Building Green

What Is Green Design?

The NonProfit Center was created through best practices and sustainable design for tenant members and the larger community. TSNE made the environmental sustainability of the building and the quality of work environments its top priority. Sustainable or “green design” conforms to environmentally sound principles of building, material and energy use. In developing the center, TSNE selected systems that save energy, minimize maintenance and contribute to low operating costs. In addition, TSNE is using renewable resources that the provide real health benefits for the nonprofit tenants of the center and the communities surrounding it.

Green Building Standards

TSNE is developing the Nonprofit Center as a green building, closely following the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (or LEED™) guidelines for best practices. TSNE is participating in the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED™ Pilot Program for Commercial Interiors. For more information, please read about the green building rating system (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader).

For more on TSNE’s work to develop the NonProfit Center using sustainable design, read about the Green Building Grant awarded by the city of Boston.

Energy Standards

The NonProfit Center is also now purchasing more than 1.5 million kilowatt-hours (kWh), or 100 percent, of the center’s annual power needs with a utility green power product. Green power is electricity that is generated from environmentally preferable renewable resources, such as wind, solar, geothermal, biogas, biomass and low-impact hydro.

This purchase also qualifies TSNE for EPA’s Green Power Leadership Club, a distinction given to organizations that have significantly exceeded the U.S. EPA’s minimum purchase requirements. TSNE is the only nonprofit organization in Massachusetts to qualify for this designation. Read more about the purchase of green energy.

In addition, the NonProfit Center has been awarded the Energy Star, one of only 17 office buildings in Boston to receive this national distinction. An estimated 30 percent of a typical office building’s costs are spent on energy, usually the largest operating expense. At the same time, a large percentage of energy use in office buildings is said to be unnecessary or inefficient. There is substantial opportunity to improve efficiency, reduce costs and help the environment through energy conservation.