OREANDA-NEWS. May 31, 2013. McKesson Specialty Health, supported by McKesson Corporation, announced that its office in The Woodlands, Texas has been awarded LEED® Certification, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. The LEED rating system, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), is the foremost program for buildings, homes and communities that are designed, constructed, maintained and operated for improved environmental and human health performance.

The McKesson Specialty Health office in The Woodlands, Texas, located at 10101 Woodloch Forest, is managed by PM Realty Group (PMRG), a national, full-service commercial real estate firm. With approximately 640 people based in the 200,000 square foot office building, it is important to both organizations to be as environmentally conscious and energy efficient as possible.

“It really is amazing how just a small change here and there can make huge differences,” said Brad Faber, director of Facility Operations, McKesson Specialty Health. “For example, managing lighting as well as heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems to support actual office activity rather than relying on rigid schedules will reduce the amount of energy needed to support comfortable and productive operations. Watering the landscaping based on actual evaporation and rainfall data instead of delivering a set amount of water on a pre-determined schedule will improve the health of plants and conserve resources. Simple initiatives, such as these, all contribute to a high-quality space for our employees and guests plus demonstrate responsible resource utilization. We are proud that this facility is part of a select group of sustainable and innovative buildings that are LEED-certified.”

The Woodlands building achieved LEED certification for implementing practical and measurable strategies and solutions aimed at achieving high performance in: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.

“The green building movement offers an unprecedented opportunity to respond to the most important challenges of our time, including global climate change, dependence on non-sustainable and expensive sources of energy and threats to human health,” said Tick Fedrizzi, president, CEO & founding chair, U.S. Green Building Council. “The work of innovative building projects such as the McKesson Specialty Health office in The Woodlands is a fundamental driving force in the green building movement.”

Over 44,000 projects are currently participating in the commercial and institutional LEED rating systems, comprising over 8 billion square feet of construction space in all 50 states and 120 countries.

The McKesson Specialty Health office in The Woodlands, Texas is a state-of-the-art facility which includes a fitness center with virtual trainer, an on-site cafe, TelePresence video conferencing and emergency operations capabilities. The Woodlands building was awarded the Energy Star by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and is designed and built in a manner that reduces energy usage. The design principles that make energy conservation possible include such things as installing a white roof to reflect heat, utilizing plumbing fixtures that operate with low water usage and installing light fixtures that provide sufficient light while consuming less energy. USGBC recognized these principles as well as several others that allow the building to be all-around environmentally conscience including using natural, non-fragrant cleaners, implementing a recycling program, and using an Energy Management System that automates the air conditioning units, which reduces electricity usage by more than 25 percent.