WMS new Reno facility receives Gold Leed Certification from Green Building Council

LEED provides building owners and operators with a framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions.

Opened in December 2010, the WMS Reno office/warehouse is a 53,000 square foot facility on 3.6 acres of land that houses the company’s local sales and distribution, product development, Wide-area progressive operations, systems development and gaming operations teams. 

Orrin Edidin, President, commented, “In 2009, WMS launched its company-wide green initiative which underscores our commitment to corporate responsibility and environmental sensitivity in every aspect of the Company’s operations and business practices.  Gold-level LEED certification for our new Reno office and warehouse affirms our dedication to sustainability in facility management and product development.”

Sustainable features of the new Reno building, which the company estimates will result in a 28 % reduction in annual energy costs, include high efficiency HVAC, a rooftop solar panel array and lighting systems that include motion sensing lighting and external light sensing window shading. 

The building also features drought tolerant plants and high efficiency irrigation systems, which result in a 56 percent reduction in potable water used for landscaping.  Edidin reported that 83 percent of waste was diverted from landfills during the construction phase.

The WMS facility was designed and built by Reno-based United Construction, with input from Gaia Development, a Marina Del Rey, California-based consultancy that provides innovative solutions to developing efficient and sustainable buildings.

In addition to supporting sustainable building design technologies, WMS also utilizes green initiatives in other aspects of its operations.  For example, WMS restricts the use of hazardous materials found in electrical and electronic products in its gaming machines, whether it is a low power video chip or a lighting device. 

Casino operators are then able to upgrade and refresh games with lighting, themes and top boxes without replacing the whole unit, which reduces the amount of toxins and waste products that eventually find their way to landfills. Edidin added, “We also intend to pursue LEED certification for our new building in Chicago, which is currently under construction.”