![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0e2c09_55f86cfc8513476f895d4675514e6469~mv2_d_5184_3456_s_4_2.jpg/v1/fill/w_972,h_648,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/0e2c09_55f86cfc8513476f895d4675514e6469~mv2_d_5184_3456_s_4_2.jpg)
LEADING THE WAY
at the City of Raleigh's Wilders Grove
Solid Waste Services Facility
Raleigh, NC
MOVING THE CITY TO A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE
How can something so dirty be so clean? With the Wilders Grove Solid Waste Services Facility, waste and clean energy go hand in hand. Wilders Grove is a LEED Platinum certified facility, meaning that the buildings are resource-efficient, using less water and energy and more reclaimed material than comparable facilities. The Wilders Grove team got their inspiration from the City of Raleigh mandate requiring all new City facilities be certified at the LEED Silver rating or above. So what did they do? They went Platinum! The facility, comprised of an administrative building, fueling station, and washing station for vehicles, is now using 40% less energy than a facility the same size. Both the administrative building and wash station have solar panels installed on the roof which generates 12.5% of the facility’s electricity needs. In addition to solar, Wilders Grove was able to achieve its LEED Platinum status through using a reclaimed landfill site for the facility and installing a geothermal heat pump system, which has allowed it to reduce their energy use by 30% compared to a conventional HVAC system. The facilities were built with recycled building material that meant 95% of the construction waste was diverted from the landfill. LED lighting - among many other measures - also played a role in the LEED certification. The team is happy with the way the facility has turned out and believes that having a building employees can be proud of has led to morale boost.
To learn more about Raleigh’s Sustainable Energy Leadership visit raleighnc.gov.
Why the City of Raleigh Chose Sustainability
Suzanne Walker, Building Superintendent and
Billy Jackson, Assistant Director of Engineering
Services at the City of Raleigh
About the Facility
Suzanne Walker, Building Superintendent and
Billy Jackson, Assistant Director of Engineering Services at the City of Raleigh
![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0e2c09_991e2692aa4847a2b01d753a9b7a34ef~mv2_d_5184_3456_s_4_2.jpg/v1/fill/w_333,h_222,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/0e2c09_991e2692aa4847a2b01d753a9b7a34ef~mv2_d_5184_3456_s_4_2.jpg)
The City is Proud
The Wilders Grove Facility won the Gold Award from the Solid Waste Association of North America in 2013 in the Landfill redevelopment category.
![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0e2c09_9a9a6bb2f0d4423c8038014cacf4ddab~mv2_d_5184_3456_s_4_2.jpg/v1/fill/w_324,h_216,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/0e2c09_9a9a6bb2f0d4423c8038014cacf4ddab~mv2_d_5184_3456_s_4_2.jpg)
![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0e2c09_be3e404b592a42bf9d1ff777be2548dd~mv2_d_5184_3456_s_4_2.jpg/v1/fill/w_980,h_653,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/0e2c09_be3e404b592a42bf9d1ff777be2548dd~mv2_d_5184_3456_s_4_2.jpg)
![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0e2c09_78f61253c23f486bbeed6fea7f8d41ad~mv2_d_5184_3456_s_4_2.jpg/v1/fill/w_980,h_653,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/0e2c09_78f61253c23f486bbeed6fea7f8d41ad~mv2_d_5184_3456_s_4_2.jpg)
![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0e2c09_10051f93c11c47f691a360a970f886b6~mv2_d_5184_3456_s_4_2.jpg/v1/fill/w_980,h_653,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/0e2c09_10051f93c11c47f691a360a970f886b6~mv2_d_5184_3456_s_4_2.jpg)
![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0e2c09_2fa2b14b48a6420d99ed205fa64a9dcf~mv2_d_5184_3456_s_4_2.jpg/v1/fill/w_980,h_653,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/0e2c09_2fa2b14b48a6420d99ed205fa64a9dcf~mv2_d_5184_3456_s_4_2.jpg)
![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0e2c09_55f86cfc8513476f895d4675514e6469~mv2_d_5184_3456_s_4_2.jpg/v1/fill/w_980,h_653,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/0e2c09_55f86cfc8513476f895d4675514e6469~mv2_d_5184_3456_s_4_2.jpg)
![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0e2c09_e336af38ff6942b3beadf9676bda8909~mv2_d_5184_3456_s_4_2.jpg/v1/fill/w_980,h_653,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/0e2c09_e336af38ff6942b3beadf9676bda8909~mv2_d_5184_3456_s_4_2.jpg)
![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0e2c09_f857554024fd448f9ae33de77360ed9b~mv2_d_5184_3456_s_4_2.jpg/v1/fill/w_980,h_653,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/0e2c09_f857554024fd448f9ae33de77360ed9b~mv2_d_5184_3456_s_4_2.jpg)
![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0e2c09_745991faca2049859672be0add78a434~mv2_d_5184_3456_s_4_2.jpg/v1/fill/w_980,h_653,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/0e2c09_745991faca2049859672be0add78a434~mv2_d_5184_3456_s_4_2.jpg)
![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0e2c09_cc82d2ee327944309ab03f93759cb9f7~mv2_d_5184_3456_s_4_2.jpg/v1/fill/w_980,h_653,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/0e2c09_cc82d2ee327944309ab03f93759cb9f7~mv2_d_5184_3456_s_4_2.jpg)