CHICAGO – The U.S. Green Building Council awarded a Silver Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Certification to CRRC Sifang America’s 380,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art passenger railcar manufacturing facility on Chicago’s southeast side.
LEED certification is based on five categories: sustainable site, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere performance, materials and resources, and indoor environmental quality.
“In our design for the facility, we wanted to be environmentally responsible while providing our team with a workspace they are proud to be in to create reliable, safe, and efficient passenger railcars,” said Marina Popovic, Human Resources Director & Chief Legal Counsel for CRRC Sifang America. “The Silver LEED certification marks just the beginning of our efforts to make sustainability a priority.”
CRRC received a near-perfect score in water efficiency for recycling thousands of gallons of water used in passenger railcar testing and creating wetland ponds on the 45-acre site to use in stormwater management. CRRC also received points for creating a sustainable site, by preserving natural habitat and maximizing open space within the facility.
In the energy and atmosphere performance category, CRRC earned points for having more than 40 skylights, which fill the production floor and warehouse with natural light and utilizing additional LED lighting throughout the facility.
CRRC will be assembling 846 passenger railcars at the new facility, which will be used to replace half of the Chicago Transit Authority’s current fleet.
