Essex Meadows Lifecare Retirement Community (Essex, Conn.) received LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council for the senior community’s efforts to implement energy efficient and green initiatives.
The work at Essex Meadows included installation of a solar power system; geothermal heating and cooling used in new construction; lighting upgrades; extensive HVAC balance testing; nonpotable water used in irrigation; new low-flow plumbing fixtures; an ozone injection system added to laundry; a full recycling and green cleaning program; and naturalized meadows for wildlife and reduced mowing.
The senior living community also purchases locally grown food when feasible, and provides real-time monitoring of the community’s solar power system on its website to show the positive impact the installation is having.
