WALTHAM, Mass. -- National Grid today hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony to commemorate and celebrate the opening of its New England corporate office in the Reservoir Woods East office park at 40 Sylvan Road in Waltham, Mass.

Nearly 100 invited guests, including Massachusetts Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Ian Bowles, were on hand to participate in the ceremony and offer support for the company’s dedication to environmental protection, leadership in energy efficiency and commitment to reducing its carbon footprint. The company’s 312,000 sq. ft. energy saving workspace is believed to be among the region’s most energy-efficient facilities. The design and sustainable construction of the new facility is intended to earn the building a LEED gold rating.

  The U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating system is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings.

“I applaud National Grid’s leadership in demonstrating clean energy of all sorts in its own facility,” said Secretary Bowles.  “Green buildings are a key component of our clean energy future, and National Grid’s new corporate office employs the combination of energy efficiency and on-site renewable energy we need to cut greenhouse gas emissions, reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, and increase energy independence.”

Construction of National Grid’s three-story, mainly glass exterior facility began in June 2007 and incorporates numerous high-performance, energy-saving and environmentally-friendly features.  The facility centralizes and consolidates the company’s New England offices into a single facility and will house senior management for the company’s electricity and gas groups and many other administrative teams. 

More than 1,800 employees will work at the new facility.  Employees will begin occupying the building in shifts starting on May 26, 2009.  The move will be completed during late July.

“Our new facility is more than just the hub of New England corporate functions.  It is a symbol of transformation and growth that will help us meet our business needs and the needs of our customers well into the future.  This building also tangibly demonstrates our commitment to being an innovative leader in energy management and to safeguarding our environment and we are excited to be here, “ said Tom King, president of National Grid in the U.S.  “We are pleased to be part of the New England landscape and to occupy a building in which our employees can be proud, and enjoy a healthy, bright, sustainable environment that supports our National Grid culture.”

National Grid’s office includes the following energy saving and environmental features:

•           Optimized lighting that requires 40 percent less electricity than a code-compliant building in Mass.; occupancy sensors; task oriented lighting; and daylight sensors at workstations saving more than 800,000 kwh per year – enough to power 133 homes for one year

•           High efficiency heating and cooling systems with adaptable controls to sense outdoor and indoor temperatures

•           Water conservation measures that are expected to reduce water use by approximately 2.4 million gallons per year through use of dual-flush toilets; automatic sensor faucets and a recycled storm water system

•           Approximately 20,000 square feet of roof top solar power panels (736 photovoltaic cells)  that generate enough electricity to power about 30 homes each year and offsets 400,000 lbs. of CO2 annually

•           Exterior shading devices on southern facing exposures

•           A highly reflective white roof

•           Superior air quality systems that feature carbon dioxide sensors installed in ventilation ducts; air refreshed at a rate of 1 1/3 air changes per hour from outside air; all adhesives, sealants, paints and coatings contain low quantities of volatile organic compounds (VOC’s)

•           Sustainable materials: 28% of the materials and furnishing are recycled; 66% of the wood is sourced from sustainably-managed forests, including café floors made of rapidly renewable bamboo with environmentally preferable glue; carpet tiles consist of 42% pre-consumer recycled materials; workstation fabrics are made of 100% recycled content; recycled aluminum ceiling tiles that are manufactured regionally

•           More than 93% of construction waste was recycled

National Grid’s New England corporate office was designed and built in cooperation with Reservoir Woods developer Davis Marcus Partners; project manager Jones Lang LaSalle; interior architect Sasaki Associates; construction manager John Moriarty & Associates; mechanical engineers AHA Consulting Engineers, Inc. and base building architect ADD, Inc.

National Grid is an international energy delivery company. In the U.S., National Grid delivers electricity to approximately 3.3 million customers in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Rhode Island, and manages the electricity network on Long Island under an agreement with the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA). It is the largest distributor of natural gas in the northeastern U.S., serving approximately 3.4 million customers in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Rhode Island. National Grid also owns over 4,000 megawatts of contracted electricity generation that provides power to over one million LIPA customers.