Mar 19 2010
Allstate Insurance Company, the nation's largest publicly held personal lines insurer, announced today that its new data center in Rochelle, Illinois has been awarded LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold certification established by 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 Allstate facility, which opened in 2009, is one of the few mission-critical data centers in America to receive the Gold designation from USGBC. It's a key component of a larger strategy to reduce the number of Allstate data centers to two by the end of 2010 and to increase power efficiency and computing capacity.
"As part of Allstate's promise to be there for our customers in their time of need, we're dedicated to ensuring high availability of critical technology systems," said Catherine Brune, senior vice president and chief information officer of Allstate. "It's designed from the ground up to maximize computing capacity and minimize environmental impact."
Allstate's data center achieved LEED Gold certification for incorporating a variety of sustainable technology, design and construction strategies that positively impact the project itself and the broader community, including:
- Leading edge hardware and more efficient virtualization software that cut the space and power computers use in half;
- An environmental system that blends heat from computers, outside air and mechanical equipment to keep office areas comfortable and equipment rooms cool;
- A white roof to reflect rather than absorb heat;
- Glass outside office walls to take advantage of natural light;
- Concrete made from recycled materials; and
- Native landscaping requiring no irrigation and minimal maintenance.
By using less energy and water, LEED certified buildings save money for families, businesses and taxpayers; reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and contribute to a healthier environment for residents, workers and the community at large.
"The green building movement offers an unprecedented opportunity to respond to the most important challenges of our time, including global climate change, dependence on nonsustainable and expensive sources of energy and threats to human health," said Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO & Founding Chair, U.S. Green Building Council. "The work of innovative building projects such as Allstate's data center is a fundamental driving force in the green building movement."
Allstate has two LEED APs on staff, and two other Allstate-owned facilities in Illinois that have undergone retro-commissioning reviews based on LEED criteria. A number of energy conservation and greenhouse gas reduction measures at those facilities and across Allstate are currently underway.
Allstate annually discloses its carbon footprint via the Carbon Disclosure Project questionnaire, and in 2009 Allstate was named to the Carbon Disclosure Leadership Index for both the S&P 500 and the Global 500.
Source: http://www.allstate.com