Press Releases
WCNY earns LEED Platinum certification from U.S. Green Building Council
by
November 16, 2015
WCNY Public Media, Central New York’s premiere public media organization , is proud to announce it was awarded with the highest certification level achievable in Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED)- LEED® Platinum certification by the U.S. Green Building Council. WCNY is the only PBS affiliate to earn LEED® Platinum status.
To celebrate the certification, WCNY hosted a brief award presentation at the Broadcast and Education Center located at 415 W. Fayette St. in Syracuse on Oct. 29. Rick Fredrizzi, CEO and Founding Chairman of the U.S. Green Building Council delivered remarks.
LEED® is transforming the way we think about how buildings and communities are designed, constructed, maintained and operated across the globe. Of the 25,820 certified buildings in the world, there are only 809 LEED-Platinum buildings with only 42 of those buildings existing in the state of New York. WCNY now joins an elite group of the top three percent of organizations internationally who have achieved this status.
“The WCNY Broadcast and Education Center is now a showcase for green” said Robert J. Daino, WCNY president and CEO. “We are honored to receive such a prestigious certification as it reinforces our commitment to the environment and sustainability on behalf of our entire staff and board of trustees.”
WCNY Broadcast and Education LEED Platinum Highlights
The property includes cutting edge sustainable features that encompass air quality, day lighting, solar, heat reduction, ventilation, flooring, restrooms, parking areas, rain gardens and equipment. The building also provides a healthy, comfortable work environment for employees that increases productivity overall.
• Rain Gardens: WCNY’s rain gardens keep up to 95 percent of rain water that falls on site out of the sewer system.
• Solar Panels: Rooftop solar panels produce 95-kilowatt hours of energy, providing up to 11 percent of WCNY’s needs. WCNY is one of the region’s largest generators of renewable electricity.
• Coolcentric: Chilled water circulates through pipes, hoses and radiators behind each TV server rack. WCNY is the first broadcaster in the nation to use this cost-saving technology.
• Sensor-Managed Building Lighting and HVAC: This technology system controls temperature and lighting through an automatic system, reducing WCNY’s electric footprint.
• TV and Radio Studio Lights: WCNY’s studio lights were chosen for their energy saving specifications.
• Less Paper: WCNY staff use two centralized printers. The organization has cut its printing costs significantly, while saving trees!
• Work Environment: The building provides a healthy, comfortable work environment for employees that increases productivity overall. Temperatures are comfortable, and employees are surrounded by natural outdoor light. More than 90 percent of employees have views to the exterior from their workstation.
• Water Use: Low flow sinks in bathrooms reduce water use by 45 percent.
• Windows: Low-E coating on windows greatly improves window solar grain properties.
• Low-Emitting Finishes: Low-emitting paint and interior finishes keep indoor air quality safe, keeping the Volatile Organic Compounds out.
• White Paint: White paint is the most reflective to light. More reflective surfaces allow the building to install fewer lights. This saves money on actual lights, to the wiring, to the electric service needed to power the lights, to power used, and allows WCNY to use smaller HVAC systems due to decreased light
