NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date:  2010/07/14

 

From:	Orange Communications	Contact:
	333 Washington Ave. North, Suite 300	Stephani Simon
	Minneapolis, MN 55401	612.236.8722

Renovation is the First LEED Silver Project in the Central Shenandoah Valley

MINNEAPOLIS – JUNE 23, 2010 – When McQuay International needed to remodel the engineering wing of its Staunton, VA facility – the manufacturing site of the HVAC industry’s leading energy efficient chiller – they did it with their employees and the environment in mind. The office renovation results have earned the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Silver certification. This is the first LEED Silver and second LEED certified project in the Central Shenandoah Valley.

Green initiatives for McQuay’s 9,320 ft² engineering facility engaged Staunton employees at every stage to enhance the work place. As a result, a comfortable environment was created that increases employee productivity and demonstrates and encourages community environmental stewardship through reduced operating costs and greenhouse gas emissions.

“The renovation has been energizing for employees at our Staunton facility and across the country,” said Phillip Johnson, engineering director at McQuay International’s Applied Development Center in Staunton. “We made room for more employees to accommodate our recent growth, and at the same time made a more comfortable working environment.  Our new energy efficient rooftop system helped improve the indoor air quality, and we’ve also engaged employees in an ongoing green initiatives strategy to continue finding ways to reduce our environmental impact in our community.”

As part of the LEED initiatives, McQuay used its own highly-efficient VAV rooftop system to reduce the energy used by the heating, ventilating and air conditioning system in the engineering wing. The system uses R-410A refrigerant, which has no ozone depletion potential and a low global warming potential compared to other non-HFC refrigerants. To improve indoor air quality, CO₂ sensors were installed. A demand control ventilation strategy monitors the CO₂ sensor readings and the time-of-day building occupancy to provide outdoor air to the occupants when it is needed to maintain good indoor air quality.  High efficiency air filters (MERV 13) used in certain critical spaces also improve indoor air quality by removing dust and other pollutants and particles as small as those found in copier toner dust or paint pigment.

Additionally, McQuay has reduced water consumption by more than 40 percent, reused more than 89 percent of the building’s original materials, utilized new construction materials with a high recycled content, and certified more than 50 percent of the wood used through the Forest Stewardship Council. The renovated facility also features a progressive recycling program and commuter friendly parking for bicycles and low emission vehicles.

“McQuay International has processes in place to operate efficiently and is committed to continuous environmental performance improvement,” said Ryan Fleser, corporate environmental systems manager. “We are aggressively identifying all areas, such as our own renovation projects and technology offering, where we can demonstrate the stewardship we believe in.”

As a division of Daikin Industries, McQuay International strives to proactively develop initiatives to respond to environmental issues, including the innovation of new environmentally responsible technologies, sustainable design and achieving ISO 14001: 2004 environmental management system standard throughout its manufacturing facilities. Daikin has been named one of the 100 most sustainable corporations for three years in a row (2007 to 2009) by Corporate Knights, Inc.

About McQuay International

McQuay International, a division of Daikin Industries, Ltd., delivers engineered, flexible solutions for commercial, industrial and institutional HVAC requirements with reliable products, knowledgeable applications expertise and responsive support.  McQuay products and services are provided through a worldwide network of dedicated sales and service offices.  For more information or the name of your local McQuay representative, call 800-432-1342, or visit www.mcquay.com.

 

World Headquarters 13600 Industrial Park Boulevard Minneapolis, MN 55441 763-553-5330