Honeywell announced that its Charlotte, N.C., corporate headquarters building has earned the coveted Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification from the U.S. Green Buildings Council (USGBC) for its building envelope and tenant upfit. The most widely used green building rating system worldwide, LEED is a globally recognized symbol of sustainability achievement and leadership.
The 23-story, 313,000 sq. ft. facility located in Charlotte's Legacy Union site incorporates Honeywell's latest building controls, fire and life safety, security, energy and carbon management and indoor air quality (IAQ) technologies – all of which gave the new building an edge in the LEED assessment. The technology is anchored by the Honeywell Forge enterprise performance management software-as-a-service that uses artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) algorithms to help deliver operational efficiencies and help meet energy performance goals.
USGBC assesses 100-plus elements of building design, construction, furnishing and maintenance and awards points to a project based on energy efficiency, water conservation and other measures of environmental sustainability. In its report, the USGBC cited the building's optimization of energy performance, including advanced energy metering and lighting power reduction as well as its indoor environmental quality, including enhanced IAQ strategies, low-emitting construction materials, interior lighting and effective use of daylight; and its use of innovative technologies. The building also earned high marks for sourcing of raw materials, material ingredients and construction waste management.
"We're honored to receive the LEED Gold certification from USGBC," said James O'Reilly, vice president of global corporate real estate, Honeywell. "We've been purposeful to create a building that not only provides an occupant-first experience but also is mindful to the impact on our environment. Our Charlotte headquarters allows us to show our customers how our ready now solutions can help solve some of their biggest challenges – meeting sustainability goals and creating a better occupant experience."
"Achieving LEED certification is more than just implementing sustainable practices. It represents a commitment to making the world a better place and influencing others to do better," said Peter Templeton, interim president and CEO, USGBC. "Given the extraordinary importance of climate protection and the central role buildings play in that effort, Honeywell is creating a path forward through their LEED certification."
Honeywell Forge Predictive Maintenance analyzes and optimizes systems maintenance to recommend early and proactive actions to avoid costly, unnecessary changes and reduce unplanned, reactive work on building systems.
Carbon & Energy Management, part of the Honeywell Buildings Sustainability Manager powered by Honeywell Forge, continuously investigates, analyzes and optimizes building performance, down to an asset-specific level, measuring critical sustainability KPIs including carbon emissions.
Earning the LEED Gold certification will further help Honeywell realize its commitment, announced in April 2021, to achieve carbon neutrality in its operations and facilities by 2035. The company is working to achieve this goal by further investing in energy savings projects, converting to renewable energy sources, completing capital improvement projects at its sites and in its fleet of company vehicles, and using credible carbon credits, if necessary.
Honeywell's commitment to carbon neutrality builds on the company's decades-long history of innovation to help its customers meet their environmental and social goals. In 2021, approximately 60% of the company's revenue and more than 60% of Honeywell's new product research and development investment was directed toward products that improve ESG outcomes for customers.
