When you think of refrigerated and frozen foods, LEED certification is probably not the first thing that comes to mind. However, as refrigerated and frozen foods items are processed and packaged in energy-intensive manufacturing plants, there is a great connection.
LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), Washington, D.C., is said to be the world’s most widely used green building rating system. LEED provides a framework for identifying and implementing building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions. Manufacturing requires process energy, or energy for machines and industrial processes, that are separate from the traditional heating, cooling or lighting of a building. Process loads can be anywhere from 60-98% of the annual energy use for an industrial building, not to mention industrial water systems that require a great amount of water and energy.