Oct 22 2009
HQ first existing building in Texas to receive distinction
PepsiCo's Frito-Lay North America today announced its Plano, Texas, headquarters has been awarded LEED® Gold Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and verified by the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI). LEED is the nation's preeminent program for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings.
The Frito-Lay North America headquarters is the only Existing Building (EB) in the state of Texas, to receive this distinction and one of only 12 corporate headquarters to receive this distinction nationally.
"There are many challenges to retrofitting a 25-year-old building to meet LEED EB Gold standards," said George Guck, Director of Facilities and Corporate Services, Frito-Lay North America. "Bolstered by the commitment of senior leadership, we completed a thorough analysis of our facility workings and evaluated new technologies to find strategic sustainable solutions that helped us meet LEED requirements."
"With each new LEED-certified building, we get one step closer to USGBC's vision of a sustainable built environment within a generation," said Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO & Founding Chair, U.S. Green Building Council. "As the newest member of the LEED family of green buildings, Frito-Lay is an important addition to the growing strength of the green building movement."
To achieve LEED EB Certification, Frito-Lay's sustainability strategy included implementing a number of green design and construction features, water reduction technologies and practices, as well as improved waste management.
Energy reduction:
- Solar thermal water heating system uses the sun's light to heat all the hot water in the headquarters building - including the kitchen, dish room and fitness center. This one change reduced energy consumption by 130,000 KWH and eliminated more than 154,000 pounds of greenhouse gases from being emitted into the atmosphere since installation in 2008.
- New high efficiency chillers reduce annual energy consumption by 975,000 KWH and eliminate the use of harmful, ozone-depleting refrigerants.
- New lighting control systems, including daylight harvesting, turns off indoor lights when there is enough sunlight in the area, saving 266,000 KWH per year.
Water reduction: Landscaping with native and adaptive plants reduces water needed for lawn maintenance and impedes soil erosion. The sustainable organic maintenance program minimizes environmental impacts from storm water run off.
Recycling: Frito-Lay is the city of Plano's No. 1 recycling customer. More than 70% of the company's wastes are diverted from the landfill.
Employee Education: Frito-Lay has leveraged its best practices to educate associates, and they in turn have positively impacted the community at large. Frito-Lay hosts an annual Eco Fair for its associates to showcase local green vendors. The information, services and products are resources employees can take home and to their communities.
Source: https://www.pepsico.com/