Sustainable 50 UNP

As part of GSA’s commitment to create a more sustainable government, 50 UNP was designed to qualify for a LEED® Platinum Rating by the U.S. Green Building Council. 50 UNP is a high-performance, green building that uses primarily daylight and natural ventilation to regulate indoor air temperature.

Compared to conventional buildings, high-performance green buildings use less energy, water, and material resources. Green buildings also have better indoor environmental air quality. While sustainable systems define a green building, research shows that occupant behavior has significant impact on actual energy conservation. In fact, occupant behavior can affect energy consumption by 20 to 30 percent. Agency staff and tenants need to work together to reduce energy consumption.

Plug Load

Almost 20% of the total energy used in office buildings is attributed to plug load, which is the energy used by the items you have plugged in at your workstation.The amount of energy used by electronics, even when they are off, is significant. So, unplug items not in use including phone chargers.

Turn Off Lights and Fans

Turn off lights and fans when not needed and use daylight to your advantage. The The Building Systems Tab of the Electronic Tenant Handbook provides scenarios that explain how to effectively use sunlight and natural air ventilation to reduce the need for artificial lighting and heating.

Use task lights rather than overhead lighting. Turn them off when you leave your desk for meetings, lunch and at the end of the workday.

Dress For the Season

Also, dress for the climate. Wear short sleeves when it is warm and bring a sweater when your office space is chilly.

Recycle

Waste Diversion is a GSA performance measure closely tracked at 50 UNP. You will find separate receptacles provided for compost, recycling and landfill. So, please sort your trash properly before throwing it out. For sorting instructions refer to the Recycling tab.

Reduce Printing

Studies show, that for each ream of paper purchased you spend up to 31 times more in storage, copying, printing, postage, disposal, and recycling. This is in addition to the environmental costs created in the production stream. You can reduce these costs by printing as few copies as possible, and what you do print should utilize both sides of the paper.

No Storage Under Desks

The natural airflow system used to ventilate the building utilizes the open space beneath your desk to maintain a comfortable working climate. Please do not place anything below your desk that could block natural ventilation.

Monitor Your Sustainability on the Energy Dashboard

50 UNP has an energy dashboard located in the cafe that displays our environmental impact and energy usage in a format that is easy to understand for all tenants and visitors. This Dashboard displays key performance indicators such as water, electricity and Natural Gas usage in real time. Information is tracked on each floor, by quadrant, so you have the information you need to track and improve your organization’s impact on our achievement of sustainability goals.