Office Depot Opens Their First LEED Retail Outlet

Office Depot is having its grand opening of their first LEED certified store, located in Austin, Texas.  What is significant isn’t that this is a LEED certified retail store, but it is the first company to have it’s prototype pre-certified under a new program from USGBC.  This is the LEED for New Construction Volume Certification Program (pilot program).  This new LEED certification will allow companies to certify a prototype so the retailer can roll out a large number of stores easily. 

“We are looking forward to taking care of business for our Austin customers at our first pre-certified ‘Green’ store,” said Chuck Rubin, President of North American Retail for Office Depot. “Not only can customers choose from thousands of greener office products within Office Depot’s industry-leading assortment but they will also have a better understanding of why a particular product is green and how they can make sustainable products a part of their home office or business environment.”

“We took a series of innovative green design elements used in Office Depot store locations across the country and brought them together in our new store prototype,” added Ed Costa, Vice President of Construction for Office Depot. “Through the construction phase of this prototype design we used a wide range of greener building products and practices.”

From the press release, here are the store highlights:

• T5 energy-efficient lighting, which is over 30 percent more efficient than traditional, incandescent lighting.  (this is great – most companies I’ve heard of only step down to T-8 lighting)
• Over 50 active skylights that adjust with the path of the sun and provide natural light to over 90 percent of the store.
• Solar panels on the roof, which generate about 10 percent of the store’s energy needs and power the exterior Office Depot signage. (why not more solar panels to generate more energy??)
• Reflective roof which features a membrane that helps to prevent absorption of the heat from the sun and keeps the interior of the store much cooler.  (everyone is doing this – more solar panels and green roof maybe?  Is this a soy product or petroleum?)
• Steel decking and joists made of over 85 percent recycled steel and recycled concrete partitions composed of more than 95 percent recycled materials.
• Water conservation interior fixtures, including dual flush toilets, low flow urinals, and automatic shutoff sensors in restrooms that will use over 40 percent less water than the typical facility.  (good work – waterless urinals are even better)
• Exterior Landscaping system featuring xeriscaping, a water-efficient technique.
• Native plants that require no additional irrigation for sustenance.
• Energy Management System that allows tracking of energy usage and trends from one central location.
• Office supplies, technology and furniture options featuring a wide range of green attributes such as recycled content, remanufactured, EnergyStar certified and non-toxic.
• 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.

Source: Office Depot