Water
We believe that water is a limited resource, and that supplies are diminishing quickly. As such, we have made dramatic commitments to water reduction both inside and outside our buildings. We are one of the few companies who have a standard practice of installing waterless urinals wherever possible in addition to installing other low flow fixtures. Waterless urinals each save an average of 40,000 gallons of water every year. We have also installed weather based irrigation systems that reduce or eliminate watering cycles in the rainy season.
In addition, we have engaged in important one-off conservation projects where appropriate. For example, in a recent project in San Diego, we built an underground parking garage as part of a LEED Silver project. Because the parking levels are located in the water table, we were told to install a permanent de-watering system which would pump perfectly good ground water into the storm or sewer system for disposal. Instead, we installed a system that holds the ground water in an above-grade cistern connected to the office campus irrigation system. When the irrigation system cycles it uses the ground water from the cistern for irrigation water demand. This saves approximately 1.04 million gallons of water from going to waste and which we would otherwise have to source from the City of San Diego.
Green Cleaning
Complementing our strict building standards is our Green Cleaning program. Our cleaning products meet high standards for their low toxicity, waste reduction, and ability to be recycled. In 2011, we will ensure that all of our cleaning supplies meet GreenSeal standards. We believe a strict green cleaning policy benefits both our tenants and our custodial staff because it reduces exposure to toxic cleaning chemicals that can cause health problems. In addition, we will be investigating a comprehensive pest management plan that will meet similar environmental and health standards for all of our properties.
Electric Vehicle Charging Stations
In addition, we believe that the future of American automotives involves mainstream adoption of electric cars, so 2011 saw the first electric vehicle charging stations in our portfolio. We see these stations as an important service to offer our tenants and visitors, and will be expanding our deployment of electric vehicle charging stations in 2012.