Puerto Rico Convention Center goes green through government commitment to conservation and sustainability

Center to Obtain Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) Certification

SAN JUAN, June 23, 2008 -- Following the recent pledge by Puerto Rico’s government to convert several of its public properties into “green” buildings, the Puerto Rico Convention Center and the Coliseum of Puerto Rico have been tapped as the first properties on the Island to be transformed into eco-friendly buildings.

With an investment of $250,000 to reduce the use of electricity and water within the District, the Puerto Rico Convention Center and other developments within the 113-acre District will decrease the use of water by 30 percent and the use of electricity by 50 percent, for an on-going savings of $450,000 per year upon completion.   After completely incorporating these initiatives, the buildings will receive the U.S. Green Building Council’s ‘Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED)’ Certification, considered the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings.

The Puerto Rico Convention Center Authority, the organization has adopted a policy of sustainability to ensure that all of the elements of the Puerto Rico Convention Center District are eco-friendly.

Key elements of the “greening” of the Puerto Rico Convention Center include:

- The installation and use of automated control systems for air-conditioning and lighting of the facility, as well as the incorporation of natural lighting in the facility to reduce overall energy consumption.

- Providing preferential parking spaces around the facility for hybrid cars, as well as enhancing and encouraging the use of public transportation to the District.

- Replacing conventional lamps throughout the facility and District with lighting materials that consume less energy.

- Landscaping the District with native plants and other flora that require less maintenance and require less water, as well as utilizing an automated watering system to conserve the use of water.

- Implementing already-established eco-friendly policies and green standards for the Center. This includes utilizing green products such as recycled paper products and eco-friendly cleaning supplies in the use and maintenance of the facility, as well as requiring contractors to apply and adhere to green standards and practices in their work with the facility and District.

- Maintaining already-established waste reduction and recycling programs.