by Brianna Crandall — September 27, 2013—Perdue Farms, a major supplier of chicken products and agricultural products nationally and internationally, announced that it has received LEED Platinum certification — the highest possible ranking — for the renovation of its corporate office building from the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building certification program.
The completion of a four-year, $10.5 million, renovation of the 94,000-square-foot building reportedly makes the Perdue headquarters the first USGBC LEED Platinum building on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, and one of fewer than 20 LEED Platinum-certified commercial projects in the state.
Perdue decided to renovate its corporate office to meet the company’s needs for years to come instead of expanding the existing structure or building new offices, reflecting the company’s commitment to environmental and fiscal responsibility. The result of Perdue’s corporate office remodel is an environment that incorporates technologies and methodologies that deliver a smaller environmental footprint, says the company.
Perdue reused 99.6% of the existing building envelope, and a solar field supplies up to 40% of the facility’s total energy demand. Click on photo to enlarge.
Aspects of the corporate office that earned LEED recognition include:
- Reused 99.6% of existing building envelope
- Diverted 97% — 631 tons — of construction waste from landfill
- 42.3% water reduction through low-flow plumbing fixtures
- Reused 12.7% of total resources
- 24.3% of materials content manufactured using recycled materials
- 40.1% of building materials manufactured within 500 miles
- 72.8% of wood-based products harvested from Forest Stewardship Council certified forests
- Up to 95% of the energy demand for the Corporate Office is generated by the solar field during occupied daytime hours and, on average, the solar field supplies up to 40% of the total energy demand (daytime and nighttime hours combined)
- Integrated CO2 sensors and rooftop fresh air handlers help exceed minimum air quality standards by 30%
- Nearly 40% reduction in utility demand through energy-efficient HVAC, lighting and on-demand hot water heaters
- Bicycle racks encourage alternative transportation
- Preferred parking for fuel-efficient vehicles
- Pervious patio pavers prevent stormwater runoff
“By earning this LEED Platinum certification and for working with Maryland to restore the Chesapeake, Perdue Farms has demonstrated their commitment to building a better, more sustainable Maryland,” said Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown, during a ceremony on August 14 at Perdue’s corporate headquarters. “With 570 employees at their headquarters — and 1,600 throughout the Eastern Shore — Perdue has been an important partner in the effort to grow Maryland’s economy. I look forward to continuing our work with them to create jobs, expand economic opportunities to our local farmers and protect our state’s natural resources.”
“Through the years at Perdue, we’ve built a program of protecting and preserving the environment through such projects as Perdue AgriRecycle, the first large-scale litter recycling operation, investments in our state-of-the-art wastewater treatment facilities, and reformulation of products and processes to reduce waste streams,” said Jim Perdue, chairman of Perdue Farms. “Now having LEED Platinum certification of our corporate offices helps underscore our ongoing commitment to environmental sustainability and corporate responsibility.”
