Green Building News
New Energy Alliance for Commercial Buildings
Karin O'Connell
On April 9, 2009, the U.S. Department of Energy ("DOE") officially launched the Commercial Real Estate Energy Alliance known as "CREEA."
The new Alliance is comprised of owners and operators of commercial buildings who are voluntarily working with DOE to reduce energy consumption in their commercial buildings which, according to DOE, currently account for 18 percent of the nation’s energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions (DOE Press Release April 9, 2009).
CREEA membership is open to:
- Real estate owners/operators, (e.g., offices, hospitality, non-hospital medical, shopping centers)
- Real estate investors (e.g., real estate investment trusts, pension funds, insurers)
- Real estate service providers and industry groups
CREEA links building owners and operators with applicable research and technologies being developed at DOE’s National Laboratories.
In 2008, DOE launched the Retail Energy Alliance comprised of large retailers such as Walmart, Target, and Macy’s.
For more information, go to http://www.energy.gov.
Empire State Building to Become the Tallest Green Building
Green is easy when building a new building. It is more of a challenge when dealing with existing/older buildings. The Empire State Building is poised to become the “poster child” for existing green buildings. On April 10, 2009, it was announced that the Empire State Building will become “green” by undergoing retrofitting to achieve the LEED standards for existing buildings. The aim is to reduce the building’s energy consumption by 38 percent and save its tenants $4.4 million per year in avoided energy costs.
The Clinton Climate Initiative, Jones Lang LaSalle, and others involved with the Empire State project identified eight economically viable building upgrades that will create an LEED Gold Certified Existing Building. The planned upgrades include: Window Light Retrofit, Radiator Insulation Retrofit, Tenant Lighting, Daylighting and Plug Upgrades, Air Handler Replacements, Chiller Plant Retrofit, Whole-Building Control System Upgrade, Ventilation Control Upgrade, and Tenant Energy Management Systems.
LEED, which is the acronym for "Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design," is a consensus-based rating system administered by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) whereby buildings are evaluated on all aspects of the design/build process.
Credits are assigned for certain attributes and systems. Single or multiple points can be achieved for each credit depending on the rating system. Higher points mean a higher LEED rating for the Building (LEED Certified, LEED Silver, LEED Gold and LEED Platinum – with Platinum being the highest certified standard). There are multiple rating systems depending on the type of project/building (i.e., new construction, existing buildings, residential, etc.).
Well known LEED Certified Buildings in Chicago include: The Merchandise Mart, FBI Headquarters, Chicago Center for Green Technology, PepsiCo Chicago Headquarters, 111 South Wacker Drive, One South Dearborn, and 71 South Wacker Drive.
If you have any questions or would like a specific situation explored in more detail, please contact Karin T. O'Connell at 312.899.1616 (or by email at koconnell@gouldratner.com) or Richard R. Elledge at 312.899.1623 (or via email at relledge@gouldratner.com).
The articles and opinions contained in The Gould & Ratner Environmental Update are summaries of current general legal matters. The opinions expressed are not intended to be construed as legal advice.
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