Frontier Natural Products Co-op announced in April it was awarded LEED Silver certification for a major renovation at its manufacturing facility in Norway, Iowa. Frontier achieved LEED certification for energy use, lighting, water and material use as well as a variety of other sustainable practices.
CEO Tony Ballard said, “It truly represents our ongoing commitment to sustainable operations. It also gives our employees and customers a benchmark for what Frontier has accomplished up to this point and identifies opportunities where we can continue to improve in the future.”
“The green building movement addresses global climate change, dependence on non-sustainable and expensive sources of energy and threats to human health,” said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chair of the U.S. Green Building Council, which established LEED certification. “The work of innovative building projects such as Frontier’s facility is a fundamental driving force in the green building movement.”
LEED certification of Frontier’s manufacturing facility was based on a number of green design and construction features including:
* Frontier completely renovated 7,200 square feet of existing warehouse space with a focus on where energy and/or mechanical systems could be best optimized, including plumbing, HVAC, lighting, and a re-finished concrete floor.
* Frontier was able to use minimal resources to establish native landscaping, avoiding the need for a permanent irrigation system. Inside, flush and flow fixtures in restrooms cumulatively achieve 35 percent water efficiency compared to conventional building flush and flow fixtures.
* Frontier specified energy-efficient envelope lighting, HVAC (water-source heat pumps and commercial RTUs), carbon dioxide sensors and two on-demand water heaters. Altogether, Frontier’s energy efficiency measures will conserve more than 77,000 kilowatt hours compared to a similar conventional building. That’s equal to 55 tons of carbon dioxide emissions. In addition, Frontier purchases renewable energy certificates (RECs) to offset 100 percent of its facility’s energy requirements and carbon offsets to offset 100% of our product shipping. Frontier’s REC portfolio includes renewable energy generated from wind farms located in Iowa.
* With a goal to minimize materials and resources as much as possible, Frontier’s renovation reused 100 percent of the existing building’s skin, roofing, and flooring. The renovated interiors promote indoor environmental quality and include low- or no volatile organic compound adhesives, sealants, paints, coatings, cabinetry and surfaces. Frontier installed a rapidly renewable bamboo-plank stairway and used cradle-to-cradle (C2C) certified furniture in Frontier’s boardroom, meeting room and offices. A reflective TPO roofing membrane was installed on the existing roof.
* Frontier’s renovation of existing employee and visitor parking areas maintained parking capacity while protecting and restoring 63 percent of the site with native and adaptive plant material. In addition to designed bio-swales, detention basins, and an on-site wetland, the engineered slope and grade of the employee parking area removes 100 percent of solids in runoff by capturing and filtering more than 90 percent of average annual rainfall on-site.
Frontier also created preferred parking spots for 11 low-emissions vehicles and 12 carpools plus added 11 secure bicycle racks with nearby shower and changing facilities. Altogether, the parking program’s goal is to lower greenhouse gasses from employee commuting by 135 tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually.
