wejetset - magazine - AMERICA'S TALLEST BUILDINGS INVEST IN GREEN

AMERICA'S TALLEST BUILDINGS INVEST IN GREEN

There’s no getting around it, skyscrapers consume a ton of energy. But at the same time, with a little innovation, they’re well positioned to offset their environmental footprint. For instance, the owners of the Empire State Building announced a $20 million investment in improving the energy efficiency of the skyscraper. And right on the heals of that announcement, the owners of Chicago’s Sears Tower announced a $350 Million investment in not only improving energy efficiency, but also generating green energy.

Fast Company reports: “Sears Tower, now on track to become the tallest building to receive LEED certification, will receive a laundry list of upgrades designed by Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture over the next five years: solar panels and wind turbines on the roof, up to 35,000 square feet of roof gardens, an energy-efficient lighting control system, insulation improvements, new plumbing systems, and a green learning center on the ground floor. The renovation is expected to create 3,600 jobs. Much of the cost of the retrofit, financed through grants, private investments, government cash, and debt financing, will be offset by energy savings.”