Pearl River Tower passes LEED-CS platinum certification

An environmentally-smart building Pearl River Tower that stands as a landmark within the Guangzhou skyline, has passed LEED-CS platinum certification - the highest LEED rating, thus becoming a big draw to multinational enterprises. The 71-storey skyscraper is the first project in Guangzhou that achieves the LEED-CS platinum certification. So far, it has been home to a number of well-known multinational enterprises. They include ABB (China), Otis (China), Carrier, SGD Asia Pacific, Regus, Ford Motor, HBA Design, Alpine Electronics (China), Chugai Pharma, PCM (China), Jotun Group, CITIC Securities, Shenyin & Wanguo Securities, CNINSURE Inc., China Railway Oil, China Huaneng and Ping An Group. Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) in 1998, LEED or Leadership in Energy & Environment Design, is internationally recognized as a green building rating system that sets up the benchmark in project planning, design, construction, operation, and maintenance. It is the most systematic and influential assessment standard for measuring building sustainability. Having attained the rigorous level of LEED certification, the Pearl River Tower is considered as China's first true green skyscraper and labeled the greenest building in China. Rising at the heart of Pearl River New City, the tower has garnered global attention by virtue of its innovative green initiatives, including the design concept of zero energy consumption. At 309 meters with 71 floors, the tower redefines what is possible in sustainable design by incorporating an array of cutting-edge eco-friendly technologies and engineering advancements. It is the collaboration between structural architecture and sustainable engineering practices that allow a project such as Pearl River Tower to become reality. A series of sustainable design and engineering elements, including radiant ceiling cooling system, solar panels, double-glazing curtain wall, demand-based ventilation air, and daylight responsive controls all contribute to the building's energy efficiency. While many of these sustainable attributes have been incorporated individually into skyscrapers around the world, the Pearl River Tower design represents the first time that they are used collectively, and thus it has been described as "one of the world's most energy-efficient commercial office towers" by Wall Street Journal and "world's greenest tower" by BBC. The holistic sustainable architecture, engineering solutions and unique building form all come together to make the Pearl River Tower one of the most innovative skyscrapers in the world.