CENTURY CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--For the third time, Watt Plaza has earned the highest possible LEED certification, attaining LEED Platinum from the U.S. Green Building Council. Watt Plaza achieved the highest possible rating under the most rigorous version of LEED (v4) to date due to ongoing improvements and sustainability commitments from all vendors servicing the building. The recertification demonstrates Watt Capital Partners’ commitment to operate sustainability and give the tenants of Watt Plaza a healthier, more comfortable space to work.
Watt Plaza was the first building in Century City to achieve LEED Platinum certification. The U.S. Green Building Council LEED Certification system is the nation’s benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of the world’s greenest, most energy-efficient and high-performing buildings.
“Sustainability has always been top-of-mind for us, and we are thrilled to see that reflected in Watt Plaza’s third LEED Platinum award, an international symbol of excellence,” said Nadine Watt, President of Watt Capital Partners. “The certification goes to show that a high-quality tenant experience can and should go hand and hand with sustainable initiatives and green development. Our building has been operational for 40 years, and we continue to seek new ways to remain a leader in sustainability.”
As part of the commitment to the health and wellness of building occupants, Watt Plaza recently under-went an extensive verification process to earn the UL Verified Healthy Building for Indoor Air and Water Mark. One of the most respected names in safety, security and sustainability for buildings, UL’s program demonstrates that Watt Plaza has excellent indoor air and water quality.
Watt Plaza embraced groundbreaking initiatives to reduce their environmental footprint. Realizing a reduction of over 91% in conventional transportation trips through telecommuting, an Alternative Commuting Transportation program, Watt Plaza is notably the first commercial office building in Century City to install electric vehicle charging stations in the parking facility to encourage the use of emission-free vehicles.
Watt Plaza achieved a 32% reduction in building water use through replacing fixtures with efficient alternatives. Notably, the building has 100% water free urinals and all toilets, faucets, and showers are water efficient.
Since the building underwent a complete third-party retro-commissioning of all its equipment and systems in 2016, ongoing functional performance testing and calibration has been integrated into daily operations to ensure building equipment and systems are running according to their setpoints and manufacturer settings. Watt Plaza views this as a crucial step to maintaining a high efficiency performance as the building ages.
Additional improvements include replacing lighting in all common areas with energy efficient LED, resulting in 640,000 kWh saved annually. This is equivalent to 107 homes and 48 automobiles not being used for a year. Occupancy Sensors were also installed throughout offices, common areas corridors, stairwells and restrooms, realizing a drop in electrical consumption by 690,000 kWh and improving the environment. The property engaged in LADWP Demand Response to support the power grid over the critical summer months when the grid is strained, committing to shedding 10% of the annual peak electricity demand during flex alerts, which equals over 200kW.
Thanks in part to these innovations, Watt Plaza has consistently achieved high Energy Star ratings each year since 2004. The building achieved an Energy Star rating of 97 out of 100 this year.
Besides decreasing energy use, Watt Plaza has made it a priority to reduce waste. In addition to e-waste, composting, battery, bulb and ballast recycling programs, Watt Plaza implemented a waste-diversion program that rerouted 56.91% of all building waste to a materials recovery facility. Watt Plaza also maintained a high diversion rate during construction projects of 82%. The waste generated by facility maintenance and renovations was diverted from landfills and is closely tracked.
Innovation is a top priority for Watt Plaza, during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the property implemented a program for occupants to safely re-enter workspaces and was awarded a Pilot credit for these efforts by LEED. The building was also awarded an innovation point for the extensive Green Building Education program from the website, newsletters, and earth day outreach.
To assist with the process, Watt Plaza enlisted the help of UL Solutions to perform LEED consulting and project management, as well as indoor air quality testing, ventilation testing, ASHRAE audits, and commissioning services.
ABOUT WATT CAPITAL PARTNERS
Rooted in the 75+ year legacy of Watt Companies’ founder, Ray Watt, Watt Capital Partners has over 25 years of experience owning and managing real estate on the West Coast. Watt Capital Partners believes “Do well by doing good” and is committed to providing real estate solutions that positively enhance the environment, sustainability, and community.
