Gwinnett County Leading the Way to Sustainability In 2014, Gwinnett County achieved Gold level certification under the Atlanta Regional Commission s Green Communities Program, two levels higher than its initial Bronze level certification in 2010. The following measures have been implemented by Gwinnett County to reduce its environmental impact and promote sustainability. These measures received points for certification. Green Building Requires all new county-owned buildings greater than 5,000 square feet to be Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified. Built the Gwinnett Environmental and Heritage Center as the county s first LEED certified building in 2007. Other LEED certified county facilities are the 911 Center, the Police Training Facility, the Senior Services Center, the Hamilton Mill Library, and the Yellow River Water Reclamation Facility Operations Center. Requires all new county-owned buildings that are not LEED certified to achieve Energy Star certification. Requires all renovations of county-owned buildings that affect greater than 50 percent of occupied space to achieve LEED for New Buildings certification and all other renovations to achieve LEED for Existing Buildings certification. Energy Efficiency Completed energy audits on all of the county s buildings and implemented energy efficiency improvements, including lighting upgrades, lighting control equipment, new HVAC equipment, temperature optimization, and implementation of energy management policies. Joined the Energy Star partnership in 2009. Adopted a policy to purchase at least Energy Star rated equipment and appliances.»» Retrofitted all of its traffic signals with LED signals. The upgrades use substantially less power than conventional incandescent bulbs and have a longer effective life. Gwinnett County Certified Green Community January 2015 1
Adopted a lights out/power down policy requiring employees and maintenance staff to turn off lights and all other non-essential electronic equipment when not in use. Installed an Energy Star rated cool roof at the Gwinnett Hamilton Mill Library. Educational leaf-shaped plaques are located throughout the building and the landscape to educate visitors on the green features of the building and site, including the cool roof. Takes advantage of the benefits of LED lights in a number of other installations, including: the gazebo at the Historic Courthouse, 289 upgraded exit signs at the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center, and 88 previously metal halide fixtures in the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center atrium. Continues to evaluate the advantages of LED lights for lighting projects and anticipates additional future installations. Has an active inspection program for residential and commercial compliance with the Georgia energy codes. Adopted a Night Sky ordinance to limit the use of excess lighting which unnecessarily wastes energy and degrades the nighttime visual environment. Requires exterior lights to be controlled by seasonal clocks or photo sensors. Green Power Captures and uses methane gas produced by anaerobic digesters at the F. Wayne Hill Water Treatment Plant to meet the heating needs of the digestion process. Converts the waste gas into a fuel source for a natural gaspowered generator. Water Efficiency Conducted water audits on 23 of its facilities, with a plan in place to audit all 113 county facilities by the end of 2018. As a result of the audits, 342 fixtures will be replaced across 23 facilities. It is anticipated that the audit and conservation measures will save approximately 1.3 million gallons of water per year. Uses clean, non-potable, reuse water from the nearby water treatment facility for irrigation, flushing toilets, and the heating and cooling system at the Gwinnett Environmental and Heritage Center. Provides reuse water to two golf courses, two parks, and three private customers. Designated as a WaterFirst Community by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs since 2003. WaterFirst communities demonstrate a strong commitment to water resource stewardship.»» Completed an audit with the Georgia Environmental Protection Division and is in compliance with the Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District s Water Supply and Water Conservation Management Plan, Wastewater Management Plan and Watershed Management Plan. 2 Gwinnett County Certified Green Community January 2015
Trees & Greenspace Contains an estimated 16,800 acres of permanently protected greenspace in the county, which equates to approximately 20 acres of greenspace per 1,000 residents. Adopted the Gwinnett County Open Space and Greenways Master Plan in 2002 to increase recreation opportunities, protect and improve water quality, increase connectivity via a system of greenways trails, and reduce the environmental impacts of development. Installed a green roof on the Gwinnett Environmental and Heritage Center. It is the largest sloped vegetative roof in the southeast and is comprised of drought-resistant, low growing, native species of vegetation. Its benefits include reduced stormwater runoff and heat island effects and improved building energy efficiency. Adopted a comprehensive landscape management plan that includes landscape management practices that require planting of drought tolerant landscapes, minimal irrigation with potable water, reduced chemical and fertilizer application, integrated pest management, and the composting or mulching of landscape debris. Encourages 50 percent shade coverage of parking lots through landscape development standards that require a minimum of one canopy tree for every seven parking spaces and a minimum of 200 square feet of contiguous soil space per overstory tree. Created a community garden at the Lanier Filter Plant and offers more than 40 plots for residents to rent and maintain. The county also provides water for residents to care for their gardens. Transportation & Air Quality Gives preference for purchasing alternative fuel and/or hybrid vehicles for new or replacement vehicle purchases as outlined in the county s Green Fleet policy. Adopted an anti-idling policy to prevent county vehicles from idling more than two minutes, unless in traffic or on routine stops. Provides a Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) fueling station for 28 buses running the Gwinnett County Transit local routes and about half of the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority express fleet at the Gwinnett County Transit facility. In 2011, these buses used 496,437 gas gallon equivalents of fuel at a cost of only $403,788. By using this natural gas alternative, Gwinnett County saved nearly 500,000 gallons of diesel fuel.»» Developed an Intelligent Transportation System and Traffic Control Center Master Plan that, through implementation, should improve annual fuel consumption by seven percent, CO emissions by 17 percent, and VOC emissions by 12 percent. The county has already established a traffic control center, implemented Intelligent Traffic Systems technology, improved signal timing, and developed smart corridors. Gwinnett County Certified Green Community January 2015 3
Installed bicycle racks at all existing community facilities. A policy is in place to require the installation of bicycle racks at all new community facilities. Adopted and is implementing the Comprehensive Transportation Plan that includes bicycle and pedestrian policies, specifically in the Bicycle and Pedestrian Planning section and the Bicycles and Pedestrians section. Recognizes the key benefits offered by shared parking, joint parking, and reduced parking (including limits on the quantity of parking spaces) by including requirements for shared and reduced off-street parking in its Unified Development Ordinance. Recycling & Waste Reduction Provides single-stream recycling in county facilities for recycling paper and metal and glass containers. County employees are asked to further reduce waste by bringing their own dishware and utensils and to print double-sided, if printing is necessary. Offers a recycling program for non-traditional items at government facilities such as copier toner, ink cartridges and cell phones. There are boxes in break rooms in 12 county locations for recycling ink cartridges, and copier toner and a cell phone recycling collection station in the lobby of the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center. Purchases copier, fax, and printer paper with at least 30 percent recycled content. Provides curbside recycling to single-family residents for paper, glass and aluminum containers, plastics, and corrugated cardboard. Recycling services are made available to commercial facilities through the county s solid waste contractors. Partners with Gwinnett Clean and Beautiful to offer non-traditional recycling to Gwinnett residents for electronics, batteries, cell phones, and compact fluorescent light bulbs. Land Use Performed lead abatement at a brownfield that was previously a gun range. Developed the property into the Gwinnett County Fire Training Center. Located the Gwinnett County Central Services Facility in a renovated strip mall.»» Adopted the Gwinnett Place Mall Livable Centers Initiative (LCI) plan, which establishes smart growth development strategies and policies, including mixed-use development, transit-oriented development, and improved walkability, to improve the area. 4 Gwinnett County Certified Green Community January 2015
Analyzed the county to determine potential zones for reuse of buildings, site restoration, and environmental remediation. The adopted Gwinnett County 2030 Unified Plan contains specific policies to promote revitalization and redevelopment through incentives and bonuses, such as tax allocation districts. The county is currently implementing a number of Community Improvement Districts which have already improved some of the identified areas. Education Educates employees about its sustainability initiatives via the county website and employee intranet (GC Workplace). The website contains information on each implemented Green Community measure and often includes an educational brochure, interactive links, or a video with further information. Informs residents of the county s sustainability initiatives through the Sustainable Gwinnett website and press releases. Innovation Installed a 2.1 MW generator at the F. Wayne Hill Water Resources Center (FWHWRC) to utilize natural gas produced by the anaerobic digestion of solids produced by the wastewater treatment process. In a second phase, the county installed a Fats Oils Grease/High Strength Waste (FOG/HSW) collection facility to increase gas production, maximize engine use and generate additional power. Any energy utilized from FOG/HSW-based biogas is energy not consumed from fossil fuel sources on the energy grid. As an additional benefit, FOG waste removed via grease traps would likely be disposed of in a landfill, where it would break down into methane gas. FOG buildup in sewers is responsible for the majority of sewage spills. In addition to being an alternative source of power that reduces energy costs and fossil fuel consumption, Gwinnett County is able to collect revenue from FOG/HSW tipping fees. Placed 15 Better World Books (BWB) bins at its library facilities. BWB is an online bookseller and socially responsible for profit business that supports local literacy and the environment. Books collected at the county library BWB bins are either donated to literacy programs or resold, with a portion of the sales going to the library system. As of 2012, the county has diverted 420,000 books from landfills, which equals 3,369,000 gallons of water saved and 892,000 pounds of greenhouse gases prevented. Delivers 375 meals each day to citizens throughout the expansive county. Senior Services pioneered the county s use of a cloud-based program that searches for the most efficient delivery routes for each driver. The app is delivering big dividends delivering eight percent more meals per mile driven while reducing CO2 emissions by approximately 1.75 tons in the first year of use. For more information on all the certified communities, visit the Certified Green Communities webpage at http://atlantaregional.com/environment/green-communities. Gwinnett County Certified Green Community January 2015 5