By Monica Kanojia

The industrial industry is filled with unique and dynamic projects with substantially high process loads and resource consumption. This sector faces a different set of challenges in attaining sustainably built campuses. Owners must address compliance, regulations and safety of tenants in working towards their energy efficiency goals. This morning’s Industrial Facilities Connect & Learn at Greenbuild featured CBRE, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co, and Liberty Property Trust, three Better Buildings partners, who shared their experiences with planning and execution involved in accomplishing large scale sustainability.

Central themes revolved around researching standards, pre-planning and benchmarking using data available, and enabling quick adjustments by building out infrastructure for energy storage.

“Buildings are complex, yet simple at the same time,” according to Michael Strother of CBRE.

Strother noted that the advantage of having details nailed down like utility data and associated standards, technical specifications, and information about the construction site prior to the start of a project.

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. has a particular advantage in that collaboration within the brewery industry is common practice and learning from one another is what propels successful sustainable practices at respective breweries.

“Technical committees are established to share equipment and supplier information to further improve energy efficiency,” says Cheri Chastain of Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

Cheri also mentioned that efficiency has improved by 50% at various company sites.

With an overwhelming 105 million sq. ft. of property representing commercial and office space, Liberty Property Trust, an $8.6 billion real estate investment trust, touched on the importance of considerations for future advancement and a property’s ability to adapt quickly when technologies become available.

“We’re putting in electrical infrastructure that allows for the building out of energy storage, as well as net metering, despite the fact that necessary technology is not accessible in certain states that house our properties. We want to have the infrastructure ready and available for a quick turn around once they are,” explained William Grayson of Liberty Property Trust.

Asset contracts are now being signed for 20 years by the Trust and Grayson explained the importance of ensuring these properties are equipped to evolve, as are the tenants occupying them.

View more industrial solutions shared by partners in the Better Buildings Solution Center.