Puerto Rico convention center goes green
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| Published on Monday, July 21, 2008 | |
By MM Sierra
Caribbean Net News Puerto Rico Correspondent
Email: miranda@caribbeannetnews.com
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico: Following the recent pledge by Puerto Rico's government to convert several of its public properties into "green" buildings, the Puerto Rico Convention Center and the Coliseum of Puerto Rico have been tapped as the first properties on the island to be modified into eco-friendly buildings.
With an investment of $250,000 aimed at reducing the use of electricity and water within the District, the Puerto Rico Convention Center and other developments within the 113-acre District will decrease the use of water by 30 percent and the use of electricity by 50 percent, for ongoing savings of $450,000 per year once the project is completed.
After completely incorporating these initiatives, the buildings will receive the US Green Building Council's 'Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED)' Certification, considered the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings.
According to the Director of Operations & Installations of the Puerto Rico Convention Center District Authority Joaquín López, the organization has adopted a public policy of sustainability to ensure that all of the elements of the Puerto Rico Convention Center District are eco-friendly.
Key elements of the Puerto Rico Convention Center “green project” include: - The installation and use of automated control systems for air-conditioning and lighting of the facility, as well as the incorporation of natural lighting to reduce overall energy consumption.
- Providing preferential parking spaces around the facility for hybrid cars, as well as enhancing and encouraging the use of public transportation to the District.
- Replacing conventional lamps throughout the facility and District with lighting materials that consume less energy.
- Landscaping the District with native plants and other flora that require less maintenance and require less water, as well as utilizing an automated watering system to conserve the use of water.
- Implementing already-established eco-friendly policies and green standards for the Center. This includes utilizing green products such as recycled paper products and eco-friendly cleaning supplies in the use and maintenance of the facility, as well as requiring contractors to apply and adhere to green standards and practices in their work with the facility and District.
- Maintaining already-established waste reduction and recycling programs.
"More and more convention and exhibition managers are seeking out "green" facilities for their meetings as well as looking for ways to reduce waste and decrease the impact of meetings on the environment," PRCC Executive Director Manuel Sánchez-Biscombe said.
"We strongly support these green initiatives and look forward to working with other tourism partners to establish new standards in eco-friendly and waste-conscious meetings." |
Source: http://www.caribbeannetnews.com/news-9273--21-21--.html