Global Forum for Sports and Environment
Energy efficiency in Baseball Stadium Plans
The stadium, which is being built on a brownfields area next to the Anacostia River, will feature energy-efficient lighting, water-conserving plumbing and an intricate stormwater management system that will enable water to be reused on site. Recycled materials are being used in the stadium's construction. D.C. officials expect the stadium to spur development around the facility. Building an environmentally smart stadium shows developers that the city expects them to go green as well, said Mayor Adrian Fenty. Leading by example is the most common way governments are promoting green building. Many states and federal agencies require their new buildings and leased space to meet high energy-efficiency standards. But Washington, D.C., and a handful of other localities are going a step further: They're requiring all major new commercial buildings to meet these standards as well. Some environmental groups are pushing Congress to enact national energy standards for new buildings. Buildings are getting a lot of attention in the fight against global warming because they account for 39 percent of the energy used every year in the United States. Carbon dioxide emissions could be cut by 6 million tons a year -- the equivalent of taking 1 million cars off the road -- if half of the country's new commercial buildings used 50 percent less energy, according to the U.S. Green Building Council. Many developers are building more energy-efficient buildings on their own. The council has certified nearly 900 buildings under its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program, and another 6,500 projects await certification. More tenants are demanding energy-efficient buildings, not only to be good corporate citizens but also to save on energy bills. Meanwhile, the cost of building green is going down as the supply of materials needed to meet LEED guidelines increases, said Tom Bisacquino, president of the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties. Article by Kent Hoover, Business Journal LINK : |
July 20, 2007--Next spring, the Washington Nationals will take the field in the first baseball stadium to meet energy efficiency and environmental standards developed by the U.S. Green Building Council.