No, they don't manufacture faucets, they don't run a major American airline, and they are not an elite special ops military unit. Headquartered in Taiwan, Delta Products Corp. is a global leader in switching power supply solutions, thermal management solutions, and DC brushless fans. Delta also earns "green" accolades the way Michael Phelps wins Olympic gold medals, so it's just natural that the company's new U.S. headquarters in Fremont, California, is designed to win platinum. LEED platinum, that is.
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"Since 2005, all of Delta's new buildings around the world have been built to sustainable standards," says Bruce Cheng, Delta's founder and honorary chairman. "In the past 10 years, we have commissioned the construction and renovation of 21 green buildings and shared our experiences at this year's Conference of Parties, more commonly referenced to as the COP21."
Delta's efforts haven't gone unnoticed. It has been selected as a member of Dow Jones Sustainability World Index for four consecutive years. In 2014, it was ranked by Carbon Disclosure Project on the highest A-level of the Climate Performance Leadership Index (CPLI), and it's the only organization from nearly 2,000 listed companies in Greater China that made it to the CPLI list. They're like green rock stars looking to top their last achievement. They may have done it with their new HQ in Fremont.
"Our new headquarters facility is designed and built to meet LEED 'platinum' standards with the ultimate goal of being net-zero," says Mike Gazzano, marketing manager for Delta Products. "The platinum standards go far beyond energy usage. In the construction process everything is scrutinized. The materials used, the materials supply chain, and the recycling of construction waste are all considered. Job site cleanliness is also an issue. At one point we couldn't even bring food or even coffee onto the site; it was water only. By all indications we will pass and become Fremont's first commercial LEED Platinum facility."
Gazzano isn't exaggerating one bit. Platinum standards delve into everything from water efficiency and impact on ecosystems to EV charging facilities and access to a variety of transportation options. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, is a green building certification program that recognizes best-in-class building strategies and practices. To receive LEED certification, building projects satisfy prerequisites and earn points to achieve different levels—certified, silver, gold, and platinum—of certification.
"It's quite extensive," admits Gazzano "It's not just a stamp-and-go thing."
Naturally, the project management aspect was equally challenging. Ruth Chao, Delta's general affairs manager, and M.S. Huang, president of Delta Americas, wrangled collaboration between the architect design team of J. J. Pan & Associates, local consulting architects Korth Sunseri Hagey, general contractor Vance Brown, and numerous LEED consultants, among others.
Basically, the entire facility itself is a life-sized testament to the company's overall dedication to environmental sensitivity and also serves as a fully functional showcase of Delta's energy management systems, building automation systems, and data center solutions, as well as EV charging and display and monitoring solutions.
In summary, while serving the IT, communications, industrial automation, renewable energy, lighting, power tool, automotive electric vehicle, and other major industries, many of Delta's products and solutions are incorporated into its Americas headquarters building, including:
• Solar photovoltaic (PV) inverters
• Energy-saving variable frequency drives
• Infrasuite Datacenter infrastructure solutions
• Elevator power-regeneration solutions
• Electric charging solutions, including EV chargers and the site management system (SMS)
• Wireless outdoor LED lighting system
• Real-time energy management and monitoring software Delta Energy Online
Part 1 of this series "Ford Motor Co. puts the pedal to the metal on alternative materials" can be found here.
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