Two grocery chain projects have earned LEED certifications and have also used our gypsum board.

Food Lion’s Customer Service Center located in Salisbury, NC, has earned LEED Silver Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. Designed by Little Diversified Architectural Consulting, the Food Lion project incorporated sustainable solutions.

The new facility was constructed from an old Food Lion warehouse at a cost of approximately $26 million. The building includes office space, a cafeteria, and a 600-seat auditorium which honors the company’s founders. Over 75 percent of the construction waste from the support center was either recycled or donated. Sustainable design elements save approximately $2,100 in utility costs annually, reduce energy loss up to 50 percent, and save up to 70 percent of typical water consumption.

Harris Teeter recently opened its first LEED certified store which also incorporated National Gypsum wallboard. The store in Charlottesville, VA, opened May 6. Over 30 percent of all building materials were manufactured within 500 miles of the store, 82 percent of all construction waste was recycled, and 50 percent of all wood came from sustainable forests.

Skylights in the ceiling help light the store, freezer cases were designed with LED lighting, and water saving devices were installed in all of the water fixtures. The store is 25 percent more energy efficient than the industry average and uses 85 percent less refrigerant load.

This Harris Teeter also received GreenChill’s Gold-Level store certification. The GreenChill certification is awarded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and recognizes stores using environmentally friendlier commercial refrigeration systems. The Charlottesville location is only the third facility in the nation to receive the EPA award.

In today’s construction market, sustainability is a consideration in nearly every commercial building decision and LEED certification is a key component. LEED is a rating system for sustainable/green projects and was developed by the U.S. Green Building Council.

LEED stands for – Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality.

NGC products can help contribute to LEED certification through use of recycled materials in manufacturing its products, a plant network that places material close to project sites, and GREENGUARD certification for all its wallboard and ready products. GREENGUARD certification represents the highest standard for indoor air quality.         6/1/2009