Balfour Beatty Construction Features LEED® v4 Expertise at Greenbuild International Conference & Expo

DALLAS, October 23, 2014 /3BL Media/ – Balfour Beatty Construction, administrator and design-build manager of the LEED^® v4 certified Canon U.S.A. distribution center, is presenting lessons learned from the construction of the project in an education session at the 2014 Greenbuild International Conference & Expo. A leader in digital imaging solutions, Canon U.S.A.’s Norcross, Ga. distribution center was recently recognized as the first-ever LEED v4 distribution center in the “Building Design and Construction – Warehouses and Distribution Centers” category.

Established by the U.S. Green Building Council, Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) is a green building certification program that recognizes buildings, homes and neighborhoods that are designed, constructed, operated and/or maintained to be environmentally responsible and resource-efficient. LEED v4 focuses on increasing technical stringency from past versions and developing new requirements for project types such as data centers, warehouses and distribution centers, hospitality, existing schools, existing retail, and mid-rise residential structures.

Invited to speak as part of the Greenbuild session “LEED v4 Lessons Learned” session October 23 at 2 p.m., Balfour Beatty Construction’s Sustainability Specialist Susie Westrup is set to present the company’s experience on Canon U.S.A.’s first-of-its-kind LEED v4 distribution center project. Recently released by the U.S. Green Building Council, LEED v4 is recognized as the green building standard of the future and the world’s premier benchmark for high-performance green buildings. In addition to discussing the Canon U.S.A. project, the conference session highlights the benefits and challenges of the new rating system.   

Greenbuild “LEED v4 Lessons Learned” Session Objectives:

·         Understand the LEED v4 program from the perspective of project team members;

·         Articulate the most important improvements to the LEED v4 program;

·         Describe the process and strategies used by project teams to engage the owner community in using LEED v4;

·         Understand how LEED v4 raises the bar for green buildings.

Elements of the Canon U.S.A. project that earned the LEED v4 certification includes energy efficiency, on site solar renewable energy, water-saving measures, environmental operating practices, and the reduction of CO2 emissions from truck idling. Canon U.S.A.’s LEED v4 updates to its Norcross, Ga. distribution center reduce, compared to baseline calculations, energy consumption of the expansion by 30 percent, indoor water use by 35 percent and outdoor water use by 57 percent.

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About Balfour Beatty Construction Services US
An industry leader for more than 80 years, Balfour Beatty Construction Services US provides general contracting, at-risk construction management, and design-build services for a wide variety of markets, serving clients in both the public and private sector.  With more than 3,000 employees across the U.S., the company has been cited as a Top 10 Domestic Building Contractor and Top 10 Green Builder by Engineering News-Record.  The company is part of London-based Balfour Beatty plc (LSE:BBY), a global infrastructure services business operating in more than 80 countries, with a worldwide commitment to providing assets that help societies function, develop, and thrive.  To learn more about the company, visit www.balfourbeattyus.com or look for BalfourBeattyUS on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Media Inquiries:
Leslee Mallinson, Sr. Director Corporate Brand and Communications
(214) 451-1158
lmallinson@balfourbeattyus.com