May 21 2008
Office Depot, a leading global provider of office products and services, today announced that it has achieved volume pre-certification under the pilot Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Portfolio Program for its store prototype design - the retailer's master set of drawings - from the United States Green Building Council (USGBC). Office Depot is the first Company to have achieved this pre-certification for new construction.
A USGBC member since 2007, Office Depot was part of the first group of participants to become involved in the pilot of the Portfolio Program. Part of the initiative involves piloting a volume certification path to enable companies to integrate LEED attributes into a prototype design and apply it across multiple buildings.
"Office Depot has implemented a number of initiatives over the past couple of years to improve the energy efficiency of our stores and reduce our environmental footprint," said Ed Costa, Vice President of Construction for Office Depot. "Achieving Volume Pre-Certification through LEED affirms our leadership position in the retail industry as well as in general building construction. The entire organization is proud of this accomplishment."
"Office Depot is to be commended for this achievement," said USGBC's Market Development Vice President Doug Gatlin. "And we are also grateful for their leadership participation in this initiative. The Portfolio Program pilot is breaking new ground for LEED and adding to our ability to scale green building's immediate and measurable results at a much faster level. It's a tremendous step forward in our fight to slow climate change and reduce energy dependence."
Office Depot's LEED pre-certified prototype features a number of environmental attributes, including:
- Solar tracking skylights to maximize natural light
- Solar panels
- Energy efficient T5 lighting
- Reflective white roof
- Non-asphalt, concrete parking lot
- Polished concrete floor
- Recycled content carpet
- High efficiency heating, ventilation and air conditioning units
- Light sensors in office-package
- Enhanced energy management system
- Recycling program for collection of corrugated cardboard, paper, plastics, ink/toner cartridges and technology
The first Office Depot store to be built to this prototype is located in Austin, Texas and is scheduled to open late next month. According to the USGBC, LEED-Certified buildings reduce energy usage, create less waste and emit fewer harsh chemicals.
"Achieving LEED pre-certification for our prototype represents a milestone moment in Office Depot's environmental leadership journey," said Yalmaz Siddiqui, Director of Environmental Strategy for Office Depot. "What this means is that not just one store, but our core store prototype incorporates leading edge green design principles."