Portland, OR – The Green Building Initiative® (GBI) has announced a wave of Green Globes certifications for new grocery stores across the nation.
The properties include New Seasons Markets in Oregon, and Whole Foods, Price Chopper, Aldi’s, Harris Teeter, Wegmans, and Publix stores across the country.
New Seasons director of construction and facilities Wayne Pipes said Green Globes certification helps validate the company’s sustainability story. “We were the first B-Corp grocer in the world—sustainability is part of our DNA,” Pipes said. “We're classified a Zero-Waste company, and using less energy is part of who we are. Green Globes help make our mission clear throughout the community at large as we continue to grow.”
“Grocers’ need for refrigeration make energy-efficient construction and operations especially critical, both from an environmental and an economic standpoint,” Jerry Yudelson, president of Green Building Initiative, said. “Green Globes is ideal for retail environments because of its integration with the ENERGY STAR® program—which includes supermarkets as a building occupancy category—and because it accommodates different building scenarios by not applying penalties for features that aren’t applicable.”
To date, nearly 50 Whole Foods stores have been certified or are now in the Green Globes process. In 2013 Whole Foods expanded its sustainability efforts by taking its first existing building through Green Globes, a store in the Hollywood district of Portland, Oregon, which earned a Three Green Globes Rating.
“If you’re looking for ways to reduce your building footprint or wondering where your facility stands on the green spectrum, this [Green Globes] process has a lot of merit,” Whole Foods Pacific Northwest Region construction manager Bob Gordon said. “The comprehensive evaluation looked at both how the building was built and is operated. It will help us piece together a preventative maintenance program for the whole region. In the long-term, the Green Globes suggestions save money and enhance the facility.”
The Green Globes certification process also incorporates the EPA’s GreenChill Store Certification Program for Food Retailers, which recognizes individual stores for using environmentally friendlier commercial refrigeration systems. Stores also can achieve certification under GreenChill itself.
About the Green Building Initiative™ - The GBI is a nonprofit organization and American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Standards Developer dedicated to accelerating the adoption of green building practices. Founded in 2004, the organization is the sole U.S. provider of the Green Globes® and federal Guiding Principles Compliance building certification and professional accreditation programs. http://thegbi.org.
Related Stories
Office Buildings | Feb 3, 2015
Bjarke Ingels' BIG proposes canopied, vertical village for Middle East media company
The tensile canopy shades a relaxation plaza from the desert sun.
Fire-Rated Products | Feb 3, 2015
AIA course: Fire and life safety in large buildings
Earn 1.0 AIA/CES learning units by studying this article and successfully completing the online exam.
Multifamily Housing | Feb 2, 2015
D.C. developer sees apartment project as catalyst for modeling neighborhood after N.Y.'s popular High Line district
It’s no accident that the word “Highline” is in this project’s name. The goal is for the building to be a kind of gateway into the larger redevelopment of the surrounding neighborhood to resemble New York’s City’s trendy downtown Meatpacking District, through which runs a portion the High Line elevated park.
Healthcare Facilities | Feb 1, 2015
7 new factors shaping hospital emergency departments
A new generation of highly efficient emergency care facilities is upping the ante on patient care and convenience while helping to reposition hospital systems within their local markets.
Multifamily Housing | Jan 31, 2015
5 intriguing trends to track in the multifamily housing game
Demand for rental apartments and condos hasn’t been this strong in years, and our experts think the multifamily sector still has legs. But you have to know what developers, tenants, and buyers are looking for to have any hope of succeeding in this fast-changing market sector.
Multifamily Housing | Jan 31, 2015
20% down?!! Survey exposes how thin renters’ wallets are
A survey of more than 25,000 adults found the renters to be more burdened by debt than homeowners and severely short of emergency savings.
Multifamily Housing | Jan 31, 2015
Production builders are still shying away from rental housing
Toll Brothers, Lennar, and Trumark are among a small group of production builders to engage in construction for rental customers.
Architects | Jan 30, 2015
Exhibit captures 60 of Bjarke Ingels' projects — from hottest to coldest places on Earth
The Hot to Cold exhibit encompasses 60 of BIG’s recent projects captured by Iwan Baan´s masterful photography.
BIM and Information Technology | Jan 29, 2015
Lego X by Gravity elevates the toy to a digital modeling kit
With the Lego X system, users can transfer the forms they’ve created with legos into real-time digital files.
Energy Efficiency | Jan 28, 2015
An urban wind and solar energy system that may actually work
The system was designed to take advantage of a building's air flow and generate energy even if its in the middle of a city.