Last updated on October 4th, 2016 at 08:39 am
Aldi has earned LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) for its environmentally sustainable distribution center and regional headquarters in Moreno Valley, California.
According to USGBC, LEED projects are responsible for diverting more than 80 million tons of waste from landfills. Compared to the average commercial building, LEED Gold buildings consume a quarter less energy and generate 34 percent lower greenhouse gas emissions.
“Aldi is taking steps wherever possible to reduce our environmental impact,” said Aldi VP Aaron Sumida. “Building our warehouse to meet LEED Gold requirements is a significant achievement, one that will enable us to conserve energy, reduce water consumption, which is critical in California, and ultimately reduce our carbon footprint.”
To meet LEED Gold standards, Aldi says it worked with Graycor Construction Co. as the design-build partner along with architects and engineers to improve the design and materials used in the development of its distribution center and regional headquarters. The sustainable building features installed in the Moreno Valley facility include:
• Renewable energy from on-site solar panels that provide 60 percent of the electricity at the Aldi Moreno Valley regional headquarters and warehouse.
• Ammonia refrigeration system, which is a naturally occurring element and highly energy efficient.
• Electric vehicle charging stations and bicycle racks that promote the use of greener methods of transportation.
• Water efficient landscaping and plumbing.
“Nearly 40 percent of the solution to the global climate change challenge can come from improved building operations. And while climate change is a global problem, innovative companies like Aldi are addressing it through local solutions,” said Rick Fedrizzi, CEO and founding chair of USGBC. “By implementing measures to ensure the facility is operating more efficiently, Aldi is helping us get one step closer to USGBC’s vision of a sustainably built environment within a generation and contributing to the uptake of green building practice worldwide.”
The accomplishment is representative of the collective efforts of Aldi and its design-build team comprised of Graycor Construction Co. as the builder and multiple design partners, which included HPA Architecture, Webber/Smith Associates, Gregg Electric, Air Control Systems, HSA Engineering, Huitt-Zollars, Ridge Landscape Architects and KDI.
“The Aldi Moreno Valley facility epitomizes what can be achieved when there is shared mutual respect, trust and cooperation between all project team members—owner, contractor, designers, subcontractors and regulatory agencies,” said Daren Sealover, project executive at Graycor Construction Co. “The facility is beautifully—and most importantly—sustainably built and I couldn’t be more proud to have partnered with Aldi on this project.”
Throughout the construction of its Moreno Valley warehouse, Aldi diverted more than 90 percent of its waste to be recycled, composted or repurposed.
“Aldi shoppers know that we save them time and money while offering their families premium quality groceries at affordable prices,” said Sumida. “With this LEED recognition, they also know that Aldi is doing our part to reduce our impact on the environment by embracing sustainable initiatives across our business.”
Aldi says it embraces sustainable initiatives not only in California but across all its operations. Aldi stores have a smaller carbon footprint than traditional grocery stores due to their smaller size. Aldi stores also feature environmentally friendly building materials and state-of-the-art lighting and refrigeration systems that reduce energy use, according to the company.
Aldi opened its first California stores earlier this year.
“As Aldi expands operations to California, we will continue to uphold these values by ensuring our California stores feature sustainable building elements designed to reduce our carbon footprint through energy efficiency, waste reduction and green building design,” said Sumida.
