Willis Tower, Largest LEED Platinum Building, to Switch to 100 Percent Renewable Energy

The Willis Tower in Chicago, once the tallest building in the world, is still making history in superlative terms.

1 minute read

October 7, 2020, 12:00 PM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Chicago, Illinois

f11photo / Shutterstock

The 110-story Willis Tower, the largest building in the U.S. to have earned LEED Platinum certification, "will be powered with 100 percent renewable energy through a multi-year partnership with Texas-based Dynergy," reports Anca Gagiuc.

"The skyscraper, part of EQ Office—a U.S. office portfolio company owned by Blackstone’s real estate funds—will have electricity sourced from wind parks via renewable energy credits, while keeping costs to tenants consistent," explains Gagiuc of the specifics of the tower's renewable energy plan.

The Willis Tower is underway with a $500 million renovation that resulted in the LEED Platinum designation, according to an article written by Jeff Hamann in December 2019 that documents the green building improvements added during the renovation. The renovation produced a 20 percent reduction in energy consumption for the building, according to Gagiuc.

Although the renovation was planned for completion early in 2020, the progress of the renovation was still being documented on the Internet by photos taken at the beginning of September.

The renovation is creating a new retail, dining, and entertainment destination at the base of Willis Tower, according to earlier reporting by Jay Koziarz.

Tuesday, September 29, 2020 in Commercial Property Executive

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