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News Release
Sept. 20, 2006
PNM Building Earns State’s First Silver LEED
Certification for New Building
Albuquerque: A new PNM building is the first in New Mexico to earn silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council using the Leadership in Energy and Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System. The office building is located in Albuquerque and houses 50 employees.
“This building is one example of how our company is seeking a more environmentally sustainable path, where we consider not just financial impacts of business decisions, but the environmental impacts as well,” said Jeff Sterba, Chairman, President and CEO of PNM Resources, an energy holding company located in Albuquerque. PNM is a subsidiary of PNM Resources.
To earn LEED certification a building must incorporate design features to make it energy efficient and environmentally friendly. Compared to a typical commercial building, this office building will:
- Use 50 percent less potable water for landscaping
- Require 60 percent less potable water for indoor uses
- Use 30 percent less energy for heating, cooling and lighting
- Comprise at least 10 percent recycled building materials.
The design also has attributes that improve working conditions. Each employee can control the flow of fresh air to his or her workspace from a register in the building’s raised floor. Employees are also able to adjust lighting to their personal preferences; 78 percent of the building is illuminated by natural daylight when the sun is shining. Carpeting, adhesives, sealants and cleaning materials are made of non-toxic materials. A green housekeeping program will also be implemented in the building.
Designing and building to LEED standards added approximately two to three percent to the upfront costs of the building, however PNM expects to recover that expense over the life of the building through savings on energy and water, and expected increases in worker productivity due to good working conditions.
The project team included Claudio Vigil Architects, Jaynes Corporation, Bridgers & Paxton Engineers, and Environmental Dynamics, Inc. as the LEED Accredited Professionals. Construction on the building was completed in January.
PNM is a subsidiary of PNM Resources, an energy holding company based in Albuquerque, N.M. PNM provides electric utility service to 426,000 customers and natural gas service to 481,000 customers in New Mexico. The company also sells power on the wholesale market in the West. PNM Resources stock is traded primarily on the NYSE under the symbol PNM. For more information, see the company's Web site at PNM.com.
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