Verizon Center Earns Prestigious 'Green' Building Certification; Among Most Energy Efficient in U.S.

First reported by VSO

Verizon’s operations center in Basking Ridge, N.J., has earned the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED Silver certification for the center’s environmentally friendly design and energy efficiency.

About 3,000 employees, including the leadership teams of Verizon’s two business groups, work at the center, which is situated in northern New Jersey’s Somerset County.

To make the 1.4 million-square-foot facility more energy efficient, Verizon uses temperature sensors and energy-management systems to monitor heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems. The company also controls the facility’s lighting schedules; tracks maintenance and service requirements; uses air handlers with variable frequency drives for energy-efficient heating and cooling; and has installed energy-efficient light-emitting diode and fluorescent T-5 lights.

“The efficient management of the Verizon operations center is an extension of the company’s commitment to the environment, but it’s also an example of our focus on implementing sensible business practices and reducing energy consumption,” said Tanya Penny, vice president of real estate for Verizon.

Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chair of the U.S. Green Building Council, said: “Verizon’s LEED certification demonstrates tremendous green building leadership. As the newest member of the LEED family of green buildings, the Verizon operations center is an important addition to the growing strength of the green building movement.”

The Verizon Operation Center’s LEED (Leadership In Energy and Environmental Design) certification comes just months after the center earned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s prestigious Energy Star rating, the national symbol for superior energy efficiency and environmental protection.

To qualify for the Energy Star rating, the center had to place among the top 25 percent of the most energy-efficient facilities in the United States. Commercial buildings that earn the Energy Star rating use an average of 40 percent less energy than typical buildings and release 35 percent less CO2. Verizon operates 46 Energy Star-rated facilities, including many retail stores across the country.

Verizon Commitment to the Environment
Overall, Verizon’s carbon intensity is approximately nine times below the U.S. average, as reported by the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Verizon’s rate of 64 metric tons of CO₂ emissions per million dollars in revenue represents a year-over-year improvement of 3 percent.

The company remains committed to finding practical and innovative ways to increase energy efficiency and bolster conservation efforts. For example, Verizon operates the largest fuel cell site of its kind in the nation. Using seven fuel cells, the company’s Energy Star Award-winning facility in Garden City, N.Y., can generate enough electrical power per hour to meet the energy needs of 400 single-family homes.

Other Verizon initiatives include:

• Creating an industry standard – Verizon was the first telecommunications company to require that the network equipment it purchases be 20 percent more energy efficient.
  
  
• Employees have reduced engine idling, which has cut fuel consumption by more than 2 million gallons (equivalent to taking some 3,400 cars off the road for a year).
  
  
• Electronically delivering approximately 100 million bills to customers.
  
  

This article was courtesy of Verizon's eWeb