Minnesota organizations take part in world-wide trend with LEED buildings

Midwestern college towns and bustling European cities may have little in common, but as a recent Wall Street Journal article illustrates, cities across the globe are all aiming to be more environmentally friendly. Amsterdam is using geothermal systems to cool buildings and Thane, India is installing solar-powered water heaters, while LED (light- emitting diode) street lights illuminate Ann Arbor, Mich. and gardens cover Chicago rooftops.

Minnesota organizations are not about to overlook the environmental movement. The Minnesota Twins stadium and University of Minnesota football stadium are both striving for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. In addition to features such as environmentally-friendly heating and ventilation systems, carpets and paints, the stadiums will include features that reduce energy and water use.

Great River Energy is also trying to obtain LEED certification for office space it is constructing to replace its current over-crowded and inefficient headquarters building. Some of the new building's environmentally-friendly and energy-saving features are listed in the diagram below. When compared to traditional office buildings, the new headquarters will reduce energy consumption by 50 percent, decrease water use by 40 percent, divert 75 percent of construction waste from landfills and produce 10 to 15 percent of the building's energy with on-site renewable energy.

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