Demand Management, Energy Efficiency, Solar, Sourcing Renewables  -  December 6, 2016

LinkedIn opens net zero energy building in California

LinkedIn Corp. recently announced the completed transformation of a 40,000-square-foot building it owns to a net-zero energy site, various news outlets have reported. 

According to San Jose, Calif.-based newspaper The Mercury News, the business-oriented social networking company recently held a grand opening of the building, which LinkedIn said generates enough onsite energy to power all its operations including light, heating, cooling and appliances. The newspaper reported Nov. 29 that the building features 778 solar panels as well as skylights and LED lighting.

The newspaper reported:

The skylights allow some areas of the building to house living trees and plant life. The building's theme is one of bringing the outdoors indoors. It was renovated from an old concrete building originally erected in the 1970s, according to LinkedIn officials.

"This is the first piece of property LinkedIn actually owns in Sunnyvale, so we have more control over what we can do with the building," The Mercury News reported Katie Ferrick, LinkedIn's senior manager of community relations, as saying. "Instead of tearing down and doing a big new building, we wanted to use the existing structure and bring natural light and sustainability features."

According to news reports, Integral Group is providing the design and analysis of the building; it and LinkedIn need to collect a full year of data before the building can be officially certified as net-zero energy. 

LinkedIn is in the process of being acquired by Microsoft Corp., the transaction is expected to close by year-end. 

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