In the United States, buildings account for nearly 70 percent of electricity consumption and 40 percent of energy use of all types. Buildings are responsible for almost 40 percent of the country’s carbon dioxide emissions. The Fermilab site includes more than 100 buildings greater than 5000 square feet. Fermilab has a goal of improving 17 percent of existing buildings to meet the Guiding Principles, a set of established criteria for federal facilities to design, construct and operate high-performance sustainable buildings. New buildings are designed to the Guiding Principles for New Construction, taking into consideration energy efficiency, conserving resources, and providing comfortable and healthy environments for occupants. In addition, the Illinois Accelerator Research Center’s Office, Technology and Education Building is LEED Gold certified and the Grid Computing Center is Energy Star certified.
