Green Ridge to be a "Green Building"!

When Roanoke County's Green Ridge Recreation Center opens January 1st, it will be a LEED certified building. LEED stabds for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. That means that steps were taken during construction to limit the environmental impact of the building. While it will be a few months before we know what level LEED certification, we can tell you some of the qualifications built into the Green Ridge design.

Open Space
To enhance stormwater infiltration, over 51% (247,638 square feet) of the site is vegetated open space. Leaving open space allows for stormwater to penetrate the soil, which acts as a natural filter, removing any particulates and pollutants picked up by runoff as it travels over parking, walking, and building surfaces.

Heat Island Prevention
Dark surfaces such as roofing and paving can lead to an increase in ambient temperature known as the Heat Island Effect. In order to prevent Roanoke County Recreation Center from contributing to this phenomenon, the facility’s roof has been covered with a white roofing membrane. While and light-colored materials reflect the sun’s rays, while dark materials absorb them, leading to rising temperatures and increased building cooling loads.

Light Pollution Reduction
Exterior light fixtures have been designed to direct light downward and out, not upward and into the night sky. Light fixtures that shine light upward waste energy by directing light where it is not needed. Light pollution has also been shown to interrupt the natural biological clocks of wildlife, which affects their mating, migration, sleep, and feeding patterns, and can, in turn, lead to a decline in species populations. Reduce visibility is another affect of light pollution, which can have public safety implications.

Alternative Transportation
Several alternative transportation options are available to employees and visitors to reduce the number of single occupancy vehicles traveling to the site and to increase transportation efficiency. Bike racks have been provided for those who choose to travel via two wheels instead of four. Seventeen preferred parking spaces have been set aside for low-emitting and fuel-efficient vehicles, as well as for carpools and vanpools.

Water Efficiency: Plumbing
A reduction in water use of approximately 41%, which equates to over 567,000 gallons annually, is expected for this facility due to the installation of water efficient plumbing fixtures. These fixtures include dual-flush toilets, which offer a traditional 1.6 gallon flush as well as a 1.1 gallon flush.

Urinals throughout the facility use only 1/8 gallon per flush, lavatories use 0.5 gallons per minute, and showers use 1.5 gallons per minute. For comparison, the typical amounts of water used for these fixtures are 1 gallon per flush for urinals and 2.5 gallons per minute for both lavatories and showers.


Energy Efficiency
As a result of energy saving strategies and technologies incorporated during the building’s design, energy use in the facility is expected to be reduced by approximately 30%. Strategies that contribute to this reduction include variable air volume air handling units, which deliver varying amounts of air to building spaces based on use. Carbon dioxide sensors throughout the building signal the air handling units to supply more air to occupied spaces and less air to unoccupied spaces. The facility’s mechanical system also utilizes energy recovery by taking excess energy from the dehumidification process in the natatorium and using it for reheat, space heat, and pool water heating.

Lighting
Lighting is one of the largest energy loads for buildings. To make the facility’s lighting operate more efficiently, daylight sensors have been installed in the pool and gym, and occupancy sensors have been installed in all other spaces. Daylight sensors signal light fixtures to shut off when sufficient levels of natural light enter a space, while occupancy sensors signal lights to turn off when a person leaves a room.

Recycled Materials
At least 27% of the materials used to construct this building were manufactured using post- and pre-consumer recycled products. Post-consumer waste is generated by a product’s end-users, such as households or commercial, industrial, and institutional facilities, while pre-consumer waste is material diverted from the waste stream during the manufacturing process. Using recycled content in manufacturing reduces and sometimes eliminates the need to harvest virgin materials for the same purpose, thereby helping to conserve resources.

Construction Waste Recycling
Over 75% (420tons) of the waste generated during the building’s construction was recycled rather than sent to a landfill. Construction waste includes masonry, concrete, wood, drywall, steel, and other metals, and constitutes the majority of waste sent to landfills.

Regional Materials
At least 15% of the materials used to construct this building were manufactured regionally (within a 500 mile radius). Raw materials used during manufacturing were extracted and processed regionally. The use of locally or regionally manufactured materials helps to eliminate the effects of transporting materials long distances. These effects include pollution and greenhouse gas emissions from vehicle exhaust, as well as contaminated runoff from roads.

Forest Stewardship Council Certified Wood
Over 65% of the wood used throughout the building is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, or FSC. The FSC is an international organization that provides principles and guidelines for growing, harvesting, and selling forest products in an environmentally, economically, and socially responsible manner.

Low-Emitting Materials
Interior finishes throughout the building have been carefully selected to minimize the amount of volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, being emitted and circulated throughout the building. VOCs are chemical compounds that are emitted by the materials that contain them, lead to poor indoor air quality, and post potential health hazards. These are the chemicals responsible for the typical ‘new building’ or ‘new car’ smell. The paints, coatings, carpet, and composite wood materials used in this building are low-emitting, meaning they contain no or low amounts of VOCs. The adhesives and sealants used during construction are also low-emitting.