ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, NJ (December 6, 2010) – Following its core value of “caring for our communities and our environment,” Whole Foods Market’s store in Lake Grove, NY has become the first grocery store in the United States to be awarded with both a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) as well as a Three Green Globe certification from the Green Building Initiative.
The store, located at 120 New Moriches Road in Lake Grove, N.Y., opened March 17, 2010 and met rigorous building and energy efficiency standards during construction and its first six months in operation to receive this commendation. The store is the third of Whole Foods Market’s 22 locations in the Northeast region, which includes New York, Northern New Jersey and Southern Connecticut, to receive a LEED certification, and the first to be recognized by the Green Building Initiative. It follows the Gold LEED certified Upper West Side location in New York City and the Gold LEED certified location in Milford, CT.
“We are very proud to be awarded both of these distinguishing certifications for our Lake Grove location,” said Tristam Coffin, Whole Foods Market’s green mission specialist in the Northeast region. “Minding the environment comes first and foremost in the design and building of our stores. Being the first dual-certified store in the nation gives us great motivation to continue being strong environmental stewards and continuing our goal of protecting the environment as our company grows.”
Whole Foods Market: Lake Grove earned credits for its LEED Gold and Three Green Globe certification from a variety of sustainable features throughout the pre- and post-construction phases, including its location along a route easily accessible via alternative mode of transportation – mass transit and/or bike and walk – as well as offering preferred parking for customers with Low Emission Vehicles in an effort to support the growth of a sustainable community in Lake Grove. Additionally, 20 percent of the materials used to build the store were purchased locally, significantly cutting down on waste and energy spent in the delivery of goods.
The store boasts water efficiency fixtures that allowed it to reduce water usage by more than 40 percent from the calculated baseline design fixture performance requirements established by the Energy Policy Act of 1992. More than a 20 percent reduction in lighting power density was achieved over that allowed by the ASHRAE/IESNA 90.1 2004. A companywide landmark purchase of 776 million-kilowatt-hours of renewable energy credits (RECs) from wind farms in 2009 helped the project to earn green power credits, as well.
More than 10 percent of the materials used in the construction of the store were made from recycled content and another 10 percent were reused resources – reclaimed Douglas fir. Moreover, 75 percent of all the construction waste from the project was recycled rather than being placed in a landfill or incinerated. Low-emitting materials from paints and adhesives to furniture and carpet were used in the project and living décor added for the improvement of air quality throughout the store. Furthermore, a thorough flush-out of the building was conducted to ensure the indoor environmental quality of the building was ideal for occupants – customers and Team Members alike.
According to the USGBC, commercial buildings in the United States consume exorbitant amounts of energy and resources – more than 30 percent of the nation’s total energy and 60 percent of our electricity annually. Flushing toilets, alone, consume more than five billion gallons of potable water every day. Moreover, an average North American commercial construction project generates upwards to 2.5 pounds of solid waste per square foot of floor space.
