Digital Park I, an office project developed by Penta Investments, has achieved LEED Platinum, the highest possible certification level, in the category of LEED Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance. It is the very first building in CEE to have received the highest level in this category, while in entire Europe there are only 9 buildings in total (7 in Germany, 1 in Italy and 1 in Sweden).
“This certificate is a reward for the ongoing hard work carried out by the entire building management team. The process of audit and certification lasted almost 2.5 years and will in the end result in energy savings, improvements of working environment, adherence to detailed management plans for maintenance of the building, greenery and outdoor areas, emphasising the use of environmentally friendly products and equipment,”says Štefan Puci, Senior Business Development Manager at Penta Investments.
Entire Digital Park has undergone a thorough audit and certification process, and in coming weeks Penta expects Digital Park II and III to receive also LEED Platinum certification same as Digital Park I.
“Quite detailed energy audit was carried out to further optimise operation and maintenance of the building and subsequently leading to energy savings in the coming years. The audit covered energy savings as well as improving the building’s work environment with regards to users comfort, bringing greater tenants satisfaction and better performance and health of people working in the building. These factors are an important part of Green Building quality since their impact on tenants operating costs are much more significant than energy savings,”says Lenka Matějíčková, Head of Sustainability Department at Arcadis, the company that advised Penta throughout the entire certification process.
The LEED rating system was established by the U.S. Green Building Council, with certificates awarded in different categories. Existing buildings are assessed using LEED EB: OM (Existing buildings: Operation and Maintenance). The system verifies that the building has been constructed and is operated with maximum care to the environment and human health. It evaluates a building’s operating processes, energy consumption, indoor environment quality for users and, not in the least, the behaviour of its tenants in regard to purchasing materials for ordinary consumption.