“Firstly, the white roof is reflective and helps keep the building from getting hot in the summer,” Bayles says. “The HVAC system utilizes a building management umbrella system to control units so they are only running when needed, and the overall facility has a positive pressure design to keep rooms from drawing undesired hot or cold air into adjacent areas.”

Energy-efficient lighting

FullBloom started toward LEED certification in 2006 and received platinum status in April 2010.

Photo courtesy of FullBloom Baking Co.

Lighting is another area in which bakeries can implement LEED principles without getting involved in the entire certification process. Greg Carr, AIA, LEED AP architect for The Austin Co., says he has noticed an increase in companies addressing energy-efficient lighting.

“Clearly, throughout the industry, most bakers have gone through and changed their lighting to save energy,” he says. Robinson agrees, noting that businesses are looking beyond CFLs and LEDs when it comes to revamping their lighting systems.

“Clients are attempting to turn lights out and use skylights,” he explains. He cautions against getting too enthusiastic when adding the ceiling windows, however. “There's a calculation to determine the number of skylights to install. If you put too many skylights in, your heating bill goes up.”

LEED certification is an impressive goal and achievement, and bakeries that earn it deserve a great deal of praise. But bakeries can create a sustainable work environment without embarking on the entire LEED certification process. Adopting LEED principles alone can result in more efficient production, reduced energy use and more sustainable business practices, the benefits of which should be worth the effort.

Bringing bakers closer to LEED principles

By implementing the following sustainable practices, bakers can maximize energy use and reduce waste:

• Favor plant locations served by natural gas power plants rather than coal-fed; those served by rail and those with high potential for wind and solar power in the future
• Minimize waste; recycle where possible; pre-treat remaining effluent on site
• Find ways to reduce the production of hydrofluorocarbons at the plant
• Use ammonia-based refrigeration systems
• Maximize use of daylight in production areas so interior lighting is minimally used
• Fine tune ventilation rates; use spot cooling
• Make waste heat recovery work for you (preheat oven combustion air, preheat water from oxidizer heat, warm the proof box/fermentation room, use waste heat at tray washers, etc.)
• Use multi-stage C.I.P. to reduce water usage
• Use systems level metering
• Watch for leaks in compressed air systems

Source: The Austin Co. Irvine, Calif.

FullBloom Baking Co. Newark, Calif., certified LEED platinum

The following practices and programs helped FullBloom Baking Co., Newark, Calif., achieve LEED certification:

• Added bike racks to support alternative transportation
• Provided preferred parking spaces for fleet of Priuses and other hybrid vehicles
• Used water efficient landscaping
• Reduced water use by 42.8 percent from baseline design
• Selected refrigerants and HVAC that minimize the ozone depletion
• Green power: 100 percent of building's electrical usage provided by renewable sources
• Building reuse: 98.3 percent of existing wall, floor and roof elements have been retained
• Building reuse, non-structural: maintained 73.9 percent of existing interior non-structural elements
• Construction waste management: diverted 130 tons of site-generated construction waste from landfills
• Resource reuse: used salvaged, refurbished or reused materials
• Recycled content: 12.5 percent of total building materials manufactured using recycled materials
• Rapidly renewable materials: extracted, harvested or recovered 19 percent of total building material within 500 miles of facility
• Outdoor air delivery monitoring: No high-density spaces require CO2 monitoring
• Increased ventilation: Outdoor air ventilation increased by 30 percent for all occupied spaces
• Low emitting materials: all indoor adhesive and sealant products comply with VOC limits, including paints, carpet systems, composite wood and agrifiber
• Thermal comfort design
• Innovation in design for major equipment reuse; CCOP certification for organic; composting of food waste; employee input for design
• Daylight views: 92 percent of occupied seated spaces have direct line of sight views