- Sustainability – Ten Penn Center

Sustainability

  • Home
  • /
  • Sustainability

At Ten Penn Center, sustainability is more than a mantra. It’s a way of life.

We were the first existing building in Philadelphia to earn LEED Gold certification. We are proud to be certified as a LEED Gold building and to have earned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR certification.

Sustainability is a value we share with our tenants. Consider that more than 10 percent of people who work at Ten Penn Center bike or walk to the office, and more than 86 percent use alternative means of transportation.

Every day we make conscious decisions to reduce our impact on the environment through programs and tools that also save hundreds of thousands of dollars in operating costs — savings that are passed along to our tenants — each year.

Energy efficiency

  • Double-insulated Thermopane windows
  • High-performance filtration equipment and a comprehensive indoor air quality program, including carbon dioxide sensors to enhance performance and efficiency based on air requirements
  • Energy-efficient lighting, including automatic lighting sensors
  • Continuous monitoring and load-matching of heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC); HVAC fan distribution system is upgraded with energy-efficient variable frequency drives (VFDs)
  • New, efficient VFD-controlled water pump system

Recycling

  • A comprehensive recycling program for maximum recovery of recycled materials; a significant portion of total nightly waste is diverted to recycling streams
  • Periodic e-waste recycling events for tenants and their staff
  • Ongoing renovation program to divert construction and demolition waste from disposal to landfills and incineration facilities, so far diverting 95 percent of materials to the recycling stream

Water conservation

  • Plumbing fixtures that reduce water usage by 30 percent, saving 4.5 million gallons of water per year
  • Ultraviolet, 100 percent chemical-free water treatment program for cooling towers
  • Xeriscape planting/landscape management principles, including the use of indigenous perennial plants

Green cleaning and maintenance

  • Non-oil-based paint products (latex and water-based polyurethanes)
  • Green Seal™ certified cleaning products
  • Recycled-content sanitary paper products and trash bags
  • Bee Green environmentally friendly pest management system