Michelin's Midwest Distribution Center is LEED Certified

Dec. 15, 2016

The Michelin North America Inc. distribution center in Wilmington, Ill. has earned the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) gold certification.

The LEED green building rating system is a benchmark for the design and construction of high-performing buildings that meet certain important green building standards.

"Together, the team working on this project was able to find opportunities at the early stages of design for sustainability and efficiency and implement them by employing a creative approach to the facility's construction," says Pete Selleck, chairman and president of Michelin North America.

The distribution center, about the size of 30 football fields, is a single-story warehouse that serves Michelin customers in the Midwest region.

A few of the environmental features of the Michelin Midwest Distribution Center that led to the LEED Gold rating include:

  • optimized energy performance — The facility is projected to be 59% above a baseline energy model, with interior and exterior LED lighting contributing to much of the energy savings.
  • minimizing ozone depletion — The facility's heating and cooling systems ido not use CFC-based refrigerants, HCFCs or halons.
  • construction waste management — More than 92% of the building's construction debris was diverted from local landfills and recycled into new products.
  • water use reduction — The warehouse is able to achieve significant water savings through the installation of efficient plumbing fixtures for the toilets, showers and all sink faucets, all of which saves 44% of the facility's water when compared to the LEEDv3 water baseline. In addition, native and adaptive plants were selected for the outside landscaping, which eliminated the need for a permanent irrigation system.
  • recycled content — Post-consumer and pre-consumer products and material represent 30% of the cost of products used to construct the site, and include steel, concrete, drywall, carpet, doors and insulation.
  • green power — 35% of the building's projected energy use for at least the next two years will come from renewable sources.
  • alternative transportation — In a concerted effort to promote and encourage the use of bikes and low-emitting and fuel-efficient vehicles, Michelin and its builders reserved bike storage for 5% of the staff and visitors, and provided reserved parking spots for qualifying fuel saving cars.

For more information about Michelin, visit www.michelinman.com.