The shopping center uses energy-efficient heating-cooling systems, reflective roofs that deflect heat, and a porous concrete that allows stormwater to drain into the soil. The center is highly insulated, and developers stayed away from synthetic stucco. Some 5.5 million gallons of rainwater is captured off rooftops and used to irrigate the center’s landscaping.
All stores were designed to allow sunlight as the primary source of illumination in daytime. “The effect is the tenants don’t need to operate lights in daylight hours,” Peacock said.
The total added cost for all the green elements at Abercorn Common?
“It’s not a tremendous amount,” Peacock says. “Not even 1 percent of construction.” The U.S. Green Building Council estimates that most efforts add 2 percent to construction.
Construction continues at Abercorn Common. Next up is an outbuilding, with 10,000 square feet of sedum on the rooftop and solar panels to heat water, eliminating associated electrical costs. “We wanted to try something different,” Peacock says, “and we didn’t see why it couldn’t work.”
That sentiment is echoed by Dodd, operator of the green McDonald’s
“We’re trying to make a statement to the public that you can go green without spending too much green,” Dodd says.