Everything's coming up green

FAYETTE COUNTY, GEORGIA - Fayette County Community Action Agency has opened the first green building in Uniontown.

"People have been asking me, 'What the heck is a green building?'," said James Stark, the CEO of Fayette County Community Action Agency. It's another name for an environmentally friendly building designed to cut operation costs and reduce carbon emissions and other waste that could be hazardous to the environment.

The 18,000-square-foot facility at 108 N. Beeson Ave. is fitted with bicycle storage, changing room, alternative fuel vehicle parking with charging station, special parking for car pooling, reduced heat island roof (painted white to reflect heat), water efficient landscaping, two flush toilets, waterless urinals, sensor-controlled faucets, optimized energy use, use of solar panels for power and hot water, a geothermal heat pump, sensor-controlled lighting and more.

"And it's powered by wind power, too," said Gregory R. Asbee, a graduate architect for Altman and Altman, the architectural firm that designed the building. Asbee said all the products used in the building were purchased locally to cut down on vehicle waste.

An estimated 95 percent of the materials from the demolition of the previous structure was recycled in some way. Along with the environmental benefits of the building, the heat sources and water usage will save on monthly utility bills and the building is healthier for employees and those who visit the site.

The indoor qualities include no tobacco smoking, carbon dioxide monitoring, continuous fresh air, indoor air quality measures, low VOC emitting materials with the use of specialized adhesives and sealants and paints, indoor chemical and pollutant source control and thermal comfort controls every 1,000 square feet.

"I went on a tour of this building, and I'm very impressed," said state Rep. Tim Mahoney, who added that the features of the new building go hand in hand with the services that the FCCAA provides the poor and elderly in the area. State Rep. Ted Harhai is familiar with green buildings. One was recently dedication in Monessen. "This is a growing movement, not a passing fad," Harhai said.

"These projects are valuable, and they benefit the community." Fayette County Commissioner Vincent Vicites said it was great to see more development happening in Fayette County, and lauded FCCAA. "They have a tremendous vision, and they're always looking to build," Vicites said.

"And now they have five buildings and one of them is a green building."

Uniontown Mayor James Sileo said the FCCAA has been instrumental in the process of the renovation of the Uniontown area and the resurgence of the local economy. "Uniontown has a bright, bright future," Sileo said.

Related News

power transformer heat use

National Grid and SSE to use electrical transformers to heat homes

LONDON - Thousands of homes could soon be warmed by the heat from giant electricity grid transformers for the first time as part of new plans to harness “waste heat” and cut carbon emissions from home heating.

Trials are due to begin on how to capture the heat generated by transmission network transformers, owned by National Grid, to provide home heating for households connected to district heating networks operated by SSE.

Currently, hot air is vented from the giant substations to help cool the transformers that help to control the electricity running through National Grid’s high-voltage transmission lines.

However, if the trial succeeds,…

READ MORE
ford transit van

Ford announces an all-electric Transit cargo van

READ MORE

china electric bus

Why electric buses haven't taken over the world—yet

READ MORE

Most Energy Will Come From Fossil Fuels, Even In 2040

READ MORE

bc powerlines

Clean B.C. is quietly using coal and gas power from out of province

READ MORE