Press
New PSECU headquarters awarded prestigious leed® Gold Certification
HARRISBURG, PA (October 29, 2014) — PSECU is pleased to announce that the organization’s new headquarters on Elmerton Avenue in Harrisburg, PA, has been awarded LEED® Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and verified by the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI). Eileen Reavey, Executive Director of the Central Pennsylvania Chapter of USGBC, states “The LEED certification process for new construction aims to encourage and facilitate the development of more sustainable buildings. Earning LEED certification is the premier mark of achievement in green building.”
Achieving the certification was the capstone of three years of schematic and design development, as well as two years of construction. Alan Brunner, Project Manager – Construction, oversaw the internal coordination of this project for PSECU. Brunner worked closely with the design team from Crabtree, Rohrbaugh & Associates, the architectural firm that designed PSECU’s new headquarters.
Though there is an upfront financial commitment to constructing a building that meets LEED Gold certification levels, the long-term payoff easily surpasses any initial cost. This can be seen through many of the features for which the building received points toward the certification. For instance, the new headquarters received points for optimized energy performance as the building has a 37.4% energy savings due to the use of a co-generation system that allows the building to create its own energy and occupancy sensors that control the lighting in the building.
The manner in which the building was constructed contributed greatly to the LEED Gold certification, as well. An impressive 75% of construction debris was diverted from disposal in a landfill to recycled material, and 20% of materials used for the building have recycled content. Materials used for construction, such as adhesives, sealants, paints, coatings and carpets, were also verified to be low-emitting before use.
Additional items for which PSECU received points include features that allow for sustainability on a daily basis. Through water use reduction efforts, PSECU’s new headquarters uses 44.7% less water than the baseline calculation and through stormwater design, the building is able to capture and treat stormwater runoff from 90% of the average rainfall. The PSECU headquarters also exceeds local requirements for open space by 227% by incorporating more green spaces such as wildflower areas on the property.
PSECU’s headquarters’ design encourages employees to be green on a daily basis by providing parking spaces specifically designated for fuel-efficient and high-occupancy vehicles, providing storage and shower facilities for employees choosing to bike to work, collecting recyclables in workspaces, and maintaining a smoke- and tobacco-free campus.
Receiving the LEED Gold certification is a very high accomplishment in sustainable building. Only 352 buildings in Pennsylvania, 57 of which are located in our region, hold the Gold certification level. “Receiving the LEED Gold certification is a proud accomplishment for PSECU that could not have been achieved without the hard work, dedication, and talent of many individuals and organizations. We give our sincerest thanks to everyone who collaborated with us to create a headquarters that represents the importance of sustainability in our community,” says PSECU President and CEO, Greg Smith, of the certification.
A ceremony was held on October 29, 2014 to celebrate the unveiling of the LEED GOLD plaque that marks the PSECU’s headquarters as a LEED certified building. For more information on the building’s features that qualified them for this certification, visit HYPERLINK “http://www.psecu.com/leed” www.psecu.com/leed.
Opened in 1934, PSECU was founded by 22 ordinary people who made an extraordinary commitment to each other: To create a financial institution where pooled resources benefit all members. Today, we are a full-service credit union serving more than 415,000 members and have over $4 billion in assets. As a not-for-profit financial institution, our goal remains to help our members and their families achieve a better life.