eBay last week announced the opening of a new 241,095 square foot facility in Draper, Utah, that has achieved LEED Gold standards.
The facility is expected to accommodate some 1,800 eBay employees and features several integrated sustainable design features, such as large windows that allow for abundant natural light and clear views of the nearby Wasatch Mountains and Jordan River. The building’s infrastructure makes efficient use of water, reducing the burden on the municipal water supply by 35 percent.
The facility also offers preferred parking for low-emitting and fuel-efficient vehicles and is located close to the city’s renewable energy-powered commuter rail system, eBay says.
Several of the major technology brands are investing in similar eco-friendly facilities. Facebook recently solidified plans to construct a 433,555-square-foot eco-friendly campus extension to its headquarters that covers 22 acres and is capable of accommodating as many as 3,400 employees.
Google also recently announced plans for a new facility designed with the environment and employee wellness in mind that makes use of natural light and features a bent floor plan aimed at creating “casual collisions” among workers.
Apple is building a new spaceship-shaped campus in Cupertino powered by a natural gas generator and renewable energy sources. The company also claims it now uses 100 percent renewable energy sources to power its data centers, using a combination of solar, wind, hydro and geothermal energy.
Last year, eBay added the country's largest non-utility installation of fuel cells to its data center in Utah. The installation, powered by biogas, is expected to be fully functional by mid-2013 and will enable the company to use electricity from the grid only as backup.
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Mike Hower is the founder of Hower Impact — a boutique consultancy delivering best-in-class strategic communication advisory and support for corporate sustainability, ESG and climate tech.
Published May 5, 2013 8pm EDT / 5pm PDT / 1am BST / 2am CEST