Contact: Faye I. Andersen (775) 834-4822

West America Commerce Center, a new warehousing and distribution center east of Reno, has received a $116,467 incentive payment fromNV Energy's Sure Bet programfor installing energy efficient lighting.

To qualify for the utility'sSure Bet incentive, project builder Development Arts, LLC installed 900 highly efficient T5 fluorescent lighting fixtures as well as motion sensors that turn off lights automatically in unoccupied areas. This energy efficiency investment is expected to save 1,998,461 kilowatt hours of electricity per year, according to Mary Ann Sheehan, project manager for energy efficiency and conservation at NV Energy. She said that's enough electricity to power 222 homes in northern Nevada for a year, and that the reduction in the building's carbon footprint is equivalent to removing 250 cars from the highway.

Located in theTahoe Reno Industrial (TRI) Centernine miles east of Reno-Sparks, the 632,130 square foot building is expected to receive LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver Certification for satisfying specified green building criteria established by the U.S. Green Building Council. The facility is located adjacent to Interstate 80 and will eventually include two additional buildings for a total of 1.9 million square feet.

Among the building's other green features are:

• Environmentally-friendly paints, carpets and sealants;
• Indigenous landscaping that requiring minimal irrigation;
• A reclaimed water landscaping irrigation system;
• Low flow water fixtures;
• Heat reflective roofing;
• Insulated low-E glass windows;
• Skylights, and;
• Preferred parking for fuel efficient vehicles, carpools and bicycles.

Grubb& Ellisis the brokerage firm that's leasing space in the new building.

Sure Bet is an incentive program that focuses on helping businesses use energy wisely. The program offers both standardized and custom incentives to commercial electricity customers. In addition, the program offers technical services to help assess energy saving opportunities.

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