Philips Arena Achieves LEED Certification To Become First-Ever Green NBA or NHL Arena

Source: National Hockey League

While I am not an Atlanta fan of any sport, I do like their going green!!

Atlanta’s Philips Arena, home to the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks and the NHL’s Atlanta Thrashers, announced today that it has achieved LEED for Existing Building: Operations and Maintenance (LEED-EB: O&M) certification as specified by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC). LEED stands for “Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design” and represents independent, third-party verification that Philips Arena has met green building operating standards and performance measures. Philips Arena is the first NBA or NHL arena to achieve this certification for an existing facility.

Philips Arena has taken a leadership role in promoting sustainability in Atlanta, and has set a new green standard nationally for arena operations and design. Its achievement represents a challenge to other venues to minimize their environmental impacts while enhancing their ability to use energy and water efficiently, to recycle, and to educate their audiences on the benefits of these actions.

“Achieving LEED-EB O&M certification is a transcendent process and I am extremely proud of our management team’s effort to make Philips Arena the first in North America to accomplish this goal,” said Atlanta Spirit Owner Rutherford Seydel. “My partners and I agree we must continue to find ways to manage our events with the lowest environmental impact possible. We will continue to work with our fans and partners to raise our green performance and promote conservation throughout metro Atlanta.”

“If every one of our 5.1 million existing commercial buildings in the U.S. followed the lead of Philips Arena and worked to become more energy efficient, we could save some $160 billion by 2030 and put a significant dent in our carbon emissions,” said USGBC President, CEO and Founding Chairman Rick Fedrizzi. “There are also tremendous water-saving practices that are built into LEED and I know how important that is in Atlanta. Schools, stores, hotels, office buildings, government buildings and sports arenas all have a contribution to make, and Philips Arena is to be congratulated for its achievement and the leadership it demonstrates for others.”

Both the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the National Hockey League (NHL) have made environmental conservation a key initiative for their teams and leagues. “Congratulations to the Atlanta Thrashers and the entire Atlanta Spirit Organization for achieving Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification of Philips Arena as the first green sports arena in the United States,” said NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman. “This accomplishment is even more notable considering that Philips Arena has achieved this certification as an existing facility. The Thrashers are helping to set the standard for the NHL in our League-wide commitment to meet green operating standards and performance measures through our Keep the Ice from Melting initiative.” Philips Arena’s LEED-EB O&M certification came just prior to the NBA’s first ever league-wide Green Week being held April 4-10 to help educate its fans on how they can contribute to a better environment.

In order to achieve LEED-EB: O&M certification, Philips Arena partnered with Southface, the region’s nationally recognized non-profit leader in the promotion of sustainable, high performance buildings. Southface provided the arena with LEED administration assistance as well as technical assistance and expertise in upgrading its overall energy performance, water consumption, indoor air quality, and waste stream management. According to Dennis Creech, Executive Director of Southface, “Through its strong green commitment, Philips Arena will save money by reducing its energy and water costs, and will also create a better indoor environment for its employees and visitors. Its practical approach is a model for other businesses—large and small—on how to protect the environment and the bottom line.”