Nova Scotia Power’s office building, located on the Halifax waterfront, has become the first building in Atlantic Canada to achieve LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) platinum certification.

“Achieving LEED platinum for our office building in Halifax is a significant milestone – and we are proud to share this success with our neighbours and entire city,” says David McGregor, general manager, technical and construction services for Nova Scotia Power. “With its location on the Halifax waterfront, the most important part of this success is the value it helps brings to our community, local businesses and city.”

Located at the site of a decommissioned thermal generating plant, the project led to the transformation of a local landmark. The building is now known to employees who work there as “1H,” named after the original electrical substation that operates there.

Construction of the new office building started in 2009.

Some of the unique features of the building include:

• Energy and water savings to the tune of approximately $650,000 a year.
• Harbour heat pumps use water straight from the Halifax harbour for heating and cooling purposes.
• Chilled beams in the building decrease energy use and increase thermal comfort.
• More than 75 per cent of occupied spaces have access to daylight, with occupancy and daylight sensors used throughout the building to reduce or eliminate unnecessary lighting.
• Rainwater is collected and recycled for use in and around the building.
• As the starting point of Halifax’s boardwalk, the building provides a new access point to the harbour.
• The boardwalk level of the building houses a cafeteria open to members of the public.
• The Discovery Centre, Nova Scotia’s hands-on science centre, will be relocating to the building in the future.