HID Global Earns LEED Platinum Certification

July 23, 2014July 30, 2014 1996 Views Central U.S., Exempla Saint Joseph Hospital, George Garcia, J.W. Design & Construction, Julie Barrett, Kosher diet, Maja Rosenquist, Mortenson, NKT Commercial LLC, Tom Adamski

AUSTIN, Texas — A company in Texas proves manufacturing facilities can be environmentally friendly.

The headquarters for HID Global in Austin, which offers corporate identification badges and security products, is the only manufacturing facility in the state of Texas to be awarded LEED Platinum for Commercial Interiors.

“LEED Platinum certification for our World Headquarters further elevates our award-winning facility as a leading Austin sustainability showcase and a Texas business success story,” Kevin Teehan, senior director of strategic operations and corporate sustainability with HID Global, said in a statement.

The building relies on system efficiencies, including LED fixtures, which reduces the lighting power for the entire building by 46 percent. A controllable lighting system also reduces lighting energy consumption and air conditioning requirements. That system includes daylight controls for all regularly occupied spaces within 15 feet of windows and occupancy sensors for more than 90 percent of the connected lighting load.

The site features several sustainable elements, as well, including water-efficient landscaping that enables a 71 percent reduction in potable water used to irrigate landscape, and indoor water-use that delivers a 35 percent reduction in indoor potable water use.

“This achievement signifies our ‘Green by Design’ philosophy and continuing focus on sustainability excellence,” Teehan said. “For our customers, this translates into innovative, secure products and solutions that help minimize environmental impact while reducing operating costs. We share this accomplishment with all of the many people and organizations who worked with us to make this possible.”
Several Austin-based companies contributed to the design and construction of HID Global’s headquarters, including Live Oak-Gottesman, Studio 8 Architecture, Bury, Endeavor Real Estate Group and Carillo Dean Landscape Architecture.
According to the Austin Business Journal, the LEED Platinum certification is rare in Austin. Aside from HID Global, only four other commercial real estate projects have received the ranking.

“An achievement like this only happens with a strong team, guided by a solid plan,” Jason Bohrer, vice president and general manager for HID Global’s North American Operations Center, said in a statement. “It also signifies the scope of our sustainability commitment, both to the communities where we operate and to a broader global mission. Our commitment continues to expand and grow as sustainability best practices integrate into more and more of our daily business.”

HID Global is also developing its first Environmental Product Declaration, or EPD. An EPD is a document that communicates a product’s environmental impact. The company is the first global access control manufacturer to offer an EPD for an access control reader.