Penn State's Policy
Penn State requires that all new and renovated facilities be LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified.
The U.S. Green Building Council Central Pennsylvania (USGBC Central Pennsylvania) honored the Penn State Office of Physical Plant (OPP) with its Sustainable Leader of the Year award in November 2016. OPP was among several organizations and individuals honored with one of USGBC Central Pennsylvania’s Forever Green awards.
The Sustainable Leader of the Year award is given to a company or institution that has demonstrated outstanding commitment to the LEED rating system. As a result of OPP’s commitment to have all new construction and major renovations at University Park, the Commonwealth campuses and Hershey Medical Center meet LEED standards, there are more than 40 LEED-certified buildings at Penn State campuses.
In addition, OPP’s commitment led to several firsts for the Business Building, which was dedicated in 2005 and is home to the Smeal College of Business. The Business Building is the first building to be certified through LEED v4 at any higher education institution in Pennsylvania, the first LEED v4 project in general in the 34-county Central Pennsylvania region and the first LEED v4 Existing Building certification at Penn State.
About LEED
LEED is a rating system for sustainable building development. LEED-certified buildings must meet high standards for indoor air quality, energy efficiency, and water conservation. They must also feature recycled, renewable, or locally-sourced materials. LEED is administered by the U.S. Green Building Council, a nonprofit coalition of building industry leaders headquartered in Washington, DC. There are four levels of certification: Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Certified.
Completed LEED Projects
updated Dec. 12, 2018
| Building | Campus Location | Certification Status | Certification Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biobehavioral Health Building | University Park | Certified | 2016 |
| CEDAR Building Renovation | University Park | Certified | 2015 |
| Hershey Medical Center Cancer Institute | Hershey | Certified | 2011 |
| Medlar Field at Lubrano Park | University Park | Certified | 2007 |
| Moore Building Addition | University Park | Certified | 2014 |
| Moore Renovation | University Park | Certified | 2015 |
| Nittany Lion Softball Park | University Park | Certified | 2012 |
| Worthington Scranton Business Building | Worthington Scranton | Certified | 2010 |
| "Building 10,000" Residence Hall at Penn State Harrisburg (Watch the Video!) | Harrisburg | Silver | 2010 |
| Dickinson Law School | Carlisle | Silver | 2012 |
| HHD Building | University Park | Silver | 2016 |
| IM Building Addition (Phase II) | University Park | Silver | 2015 |
| Lewis Katz Building | University Park | Silver | 2009 |
| Nittany Apartments V | Schuylkill | Silver | |
| North Frear Building | University Park | Silver | 2010 |
| Student Health and Counseling Services Building | University Park | Silver | 2010 |
| Wilkes Barre Academic Commons | Wilkes Barre | Silver | 2010 |
| Borland Building | University Park | Gold | 2009 |
| Business Building* | University Park | Gold | 2015 |
| Gaige Technology and Business Innovation Building | Berks | Gold | 2012 |
| IM Building (Phase I) | University Park | Gold | |
| Millenium Science Complex | University Park | Gold | 2013 |
| Pegula Ice Arena | University Park | Gold | 2015 |
| Recreation Hall Addition | University Park | Gold | 2008 |
| Stuckeman Family Building | University Park | Gold | 2007 |
| Child Care Center at Hort Woods | University Park | Platinum | 2013 |
| Eva J. Pell Laboratory for Advanced Biological Research | University Park | Certified | 2013 |
| Burrowes Renovation | University Park | Silver | 2014 |
| Cooper/Hoyt Hall | University Park | Silver | 2016 |
| Earle Hall | University Park | Silver | 2018 |
| Ewing/Cross Hall | University Park | Silver | 2016 |
| Forest Resources Building | University Park | Silver | 2007 |
| Haller/Lyons Hall | University Park | Certified | 2016 |
| Hibbs Stephens Hall | University Park | Certified | 2016 |
| IM Building Addition (Phase III) | University Park | Silver | 2018 |
| Robert and Sally Metzgar Alumni & Admissions Welcome Center | Erie | Certified | 2012 |
| Chace Hall | University Park | Certified | 2016 |
| Orchard Hall | Brandywine | Silver | 2018 |
| Steidle Building Renewal | University Park | Silver | 2018 |
| Stuart Hall | University Park | Silver | 2018 |
| Data Center* | University Park | Certified | 2016 |
| Educational Activities | Harrisburg | Silver | 2016 |
| Lions Gate Apartments | Schuykill | Gold | 2018 |
| Hershey Medical Center Children's Hospital | Hershey | Certified | 2011 |
*All buildings on this list were certified under Building Design & Construction - New Construction excluding the Business Building and Data Center at University Park. The Business Building was certified under Existing Building - Operations and Maintenance and the Data Center was certified under Building Design & Construction - Data Center .
LEED Projects In Progress
updated Dec 12, 2018
| Building | Campus Location |
|---|---|
| Erie Residence Hall | Harrisburg |
| South Frear | University Park |
| South Halls Master Site | University Park |
| Greenburg Inddor Sports Renovation | University Park |
| HUB Addition and Renovation | University Park |