National Grid Charged Up Over LEED Gold Ranking

NORTHBOROUGH — Energy purveyor National Grid is celebrating the designation of its 800-employee customer service and control center as LEED Gold certified by the US Green Building Council. The designation—which follows National Grid winning the top-rated Platinum ranking for its Waltham headquarters a year earlier—“illustrates for customers that we take energy efficiency seriously, and we ‘Walk the Talk’ when it comes to greening our workspace,” according to Marcy Reed, president of National Grid, Massachusetts.

“We’re appreciative of the innovation, talent and hard work demonstrated by everyone who helped us earn this award,” Reed adds in a press release announcing the certification. The commercial real estate industry was well-represented on the team that put the successful bid for a LEED rating together, including Jones Lang LaSalle as development manager, an assignment overseen by Manager Nathan Gauthier and VP Michael Lamphier. “We are pleased to have had the opportunity to assist them with the delivery of this critical project,” Lamphier says of the extensive overhaul of a 145,000-sf industrial building into the state-of-the-art operations center that has helped bolster the laggard MetroWest office market.

Other contributors cited for their dedication on the revitalization program include architect/interior designer Spagnolo Gisness & Associates; construction manager A/Z Corp. and AHA Engineers, which provides LEED consultant services along with mechanical, electric, plumbing and safety engineering expertise.

LEED Commercial Interior is presently the energy industry’s most recognized system for certifying high-performance green interiors. In determining the rating for National Grid’s Northborough property, the USGBC measured finishes, furniture, lighting and space layout, Lamphier relays. Highlights of the upgrades that helped earn the coveted Gold level included lighting that uses 30 percent less electricity than the norm—enough to power 13 homes for one year. Also incorporated were high efficiency heating and cooling systems featuring temperature sensors, plus multiple water conservation steps such as the implementation of dual-flush toilets, automatic sensor faucets and waterless urinals that can reduce consumption by 575,000 gallons annually, a 48-percent cutback.