• New building will support LEED standards such as recycled materials, rainwater collection and reuse, and solar thermal heating
CARY, NC, Oct. 1, 2008 -- By the end of 2010, visitors to the Cary, NC headquarters of SAS, a leader in business intelligence and analytics, will stand in a building constructed to green principles, overlooking a solar farm feeding sustainably sourced energy to the public grid powering the very building in which they stand.
That's the green vision SAS has created for its newest building on campus, which breaks ground this week. The new structure, called Building C, will house 690 offices, two auditoriums, meeting rooms and a full-service cafeteria. At approximately 280,000 square feet, the building will be the new home of the Executive Briefing Center, used for customer events and meetings.
"Hosting both existing and prospective customers at SAS world headquarters is an important and increasingly in-demand part of doing business," said Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Jim Davis. "Ensuring that these events are positive experiences for our guests is vital in defining the customers' image of the company and its products."
LEED certification and green features
Key features of the building that will support Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards include:
• Targeting a minimum of 30 percent water use reduction through rainwater collection and reuse, collecting stormwater runoff for irrigation and using highly efficient fixtures.
• Targeting a minimum of 20 percent energy use reduction through extensive use of:
• Heat-recovery systems for heating the building.
• Using cool outside air to assist in cooling the building.
• Solar thermal water heating and regenerative drive elevators.
• Building materials that provide increased insulation.
• Selecting recycled content and regional materials wherever possible.
• Improving air zoning for increased thermal comfort.
• Targeting 75 percent of construction waste for recycling.
In addition, many of the hardwood trees on site will be removed and dried for potential use within Building C; other wood will be chipped for mulch to be reused for landscaping and some will be donated to Warmth for Wake, a seasonal energy assistance outreach program.
Harnessing solar power
SAS has several initiatives under way to take advantage of the sun's rays. The first is the construction of a one-megawatt solar farm on the SAS campus.
SAS is also planning to install solar hot water systems on existing buildings this year as well as the solar hot water planned for the new building. The solar farm and hot water systems in two existing buildings are scheduled to be operational by December 2008.
SAS is a leader in business analytics software and services, and the largest independent vendor in the business intelligence market.
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