Green Parking Council Announces First Green-Certified Garages

NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Seven parking facilities around the country have become the first to achieve Green Garage Certification, New Haven-based Green Parking Council (GPC) announced on July 1.

Green Garage Certification is a program of the nonprofit GPC and is a comprehensive sustainability standard for existing and new parking facilities, evaluating 48 elements of garage operation, programs, structure and technology. The certification program is being delivered and promoted globally by the Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI) a third-party certification body for the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) global LEED green building rating system. The GPC is working with GBCI and the USGBC to unite in the promotion of green building efforts.

“Cars are getting smarter, people are getting smarter and parking garages are getting smarter,” explained Paul Wessel, executive director of the GPC, an affiliate of the International Parking Institute, in a statement. “The greening of parking facilities transforms them into enablers of sustainable mobility. Certified Green Garages offer significant benefits for drivers, tenants, building owners, property managers, and society overall.”

Launched in 2015, Green Garage Certification recognizes parking facility management practices that maximize performance while minimizing waste, programs that encourage mobility options and choice, and efficient and sustainable technology and structure design. Sustainable garages frequently employ energy-efficient lighting and ventilation systems, guidance systems that help drivers find parking faster, idle-reduction technologies, electric vehicle fueling stations, car sharing, bicycle parking and storm water management practices.

Multiple independent studies demonstrate that energy efficiency reaps tangible benefits for building owners. The Green Garage Standard encourages reduced energy usage through lighting, ventilation, controls and commissioning measures, which reduce operational costs in the range of 25 percent compared with the national average.

“The owners and operators of these seven sites demonstrate a commitment to sustainability that transcends the walls of their organizations and contributes to industry-wide transformation,” added GPC Chairman John Schmid in a statement. “This is a milestone for the parking industry and profession. These agents of change are leveraging innovative business practices, accelerating the adoption of smart technologies, and embracing open-source collaboration.”

The garages that earned Green Garage Certification include:

• Bank of America Plaza, Los Angeles
• BG Group Place, Houston
• Canopy Airport Parking, Denver
• Charles Square Garage, Cambridge, Mass.
• Forest Home Garage, Ithaca, N.Y.
• Silver Spring Metro Plaza, Washington
• Westpark Corporate Center, Washington