ANAHEIM, Calif.
The Anaheim Convention Center has been awarded LEED Gold certification, a designation reserved for the world’s most sustainable buildings. The facility is the largest U.S. convention center to achieve LEED Gold certification. The Anaheim Convention Center first received LEED certification in 2010.
LEED, short for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is administered by the Washington, D.C.-based U.S. Green Building Council. LEED certification is the benchmark for buildings, homes and communities designed, built, maintained and operated for optimal environmental and human health.
The Anaheim Convention Center attained LEED Gold by scoring high in sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, indoor environmental quality and environmentally friendly practices.
“The Anaheim Convention Center is the West Coast’s premier gathering place with world-class facilities and neighboring attractions to match in the Anaheim Resort District,” said Tom Morton, executive director of convention, sports and entertainment for the city of Anaheim. “When groups come here, they [now will know] they are in one of the industry’s most sustainable convention centers.”
Opened in 1967, the Anaheim Convention Center has demonstrated a history of environmentally sustainable practices, including installation of more than 7,900 solar panels covering 300,000 square feet of the center’s roof and generating an estimated 3.6 million kilowatt hours of electricity annually.
Other sustainable features include:
- A Green Zone recycling and composting area that turns kitchen food scraps into nutrient-rich compost used throughout the Anaheim Resort District.
- A water and energy conservation program including low-flow equipment, compact fluorescents, LEDs and energy-efficient materials throughout the facility.
- Use of non-toxic cleaners and environmentally friendly products.
- Nearly 75 percent of waste generated is diverted from landfills each year.
The Anaheim Convention Center continues its commitment to sustainability and high-performance spaces with construction of the center’s seventh expansion, set to complete in 2017.
The expansion will add 200,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, allowing the Anaheim Convention Center to grow with its biggest shows and meet industry demands for space that can serve a variety of functions, including specialized conferences, break-out sessions, workshops and galas.
With an additional 200,000 square feet of leasable space and a 10,000-square-foot terrace, the expansion will overlook Katella Avenue and the Disneyland Resort with views of nightly fireworks.
Other features include 25-foot ceilings, 1,350 parking spaces, a climate-controlled pedestrian bridge connection to the center’s existing exhibit halls, new loading docks and improved vehicle flow.
The Anaheim Convention Center hosts more than one million attendees each year.
