Office Depot First Retailer to Receive LEED Gold

Boca Raton, Fla. Office Depot announced Wednesday that its sustainable retail store prototype has received a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Gold Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

The USGBC’s LEED system is recognized as the benchmark for green building design, construction, operations and maintenance.

Office Depot received the Gold Rating for the store prototype as well as for its first “green” retail store in Austin, Texas, which opened during the summer of 2008.

“Office Depot has demonstrated leadership and creativity in the approach they have taken to incorporate sustainable practices into their buildings,” said Doug Gatlin, VP, market development, U.S. Green Building Council. “We are eager to see Office Depot continue to build state-of-the-art retail environments.”

A USGBC member since 2007, Office Depot was in the first group of organizations to participate in the LEED Portfolio Program pilot, and the only office products company. USGBC’s Portfolio Program pilot includes 14 retailers as well as a few participants from a variety of other industries. It involves implementing a new volume-certification process, integrating LEED attributes into a prototype design, and then applying the prototype design across multiple buildings.

Office Depot’s LEED Gold Certified store and prototype feature a number of green-building dimensions and attributes, including 37% energy cost savings compared to code; photovoltaic solar panels that offset 11% of the building’s total annual energy costs; and energy-efficient T5 lighting throughout the store.