Greentech Lead America: PNC Bank will open its new
net-zero energy bank branch in Fort Lauderdale in the first quarter
of 2013. The branch will be PNC’s most energy efficient, using 50 percent less
energy than a typical branch. PNC expects LEED Platinum certification for
the building.
PNC boasts it has constructed more LEED-certified
buildings (118) than any company on Earth.
For the designing and the construction, PNC Bank
collaborated with Gensler, a global design firm, and the Department of Energy
as part of the DOE’s Net-Zero Energy Commercial Building Initiative.
The Fort Lauderdale branch will use 211 solar panels to
generate electricity. Daylight harvesting will be achieved through the use of
sensors that control dimmable light fixtures as natural sunlight increases.
The bank will use occupancy sensors to prompt lights and
computer monitors to shut off automatically in unoccupied spaces.
The buildings’ energy recovery ventilation system
reduces cooling costs by capturing and transferring energy from conditioned air
as it exits the building to fresh air as it enters the building.
To construct the building, PNC is using recycled building
resources for structural and shell materials, more than 80 percent recycled
material have been selected for all ceiling tiles and walls.
PNC estimates that this energy saving measurement will
yield annual energy savings equivalent to the energy needed to power a 1,600
square foot house for one year.
“This is another example of PNC’s commitment to
innovation and energy efficiency. We expect the net-zero energy branch to spur
business growth and development in the area. Ultimately, we hope it will
inspire other businesses to adopt similar green building practices,”
said Gary Saulson, PNC’s director of Corporate Real Estate.