Starting with the company’s newest location in Austin, 14 new Office Depot store locations, scheduled to open in June 2010, will be LEED CI certified. The features of the Office Depot LEED CI certified stores will include preferred parking designated for low-emitting, fuel efficient vehicles and carpooling; use of skylights to harvest daylight in 90% of the store; and reflective roof which features a membrane that helps to prevent absorption of the heat from the sun and keeps the interior of the store cooler. The stores will use Energy Star rated HVAC equipment that exceeds ASHRAE standards; and T5 energy-efficient lighting, which is over 30% more efficient than typical retail lighting and will contribute to over 20% reduction in energy use.
The stores will also feature daylight and occupancy sensors which reduce energy use; water conservation interior fixtures, including tank-less instant hot water heaters, low flush toilets, low flow urinals, and automatic shutoff sensors in restrooms that will use over 30% less water than the typical facility. Construction waste will be recycled when waste recycling is available and construction materials that consist of at least 10% recycled content will be used. All interior finishes are made of low VOC emitting materials and finishes.
An Energy Management System will be used that allows tracking of energy usage and trends from one central location. The stores will also use 100% Energy Star rated building equipment and appliances; and have an in-store Recycling Center with environmental solutions including Office Depot Ink and Toner Cartridge Recycling, Tech Recycling Service and Cell Phone and Rechargeable Battery Recycling.
LEED CI is the recognized system for certifying high-performance green interiors that are healthy, productive places to work; are less costly to operate and maintain; and have a reduced environmental footprint.
