The office has also become the first existing Mars site globally to achieve this ‘green’ designation from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The building could fetch the honour thanks to a recent renovation of the 100,000 square feet facility, which has been incorporated with 30 Green Building strategies.
Enhancements include the installation of water-conserving fixtures that reduce water usage by more than 30%; a reduction in energy use by 15% through the use of a newly upgraded Building Energy Management System; variable frequency drives and energy-efficient lighting and controls; an upgraded roof utilising a highly reflective roofing material that reduces heat gain to the building; the utilisation of more than 20% recycled content in materials, from carpet to ceiling tiles; and the installation of bike racks and preferred parking for carpools/vanpools.
LEED certification of the Hackettstown corporate headquarters follows closely on the heels of the site’s November 2009 opening of the largest ground-based solar facility installed in New Jersey. The solar garden comprises more than 28,000 ground-mounted solar panels on 18 acres adjacent to Mars Chocolate North America’s headquarters. The solar garden provides 2MW of power during peak hours, which is equivalent to approximately 20% of the plant’s peak energy consumption. It helps in reducing carbon dioxide emissions by more than 1,000 metric tonnes, which is equivalent to removing 190 vehicles from the road each year.
Mars Chocolate North America’s Waco, Texas, manufacturing plant was recognised by the federal Environmental Protection Agency for its use of methane gas from the local landfill to replace 60% of the site’s natural gas usage. Several of the company’s manufacturing facilities also recycle 95% of their waste, significantly reducing the amount of waste sent to landfill.
