance, while ratings of Silver, Gold, or Platinum show even greater achievement. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's National Computer Center in Research Triangle Park, NC has earned a LEED® Silver rating. Materials and Resources Construction Waste - 82% of all construction waste was recycled, keeping two million pounds of I useful material out of our landfills, Open Space - EPA permanently preserved ten acres of forest near the building, which is eight times the size of the building footprint. Local Materials - 24% of all building materials were purchased locally, with more than half of their raw materials produced within 500 miles of the NCC. FStormwater Management - 100% of all stormwater is treated on- site. Parking lot runoff is filtered by a bioretention basin as well as a pond, ensuring maximum pollutant removal. Recycled Content - More than 50% of the construction materials have recy cled content. For example, 95% of the steel in the building is recycled, Landscaping - Drought-tolerant and native plants require no regular watering. No irrigation system was installed. Indoor Environmental Quality: Carbon Dioxide Monitoring CO2 sensors in offices and conference rooms ensure that more fresh air is supplied when occupancy increases. Optimized Energy Performance - The NCC design beats energy code requirements by 27%. Energy demand is minimized by natural daylighting, occupancy sensors, and digital controls for heating, cooling, ventilation and lighting. Low-emitting Materials - Chemical emission limits were specified for materials such as carpet and adhesives. Solar Energy - North Carolina's largest solar roof serves 5% of the NCC's electrical needs, eliminating 67 tons of CO2 emissions every year. Materials Reduction - 83 boulders harvested on-site were used as security I barriers, eliminating the need for 5 tons of steel guardrails. Green Power - 100% of the NCC's electrical use is offset by renewable energy production. Under its green power program, EPA buys credits to fund energy from the combustion of biomass - plant waste from paper production, Green Furnishings - EPA's furniture requirements included rj durability, flexibility, efficient lighting and reduced chemical emissions. Life-cycle impacts such as manufacturing waste reduction and efficient shipping were also factored into purchasing decisions. ------- |