LoyaltyOne Solar Facility

LoyaltyOne, Inc. owner and operator of Canada’s premiere coalition loyalty program, the AIR MILES Reward Program, celebrated the opening of its new customer call centre, at 6696 Financial Drive in Mississauga on December 9, 2009. The 51,000 square foot building which is managed by Bentall LP boasts the largest rooftop solar panel installation in Canada. The interior and exterior of the building has been built towards Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) CI Gold standard and LEED CS Silver standard certification respectively.

Exterior Features

The facility hosts 800 photovoltaic solar panels located on the rooftop and the adjacent carport. The panels generate 165 kilowatts of power, enough to meet the energy needs of the building and the equivalent to the amount of energy needed to power 16 average sized homes in mississauga.

Other environmentally conscious exterior features include:

:* A TPO roof membrane that reduces heat build up

:* Preferential parking for carpooling and fuel efficient cars

:* A bicycle storage room and change rooms

:* Rainwater collection in underground cisterns for irrigation purposes

:* Daylight sensor controlled lighting

:* Exterior light fixtures that do not emit light beyond the property border, reducing light pollution

:* A smoke-free environment both inside and outside the facility (the smoking area is located 75 feet from all entrances)

:* Indigenous plants used in the landscaping, resulting in 50% less water consumption for irrigation purposes

Interior Features

The interior of the building is designed to reduce energy usage by 15% and water usage by 30%, compared to a conventional building. The environmentally conscious interior features include:

:* Panoramic windows and 52 solar tubes that maximize natural light

:* Exposed solar inverters in the communal rooms to support employee and guest solar power education

:* A recycling program that includes organics and coffee cup recycling

:* On-site videoconferencing technology to reduce travel between offices

:* A solar thermal system that uses four solar panels to supplement domestic hot water requirements

:* Implementation of a green cleaning program to LEED EB standards with HEPA filters on all vacuums, and the use of biodegradable, Environmental Choice Program or Green Seal certified products