Sustainability

TENANT SUSTAINABILITY ADVANTAGE
Performance Court – 150 Elgin is LEED Gold Core + Shell certified. This certification provides many tangible benefits to tenants, including improved water efficiency, reduced energy consumption (ie. lower utility costs), lower carbon emissions, and improved indoor air quality for building occupants. There’s a reason the building is called Performance Court.

As an urban infill site in downtown Ottawa, Performance Court is easily accessible by transit, bicycle and by foot. In fact, WalkScore.com gives 150 Elgin Street 97/100 and calls the location a “Walker’s Paradise.” Similarly, WalkScore.com awards the site a Transit Score of 90, making the location a “Rider’s Paradise” with world-class public transportation. As comparison, WalkScore.com ranks New York City first in its ranking of U.S. public transit systems with an overall score of only 81.

This means that tenants and visitors to the building will have the flexibility to choose a variety of transportation options, as well as benefit from being within walking distance from restaurants, coffee shops, parks, banks, entertainment venues and other amenities. A car is not necessary for daily activities.

To further promote low-carbon commuting, Performance Court offers reserved underground parking for low-emission vehicles, as well as showers and secured bicycle parking for velocommuters.

Inside Performance Court, only materials with low volatile organic compound (VOC) levels were used in the base building finishes to ensure that air quality and tenant comfort remain at the highest levels. An indoor air quality management plan was also put in place during the construction phase to ensure that the mechanical systems remain free of pollutants and ready for tenant use.

But perhaps most noticeable to occupants of the building is the views and daylight. Performance Court – 150 Elgin was designed with compact floor plate sizes to ensure that more people have access to views and natural light. The building is equipped with daylight sensors so that when the sun is shining the lights know when to turn off – in turn reducing energy costs for tenants. To reduce water consumption, native and drought resistant plant material is be used throughout the building, including the Elgin Pocket Park and on the 7th floor public roof top terrace.

A cistern is situated beneath the Elgin Pocket Park in order to capture rainwater falling on the building. This rainwater is reused for sanitary plumbing on the lower floors of the building, reducing the need to consume potable water. Combined with ultra low flow fixtures, the goal is to reduce potable water usage by 50% relative to the LEED reference building.

Extensive energy metering was deployed throughout the building so that consumption levels can be measured in real time. This helps to ensure that the building systems are always operating optimally and that Performance Court – 150 Elgin is delivering on its commitment to performance.

ENERGY CONSUMPTION
Performance Court – 150 Elgin targeted 45% reduction in energy consumption relative to the Model National Energy Code for Buildings (MNECB), which is the base case used in the LEED program.

Based on preliminary studies performed by Enermodal Engineering (shown in the diagram to the left), Performance Court – 150 Elgin is expected to consume as little as 16 ekWh per square foot, compared to 29 ekWh per square foot for the MNECB base case building and 40 ekWh per square foot for the average Ontariooffice building! Compared to an average office building, tenants at Performance Court could see over $1 per square foot in savings on utility costs.

*It should also be noted that Performance Court surpasses the Real Property Association of Canada’s (REALpac) target of 20 ekWh per square foot by 2015 for office buildings. **Energy studies were performed by Enermodal Engineering in April 2011 and are based on $0.08/kWh of electricity and $0.23/m3 of natural gas.

Performance Court – 150 Elgin targeted 45% reduction in energy consumption relative to the Model National Energy Code for Buildings (MNECB), which is the base case used in the LEED program. Based on preliminary studies performed by Enermodal Engineering (shown in the diagram to the left), Performance Court – 150 Elgin is expected to consume as little as 16 ekWh per square foot, compared to 29 ekWh per square foot for the MNECB base case building and 40 ekWh per square foot for the average Ontariooffice building! Compared to an average office building, tenants at Performance Court could see over $1 per square foot in savings on utility costs. *It should also be noted that Performance Court surpasses the Real Property Association of Canada’s (REALpac) target of 20 ekWh per square foot by 2015 for office buildings. **Energy studies were performed by Enermodal Engineering in April 2011 and are based on $0.08/kWh of electricity and $0.23/m3 of natural gas.

CARBON FOOTPRINT
In addition to cost savings, reducing energy consumption also has significant benefits for the environment: it reduces carbon emissions.

As shown on the diagram to the left, translating energy consumption levels to carbon emissions means that the average Ontario office building produces 7.9 kg of carbon per square foot. By reducing energy consumption at PerformanceCourt by 45% relative to the MNECB base case building, carbon emissions could be as low as 1.9 kg per square foot.

**Carbon studies were performed by Enermodal Engineering in April 2011 and are based on 0.22 kg/kWh of electricity and 0.18 kg/kWh of natural gas.