Independence Station in Independence, Oregon is set to become the World’s Greenest Building with the highest LEED (The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating ever awarded for new construction.

The current record holder, a Canadian project, has a score of 63 out of a possible 69 points. At its completion next year, Independence Station will likely earn between 64 and 66 points, bringing the top score back to the United States.

The 57,000-square-foot mixed-use structure by Aldeia, LLC is 40% complete, and when finished will house offices, retail space, a restaurant, research facilities, a Direct Current (DC) power based data server room, classroom space, and 15 residential units for 21st century pioneers who will work together to shatter worldwide energy consumption guidelines.

Independence Station’s potential rating is owed primarily to its use of renewable energy sources – mostly the sun and vegetable oil – and the means of distributing, storing and managing that energy efficiently throughout the building. The building will boast a unique 120KW installation of photovoltaic panels. During sunny months, the panels will produce more than enough energy to run the building, store extra energy in a large battery bank for nighttime use as well as feed power back into the grid.

Enough rainwater will be stored in the winter to supply 100 percent of the building’s needs for laundry, toilet flushing and irrigation of the both the green roof and planned 40-foot interior vertical urban garden.

The $15 million community will include 15 distinctive one-and two-bedroom condominiums. With living space of 600 to 1,660 square feet, the uniquely designed Smart Homes are expected to range from the $300,000s into the $600,000s.

Source: bdcnetwork

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