Discovery Goes Platinum

Discovery used multiple ways to attain maximum energy efficiency and environmental friendliness. For one, they replaced more than 4,000 incandescent light bulbs with fluorescent ones. Fluorescent light bulbs can be from 4 to 6 times more energy efficient than common incandescent light bulbs. For example, a 25 Watt florescent light bulb can give off the same amount of light as a 100 watt bulb while using a quarter of the electricity.

Irrigation was also set up to help save water. Three large water tanks that are located in an underground parking garage will be used to collect rainwater which well then be used to water an acre of lawn.

To top it off, workers also competed in contests to see who could conserve the largest amount of energy by shutting off computer systems when not in use or turning off lights when no one was present in a room.

The discovery facility managed to make eco-friendly changes in multiple categories, such as water and energy conservation, use of green materials, reduction of pollution as well as high indoor environmental quality to attain platinum certification by the non-profit U.S. Green Building Council .

LEED has 4 different levels of certification, Certified, Silver, Gold and Platinum. The Platinum level is the most rigorous to attain, requiring a wide spectrum of innovation. The Certified level on the other hand is the complete opposite, requiring little change and no innovation.  The certifications require specific prerequisites as well as credits from 6 separate areas. The categories relate to the sustainability of a site, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, innovation and design process and indoor environmental quality. Each level requires a certain amount of points to be accrued based on qualification of a facility, with the highest level requiring at least 52 out of a possible 69 points.

Currently only 62 buildings possess Platinum LEED certification in the United States, with the Bank of America tower, which is currently under construction, being one of them. When completed the skyscraper will be the first one in the world have a Platinum LEED certification.

To really increase the energy efficiency of many buildings, we must put more emphasis on attaining higher levels of LEED and not just basic certification. LEED is starting to become a marketing buzzword with companies trying to attain it by doing the least amount possible and not putting a sincere effort into realizing the basic principles of energy efficiency and green building.

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