Co-operators earns zero carbon certification
By Adam Freill
Commercial Construction Green ConstructionCAGCB certified head office will embody the future of sustainable, climate-conscious building design in Canada.
Co-operators earns Zero Carbon Certification for corporate headquarters. (CNW Group/The Co-operators Group Limited)
The Co-operators new head office has earned Zero Carbon Building – Design Standard certification from the Canada Green Building Council (CAGBC). The building, which is currently being built in Guelph, Ont., by Cooper Construction, is scheduled to open in the summer of 2024
The 226,000 sq. ft facility will feature an all-electric design that will eliminate direct carbon emissions from any on-site source, meaning no retrofits or decarbonization plan will be required as the organization progresses toward its net-zero targets.
The insurance firm says that the building has been designed to be highly energy-efficient and to minimize indirect annual carbon emissions from electricity, offsetting any remaining emissions through high-quality carbon offsets or carbon-free renewable energy. Embodied carbon emissions resulting from construction, manufacturing, transportation, and disposal of all building materials are also being reduced or offset.
“Achieving the Zero Carbon Building – Design Standard certification for our national headquarters is a strong reflection of our values and vision to catalyze sustainability in our society,” said Shawn Fitzgerald, vice-president workplace services at Co-operators. “This building is a compelling demonstration of imagination and innovation that will be required as we build for a more sustainable future in Canada. We have an important role to play in mitigating the risks of climate change in a direct and meaningful way, helping move Canada and the world towards a net zero emissions future.”
“With this certification, Co-operators joins a growing list of forward-thinking organizations investing in the future through zero carbon buildings,” said Thomas Mueller, CAGBC president and CEO. “Our made-in-Canada and globally recognized zero-carbon building standards provide tangible ways for organizations like Co-operators to realize their sustainability targets.”
Features of Co-operators new building include a 282-kW rooftop solar array that is expected to generate approximately nine per cent of the total annual building energy consumption, automatic tinting windows, a tight building envelope design, a heat recovery and redistribution system throughout the building, and LED lighting equipped with occupancy and daylight harvesting sensors.
In addition to Zero Carbon Building – Design Standard certification, the building is also targeting LEED Gold and WELL Platinum certifications.
