In a first among MLB ballparks, Oracle Park–home of the San Francisco Giants–has received LEED Platinum Certification for an existing building from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).
This LEED Platinum Certification for an existing building makes Oracle Park the first major league ballpark to receive this honor and recognizes the Giants and its partners, Able Services and Goby, for their efforts to achieve sustainability and efficiencies in the daily operations of Oracle Park.
Oracle Park and the Giants received the certification, in the areas of sustainable sites; water efficiency; energy and atmosphere; materials and resources; indoor environmental quality; innovation in design; and location and transportation.
The Giants are no strangers to the LEED Certification process having received both Silver (2010) and then Gold (2015) Certification in the past decade for their concerted efforts to conserve power and water, recycle waste and implement renewable energy sources and programs at Oracle Park.
Programs and measures implemented at Oracle Park to earn LEED Platinum Certification included:
• Investing energy credits – Oracle Park is offsetting 50 percent of its energy use;
• Implementing an ongoing commissioning plan that ensures continued operational efficiency;
• Demonstrating a more than 75 percent reduction in conventional commuting trips for employees;
• Instituting water efficient landscaping – resulting in a more than 50 percent reduction in water usage from improved irrigation technology systems;
• Improving water efficiency in domestic water fixtures which include toilets and urinals;
• Diverting more than 94 percent of waste from landfill through an aggressive recycling and composting program; and
• Installing LED Field Lights for over 55 percent energy reduction in field lighting.
“For years, the San Francisco Giants have been steadfast in their pursuit of a sustainable environment at Oracle Park,” said Paul Hanlon, Major League Baseball’s Senior Director of Ballpark Operations and Sustainability. “Through their extensive recycling and environmental efforts, which includes consistently recording waste diversion numbers of 94 percent and greater since 2012, the Giants have achieved the impressive feat of having Oracle Park receive the first LEED Platinum Certification among MLB ballparks, and thus continuing to be a leader throughout all of sports. We commend their efforts, and look forward to their continued growth.”
Created by the USGBC, the LEED program was designed to guide and distinguish high performance buildings that have less of an impact on the environment, are healthier for those who use the building and are more profitable than their environmental counterparts.
“We have been committed since opening this park 19 years ago to making it the most sustainable and greenest ballpark in the country. From the time we opened our gates, we have been working to achieve LEED silver, gold and now platinum certification. We could not have accomplished this without our partners, employees and fans. We will continue to refine and reevaluate our sustainability and efficiency practices to remain an environmental leader in the operation of Oracle Park,” said Jorge Costa, Giants’ Senior Vice President of Operations and Facilities for Oracle Park.
Photo by Mark Cryan.