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Leadership in Energy and Environmental
Design (LEED) is the Green Building Rating System which
acts to encourage and accelerate global adoption of sustainable
green building and development practices through the creation
and implementation of universally understood and accepted
tools and performance criteria. Commercial buildings, as defined
by standard building codes, are eligible for certification
under six different categories. These include the LEED for
New Construction,
LEED for Existing Buildings, LEED for Commercial Interiors,
LEED for Retail, LEED for Schools and LEED for Core &
Shell rating systems. One Beacon Street is in the process
of becoming the first multi-tenant building with CB Richard
Ellis in Boston to receive a LEED for Existing Building (LEED-EB)
certification.
To attain LEED-EB certification CB Richard
Ellis is addressing the whole building operations and maintenance
practices, and maximizing the building's efficiency performance
over time ensuring a high return on investment. This in-turn
offers our Tenants significant savings on energy costs.
From a management perspective it is evident
that certifying a building through the LEED rating system
will save our tenants and owners money in operating costs,
as well as create a healthier work space resulting in higher
productivity and reduced absenteeism.
Below are some
of the initiatives underway at One Beacon Street. They are
grouped under the five main LEED-EB categories of Sustainable
Sites, Water Efficiency, Energy and Atmosphere, Materials
and Resources, and Indoor Environmental Quality.


This category deals with site related issues such as exterior
planting and landscaping, transportation, water emissions,
soil erosion, and ecological impact.
Alternative Transportation
Reduce the impact of automobiles on the environment.
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One
Beacon Street's central location places it in between
Boston's four major subway lines allowing for Tenants
to commute from all over the city and surrounding areas.
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One
Beacon Street also provides 67 bicycle storage spots and
10 showers with changing facilities open to all Tenants.
Those interested can sign up for this program and receive
a bike pass granting them access to the shower and changing
facilities located in the buildings FitCorp.
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One Beacon Street provides hybrid vehicle charging stations
in the parking garage to encourage the use of environmentally
friendly electric cars. |
Green Exterior
Management
Establish exterior management practices that have the lowest
environmental impact possible while supporting building performance
and irrigation of surrounding landscapes.
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One
Beacon Street rotates plantings that require low maintenance
and are drought and disease resistant in the summer months
with plants that are resistant to salt injury due to municipal
snow mitigation in the winter months. Clearance of weeds,
seeds and nonnative invasive species occurs with minimal
soil disruption.
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One
Beacon Street reduces the need for de-icing chemicals
through improvements made in mechanical removal strategies
such as increasing the frequency of shoveling, brushing,
and plowing as well as increasing the amount of equipment
in use. The de-icing chemical used at One Beacon is magnesium
chloride which is less toxic and less damaging to plants,
concrete, carpeting and hard surface flooring than more
commonly used chemicals. |
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This category involves implementations to increase water
efficiency, wastewater innovations, discharge water compliance,
and overall water use reduction.
Steam
Water Management
Establish a system
that reduces city water usage and minimizes waste.
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One
Beacon Street is Heated and Cooled with Steam. In the
summer, high-pressure steam delivered by Trigen drives
a steam chiller. Steam condensate is recovered from our
Steam Turbine and used to maintain the Cooling Tower level
thereby reducing the need for potable city water. One
Beacon Street saves approximately 3.7 million gallons
in avoided Water and Sewer charges annually. |
Water Efficient Landscape
Establish a system that makes efficient use of
rain water.
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One
Beacon Street maintains a water efficient landscape with
an irrigation system that uses Rainbird fan heads which
reduce the gallons per minute (gpm), for a 65.9% savings.
Traditional spray heads use 1.85 gpm and MP Rotators use
only .63gpm. There are a total of 48 spray heads that
make up the entire system at One Beacon, all of which
run for 15 minutes four times a week. This equals a substantial
savings of 3,357 gallons a week during the months of April
through September, totaling 87,272 gallons a year. This
has cuts the overall irrigation needs by 50% (approximately
50,000 gallons) |
Water Efficient
Restrooms
Experiment with alternative toilet systems that
requires little to no water usage.
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One Beacon Street has installed Waterless Urinals on
the Tremont Level which each save an average of 25,000
gallons of water per year. We are exploring the use
of "Reduce Flow" Urinals that use 1 pint per
flush instead of 1 gallon per flush. "Duel Flush"
Toilets are installed that allow the user to pull up
to flush liquids and push down to flush solids. When
pulling up the toilet only uses 1 gallon whereas when
pushing down it uses a 1.6 gallon per flush. After experimenting
with various options in limited locations, One Beacon
will determining the best option and outfit the whole
building.
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One
Beacon Street outfits all its bathrooms with Faucet Aerators
that use a half (.5) gallon per minute versus the normal
faucet that uses 1.6 gallons per minute. An Aerator is
an apparatus for aerating (adding air to) water giving
it the effect of more flow. |
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This category involves building commissioning, energy performance
standards, renewable energy, and building operations in regards
to maintenance and measurement.
Meet Energy Star
Standards
Implement systems that establish One Beacon Street as a qualified
Energy Star building.
One Beacon is now an Energy Star building.
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One
Beacon Street uses a Variable Drive system on Perimeter
Fans, as well as on the Secondary Water Pumps used for
the Window Induction Units. The Variable Drive system
saves significant electrical energy by running fans and
pumps at optimum speed.
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One
Beacon Street uses Mixed Air Controls on Perimeter Fans
with CO2 controls which significantly reduce energy consumption
on Heating and Cooling.
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One
Beacon Street reduced the heating levels in the Garage
by lowering the space temperature set points.
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One
Beacon Street also minimizes waste from Heating and Cooling
by resetting Temperature Controls based on the Outside
Temperature.
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One
Beacon Street drains the Cooling Tower during winter operation
to save significantly on live steam costs. The energy
savings derive from the fact that energy is no longer
needed to keep this water from freezing.
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One
Beacon Street utilizes Tenant Heat Pumps that use an "Open
Loop" System to reuse cooling water usage. Water
from the Cooling Tower is essentially recycled instead
of wasted into the sewer system. |
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This category involves recycling and source reduction,
toxics reduction, hazardous waste, construction and demolition
recycling, and environmentally preferable purchasing.
Use Environmentally
Friendly Cleaning Practices
Require cleaning products and services that promote a healthy
environment.
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One
Beacon uses Green Seal cleaning products. Green Seal awards
certification to products that have the least impact on
the environment and perform as well or better than similar
products. Green Seal's website states "Green Seal
is an independent, nonprofit organization that strives
to achieve a healthier and cleaner environment by identifying
and promoting products and services that cause less toxic
pollution and waste, conserve resources and habitats,
and minimize global warming and ozone depletion." |
Set A New Standard
For Recycling
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One
Beacon Street Resource Management Program focuses primarily
on recycling of mixed paper. Over the past decade, One
Beacon Street has been at the forefront of resource efficiency
and source reduction innovation, achieving average recycling
rates of 55% over the past 10 years. The success with
resource efficiency is directly attributable to a comprehensive
RM contracting program and participation from building
tenants. |
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This category involves issues concerning outside air, asbestos
and PCB's (Polychlorinated Biphenyls toxic substance),
ventilation monitoring, indoor pollutants, and thermal comfort.
Air Quality Management
Establish practices that maintain consistent indoor air quality
during construction and renovation projects.
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One
Beacon Street policy is maintained to prevent indoor air
quality problems that can result from construction and
renovation projects in order to help sustain the comfort
and well-being of the building occupants. The policy and
plan address the protection of the ventilation system
components during construction and cleanup of contaminated
components after construction is complete. One Beacon
follows the SMACNA (Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning National
Contractors Association) Guidelines for recommend Control
Measures in these five areas: HVAC protection, source
control, pathway interruption, housekeeping and scheduling. |
UNICCO's GreenCleanSM
Program
Require a cleaning program that provides green
services and products.
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One
Beacon Street has implemented UGI-UNICCO's GreenCleanSM
program - a holistic approach to providing state-of-the-art
green services which takes into account the building's
function, activities of the occupants, specific cleaning
and sanitation requirements to develop a service plan
that minimizes risk to the environment and promotes the
health and safety of staff and guests. While the GreenCleanSM
program includes certified products and, where appropriate,
equipment modifications, it is distinguished by the processes,
training, service and support you expect from the leader
in outsourced maintenance services. |
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Under LEED buildings can become certified and
individuals can become accredited. One Beacon Street's management
staff has three LEED Accredited Professionals (APs):
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General
Manager, Philip Boccalatte |
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Chief
Engineer, Fred O'Grady |
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Operations Manager, Kate Powers |
LEED Professional Accreditation distinguishes
building professionals with the knowledge and skills to successfully
steward the LEED certification process. LEED APs have demonstrated
a thorough understanding of green building practices and principles
and the LEED Rating System.
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