Michelin D/C earns LEED Gold honor

WILMINGTON, Ill. (Dec. 16, 2016) — The U.S. Green Building Council has awarded Michelin North America Inc.'s Midwest Distribution Center in Wilmington its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification.

The LEED Green Building Rating System is recognized as a benchmark for the design and construction of high-performing buildings that meet certain important green building standards, Michelin said.

The leased 1.7 million-sq.-ft. single-story distribution center, which opened in 2014, serves Michelin customers throughout the Midwest region, Michelin said.

Among the facility's green features cited by Green Building Council were:

• Optimized energy performance — The facility is projected to be 59 percent above a baseline energy model, with interior and exterior LED lighting contributing to much of the energy savings.

• Minimizing ozone depletion — The heating and cooling systems do not use CFC-based refrigerants, HCFCs or halons.

• Construction waste management — More than 92 percent of the building's construction debris was diverted from local landfills and recycled into new products.

• Water use reduction — The Michelin warehouse is able to achieve significant water savings through the installation of efficient plumbing fixtures for the toilets, showers and all sink faucets, all of which saves 44 percent of the facility's water when compared to the LEEDv3 water baseline. In addition, native and adaptive plants were selected for the outside landscaping, which eliminated the need for a permanent irrigation system.

•  Recycled content — Post-consumer and pre-consumer products and material represent 30 percent of the cost of products used to construct the site. Examples of these materials included steel, concrete, drywall, carpet, doors and insulation.

• Green power — 35 percent of the building's projected energy use for at least the next two years will come from renewable sources.

• Alternative transportation — Michelin and its builders reserved bike storage for 5 percent of the staff and visitors, and provided reserved parking spots for qualifying fuel-saving cars.

"Together, the team working on this project was able to find opportunities at the early stages of design for sustainability and efficiency and implement them by employing a creative approach to the facility's construction," MNA President and Chairman Pete Selleck said.

The LEED green building certification system is the foremost program for the design, construction and operation of green buildings. By using less energy, LEED-certified buildings save money for families, businesses and taxpayers; reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and contribute to a healthier environment for residents, workers and the larger community.