Minnesota Sports Complex Gets High Marks for Sustainability

SAINT PAUL, Minn. —The Saint Paul RiverCentre and Xcel Energy Center have been certified to three international sustainability standards: LEED, Green Globes and APEX/ASTM. The complex is the first in the world to receive those three designations.

Each certification requires a comprehensive auditing of organizational environmental practices and procedures and compliance with a stringent set of preset standards. Xcel Energy Center is the only National Hockey League (NHL) arena in the U.S. that is LEED certified as an existing building. It’s also the first in the world to be certified by Green Globes and APEX/ASTM. Saint Paul RiverCentre is one of less than 20 convention centers in the nation to be LEED certified as an existing building, first in the world to be certified Green Globes and 11th worldwide to receive APEX/ASTM certification.

“To have all of these venues certified by three respected, independent environmental organizations feels truly incredible,” said Jim Ibister, vice president of administration for the Minnesota Wild and general manager of Saint Paul RiverCentre, in a statement. “It’s certainly not the finish line; we want to continue making progress and share what we’ve learned to help others.”

Over the past five years, the Minnesota Wild’s facility management company, which operates Xcel Energy Center and Saint Paul RiverCentre transformed its operational procedures in order to reduce overall environmental impact. The changes involved modifications to processes, purchasing decisions and routine operational practices, in addition to upgrading fixtures and equipment. The initiative began with waste reduction and recycling. Then, energy efficiencies and renewable energy technologies were added. Water conservation and environmentally friendly purchasing efforts completed the plan.

“Building operations are nearly 40 percent of the solution to the global climate change challenge," said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chair, U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), in a statement. "While climate change is a global problem, innovative companies like the Minnesota Wild are addressing it through local solutions.”

The specific certifications are LEED certified as an existing building for operations and maintenance; Green Globes certified for continuous improvement of existing buildings; and APEX/ASTM certified as a venue for sustainable events.

Roughly 1 percent of buildings in the U.S. are LEED certified. Of those, 85 percent are certified for new construction.

"This is an amazing accomplishment for the Saint Paul RiverCentre and Xcel Energy Center," said Saint Paul Mayor Chris Coleman in a statement. "These changes are not only conserving water and energy and reducing waste — they are setting an example for the millions of visitors that experience this sustainability firsthand."

The achievements are the result of an overall goal originally set in 2009 by Saint Paul RiverCentre to become a regional leader in sustainability. When the program began, its annual recycling rate was 15 percent. Today, the entire complex is recycling 60 percent of the 2 million pounds of waste generated on average each year.

The organization is now a Top 5 purchaser of wind power in Minnesota through Xcel Energy, which has also provided more than $200,000 in rebates for energy efficiency upgrades at the facility.