By Brian Scheid
At 110,000 square
feet and three stories, the hulking business center on Township Line
Road in Lower Makefield is probably not what environmentalists dreamed
this country's “green” movement would look like.
But the building, which was completed in 2006, is the future of energy conservation in this country, environmentalists believe.
The building, which is owned by Liberty
Property Trust, a Malvern-based national real estate company, features
a slew of environmentally friendly features, like waterless urinals and
a white, reflective roof that reduces the need for air conditioning.
There are abundant, large, tinted windows that
limit the need for indoor lights, high-tech sensors that can detect
high carbon dioxide levels and let in fresh air and automatically
adjust the heating and cooling systems, and low-flow faucets. The
property also has designated parking spaces for hybrid vehicles.
The “green” features save the building's eight tenants thousands of dollars every year on energy costs.
“We felt it really made sense for us from a
business perspective,” said Jeanne Leonard, a spokeswoman for Liberty
Property Trust. “We can offer tenants buildings that are more efficient
and have lower energy costs.”
The company
built the Comcast Center in Philadelphia, which has similar
environmentally sensitive features, such as the waterless urinals. The
skyscraper is the tallest “green” building in the country.
According to a new report by PennEnvironment, a
statewide advocacy organization, energy consumption in America could be
cut by 11 percent through similar green building efforts.
“We already have the technology to slash energy
use in buildings, or even eliminate fossil fuel use altogether,” said
Nathan Willcox, an energy and clean air advocate with PennEnvironment.
“We need to take advantage of these innovations and bring our homes and
businesses into the 21st century.”
In September, officials from towns and cities
across the country will vote on the 2009 International Energy
Conservation Code, a new national building code that would require all
new houses to be 30 percent more efficient.
