Vacon, Inc. Acheives Gold Level Certification in LEED®
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September 29, 2010 - CHAMBERSBURG, PA., - Vacon, Inc. announced today that their new factory in Chambersburg, PA has been awarded LEED® Gold Certification as established by the U.S. Green Building Council and verified by the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI). LEED is the nation's preeminent program for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings.
"Striving for LEED Gold Certification was a natural step for our company" states Tom Doring, President of Vacon, Inc. "Vacon's business is about helping customer's sustainability and going green. Our products improve productivity and increase energy efficiency".
The 66,998 sq. ft., single story structure was designed in four months and constructed in just eight months. The building contains 16,323 sq. ft. of office space and a 50,675 sq. ft. of lab, testing, assembly and distribution space.
"The LEED Gold Building Certification recently awarded to our Chambersburg facility underlines Vacon's commitment to designing and producing energy saving products in an environmentally responsible manner." said Thomas Fitzkee, Vacon Inc. LEED Project Manager.
Vacon, with corporate headquarters located in Vaasa, Finland is a leading supplier of variable speed AC drives serving more than 100 countries, with more than 25 locations worldwide. With a high regard for the environment, Vacon understood the value of creating their first high efficient LEED facility.
"With each new LEED-certified building, we get one step closer to USGBC's vision of a sustainable built environment within a generation," said Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO & Founding Chair, U.S. Green Building Council. "As the newest member of the LEED family of green buildings, Vacon is an important addition to the growing strength of the green building movement."
The building owner CFDC, LLC through a competitive process, chose design build contractor Brechbill & Helman Construction Company Inc, of Chambersburg, PA. Brechbill & Helman is a member of the Design-Build Institute of America and USGBC. Brechbill & Helman teamed with SGS Architects Engineers, Inc. of Carlisle PA to design the building.
Environmental features include reduce potable water usage, diverting construction waste from the landfill, using local materials and using FSC certified wood. Energy efficiency measures include an improved thermal envelope, high efficiency glazing, reduced interior lighting power density, and demand control ventilation.
Vacon in brief
Vacon's operations are driven by a passion to develop, manufacture and sell the best AC drives in the world - and nothing else. AC drives are used to control electric motors and in renewable energy generation. Vacon has R&D and production units in Finland, the USA, China and Italy, and sales offices in 27 countries. In 2009 Vacon had revenues of EUR 272 million and globally employed 1,200 people. The shares of Vacon Plc (VAC1V) are quoted on the main list of the Helsinki stock exchange. Driven by Drives, www.vacon.com
U.S. Green Building Council
The Washington, D.C.-based U.S. Green Building Council is committed to a prosperous and sustainable future for our nation through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings. With a community comprising 80 local affiliates, more than 18,000 member companies and organizations, and more than 155,000 LEED Professional Credential holders, USGBC is the driving force of an industry that is projected to contribute $554 billion to the U.S. gross domestic product from 2009-2013. USGBC leads an unlikely diverse constituency of builders and environmentalists, corporations and nonprofit organizations, elected officials and concerned citizens, and teachers and students. Buildings in the United States are responsible for 39% of CO2 emissions, 40% of energy consumption, 13% water consumption and 15% of GDP per year, making green building a source of significant economic and environmental opportunity. Greater building efficiency can meet 85% of future U.S. demand for energy, and a national commitment to green building has the potential to generate 2.5 million American jobs.
LEED
The U.S. Green Building Council's LEED green building certification system is the foremost program for the design, construction and operation of green buildings. Over 32,000 projects are currently participating in the commercial and institutional LEED rating systems, comprising over 9.6 billion square feet of construction space in all 50 states and 114 countries. By using less energy, LEED-certified buildings save money for families, businesses and taxpayers; reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and contribute to a healthier environment for residents, workers and the larger community. USGBC was co-founded by current President and CEO Rick Fedrizzi, who spent 25 years as a Fortune 500 executive. Under his 15-year leadership, the organization has become the preeminent green building,
membership, policy, standards, influential, education and research organization in the nation. For more information, visit www.usgbc.org.
