KICC Awarded LEED Silver Certification Ahead of 2020 Earth Day

The Kentucky International Convention Center located in downtown Louisville, Kentucky received its LEED Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council ahead of Earth Day 2020.

The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is an internationally recognized green building certification system, providing third-party verification that a building or community was built with sustainability in mind. During the expansion of the convention center, the design was planned using cutting-edge techniques to improve recycling, reduce energy used for events and sustainably sourced materials for the new facility.

Key features, including plumbing and lighting, were designed to meet LEED Silver standards. Energy-efficient and sustainable features include:

• Water efficient low-flow plumbing fixtures, achieving a 32% reduction in total water usage.
• Facility designed using Whole-Building Energy Simulation Modeling resulting in 23.64% savings in energy cost.
• LED lighting throughout the building
• Diverted 85% of construction waste from landfills to be recycled.
• 100% of indoor spaces have controllable lighting via occupancy sensors.

“We are committed to providing a high-tech, efficient and green facility for our clients” said Blake Henry, General Manager of the Kentucky International Convention Center. “I am proud of our partners and the Kentucky Venues team for achieving this certification.”

The convention center partners with Levy Restaurants to reduce food waste through food donations to The Healing Place and composting. Additionally, the facility is projected to divert 150,000 lbs. of cardboard, 8,000 lbs. of compost and 1,000 lbs. of pallets annually.

In partnership with Louisville Water Company, the venue features 25 water filling stations throughout the facility to reduce the need for disposable bottles.

“When we rebuilt the Kentucky International Convention Center, it was important to be good stewards of our resources. We wanted to build a facility that wasn’t just aesthetically appealing, but sustainable for the future,” said David S. Beck, President and CEO of Kentucky Venues.