International. HID Global announced that its North American headquarters and operations center in Austin has achieved a four-star rating from Austin Energy Green Building (AEGB), the longest-running and most effective sustainable construction program in the U.S.
"Austin is paving the way for energy and building code changes that are transforming the construction industry to a sustainable future," said Kevin Teehan, deputy director of strategic operations and corporate sustainability at HID Global. "As new members of the Austin community, we are proud to contribute to this vision by achieving AEGB's extremely rigorous four-star rating requirements. More importantly, this building symbolizes our deep commitment to the highest standards of safety, quality and sustainability."
HID Global's Austin facilities were designed entirely with sustainability as their goal, from site selection to design and construction. Achieving LEED Platinum (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification was a fundamental goal for HID Global. Although leED's associated rating system recognizes, through its four Regional Priority credits, the importance of geographic location (of which HID Global has already earned three), the AEGB rating system focuses on the specific sustainability needs of the environment in Austin, Texas. Consequently, to achieve AEGB's four-star rating, HID Global had to meet considerably more stringent guidelines for indoor energy, water and environmental quality.
HID Global worked closely with AEGB representatives, who were in direct and permanent contact with the company's project teams and verified the execution of sustainable design decisions through field visits during construction. As an aspiring to the AEGB rating, HID Global was also submitted to Austin Energy's other conservation programs, which provided the company with discounts on high-efficiency lighting, lighting control and HVAC equipment, as well as plans for future solar panel installation. AEGB also interacts with other City of Austin programs such as Grow Green, Austin Water, and Austin Resource Recovery and informs project teams about the resources provided by these programs.
"We are pleased to welcome HID Global to Austin and our growing community of innovative, sustainable-minded companies," said Debbie Kimberly, vice president of Customer Energy Solutions (CES) for Austin Energy. "This four-star AEGB rating ratifies HID Global's commitment to sustainability, creating and operating buildings that are not only beautiful, functional and comfortable, but also good for the community and the environment."
