Every day, rising energy costs and concerns over the health of the environment dominate world headlines. LEED Certification is working to provide solutions. Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council, LEED establishes a suite of standards for environmentally sustainable construction. As the first downtown building to obtain Silver LEED Certification, The Pinnacle will achieve significant local and global environmental benefits by protecting air quality, water quality, and promoting overall biodiversity and ecosystem health.

Here's a closer look at just some of the ways we are achieving this important certification:

• The use of irrigation water on-site supplied by non-potable water captured from foundation and under slab drains.
• Reducing irrigation water demand 50%+ through a combination of native and adaptive plants and a high efficiency irrigation system.
• Combining low-flow urinals and bathroom faucets to use over 30%+ less water than a building with standard fixtures.
• The purchase of Green-e Certified Renewable Energy Certificates offsets 35% of the core and shell building's annual electricity consumption for two years. Certificates also help fund renewable energy sources that reduce the air pollution impacts of electricity generation.
• Outfitted with equipment to measure and record the buildings' energy use over time, Pinnacle will continue measuring and verifying performance as an ongoing operational effort to help optimize energy consumption.
• The use of paints, adhesives, and carpets with low levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) reduces indoor air contamination and helps sustain occupant comfort and well-being.
• Modifying the construction process at Pinnacle helps reduce indoor air quality problems associated with traditional construction.
• A building design created with 90%+ of regularly occupied areas having direct access to views of the outdoors, increases occupant comfort and productivity.
• 90%+ of construction waste generated on-site was recycled, diverting more than 2,948 tons of debris from the landfill.
• Construction materials were selected with the intent of reducing the amount of virgin raw materials used.
• 20%+ of the building's materials contain recycled content and are extracted, processed and manufactured within a 500-mile radius.
• Over 80% of the wood products used in the building are certified in accordance with the Forest Stewardship Council's (FSC) Principles and Criteria. The FSC certified wood products guarantee that the wood purchased comes from forestlands that are managed in a manner that is environmentally and socially responsible.
• The strategic location of Pinnacle enables the use of the public transportation network and urban infrastructure, which helps reduce pollution and land development impacts from automobile use.
• The use of Low-Emission and Fuel-Efficient Vehicles is encouraged by charging a reduced parking rate for these vehicles.
• Pinnacle was constructed on a Brownfield site that was fully remediated and inspected to verify that no hazardous materials remained on site. This process of rehabilitating a contaminated site helps to reduce the pressure on undeveloped land.
• The building uses a combination of green roofing and highly-reflective roofing to reduce the heat island effect, which is the thermal gradient between developed and undeveloped areas.
• The implementation of a green cleaning program at Pinnacle reduces the quantity and toxicity of products used in cleaning. The project uses products certified by Green Seal or Environmental Choice standards in order to sizably reduce or eliminate the amount of potentially hazardous cleaning substances introduced into the building.
• To reduce roof temperatures and therefore reduce the heat island effect, 100% of the parking on-site is placed under cover, with low emitting high-albedo pavers specified.

To learn more about LEED Certifcation, please visit: www.usgbc.org.