(NAPSA)—Thedoor has opened a bit wider for buildings that are friendly to the environment. Ground wasrecently broken for a facility that, when completed, aims to be the most environmentally friendly automobile dealership in the country. The Tamiami Automotive Group announced plans to relocate and expand to a building that will achieve the prestigious Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) “Gold Certification.” Following The LEED The LEED Green Building Rating System is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings. It was developed by the U.S. Green Building Council, a 10,000- member nonprofit building trade organization, which has developed the LEED system to promote a whole-building approach to sustainability. LEED recognizes per- formance in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energyefficiency, materials selection and indoor environment. Plans For Incentives In conjunction with the event, Chrysler announced plans to give other dealers in its network incentives to pursue LEED certification. The Chrysler program will give support to dealers interested in obtaining LEEDcertification in their efforts in everything from A window of opportunity to protect the environment is this 400,000-square-foot building, which, when completed, will be the most environmentally friendly in the country. design and materials choices to landscaping and energy management systems. Specific examples of sustainable design principles would include: Selecting paints, sealants and adhesives with low levels of polluting volatile organic compounds. Using heating and air-conditioning components that avoid ozone-depleting refrigerants. Increasing the insulation performance of the exterior, including high-performanceglass. Providing energy management and monitoring systems. And harvesting storm water runoff for landscapeirrigation. Manyof Chrysler’s facilities already use several of these concepts. The program would also give recognition to dealers who are leaders in environmental activism.
