August 4, 2017

The International Convention Centre Sydney has been awarded LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold certification.

LEED-certified buildings are resource efficient. They use less water and energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

LEED Gold certification recognises ICC Sydney’s sustainability credentials including:

• Reuse of 100,000 cubic meters of concrete from the original brownfield site
• Use of 96 per cent recycled steel in its Exhibition Halls
• Highly efficient Central Energy Plant and Building Management systems
• Australia’s largest electric car charging station for 25 vehicles
• A community funded solar array, the nation’s largest in a CBD, providing 5 per cent of the venue’s energy – enough to power 100 homes.

Appointed by construction manager Lendlease, A.G. Coombs was the sole mechanical and HVAC services provider for the construction of the redeveloped Convention building and the new Exhibition and Theatre buildings that make up the ICC complex, with the three delivered simultaneously.

LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is an internationally recognised green building certification system operated by the US Green Building Council. This process offers third-party verification that a building or community was designed and built using strategies aimed at reducing energy and water usage, promoting better indoor air quality, and improving quality of life.

In order for a building project to earn LEED Certification, it must meet certain criteria and goals within the following categories:

• Location and Transportation – how close the project is to mass transit
• Materials and Resources – use locally sourced, sustainable products
• Water Efficiency – reduce potable water usage
• Energy and Atmosphere – improve energy performance and indoor air quality
• Sustainable Sites – utilise nearby natural resources and ecosystems that can naturally take part of the design, minimising environmental pollution
• Regional Priority Credits – addressing a particular concern based on location
• Innovation – any idea not covered under the main LEED areas

The LEED rating and certification system is the industry’s gold-standard for environmentally sustainable building and is recognised industry-wide by architects, engineers, developers, and other building professionals. There are currently 118 convention centres registered worldwide with LEED ratings, of which only 30 are gold certified.

More information on LEED certification is available at the U.S. Green Building Council website.

More information on the ICC’s LEED Gold certification is available at ICC Sydney website and the U.S. Green Building Council website

More information on the ICC and its energy efficient HVAC and mechanical services.