A McDonald’s in Cary, NC has more in mind than making great hamburgers. In early 2009, the franchise in the Saltbox Village shopping center demolished its building in hopes of starting from the ground up to become LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified.
The store now saves on energy by using 78 percent less electricity for lighting. It is 97 percent lit with LED lights, covering the kitchen, hallways, restrooms, dining areas, entryways, and even the drive-thru. It also conserves water with low-flow toilets and planned landscaping with native plants.
The U.S. Green Building Council granted LEED certification in January, making the Cary franchise the first McDonald’s in North Carolina that has “gone green.” In fact, there are only two other LEED-certified McDonald’s in the country, located in Savannah, GA and Chicago, IL.
In a recent Lighting Roundup, we mentioned a few articles predicting 2010 will be the year for LEDs to explode on the commercial and residential market. Perhaps restaurants seeking LEED certification with more energy-efficient lighting will become a trend as well.
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by Emily Widle
Emily was the E-Commerce Marketing Specialist at Pegasus Lighting until June 2012.
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Good post, thanks
everyone should Go Green so that we can help the environment.“;
Going green is always the best thing to do. It helps the environment a lot.