TD Bank going "Carbon Neutral"

TD Bank says it’s carbon neutral, will focus on building green branches
by Jeff Blumenthal


TD Bank said Thursday that it is the largest U.S.-based bank to go carbon neutral. It also unveiled a new “green” design for its future branches.

TD, a subsidiary of Toronto-based TD Bank Financial Group, said it reached its carbon neutral goal by building greener buildings, lowering its energy consumption, and making a significant investment in renewable energy from sources like wind, solar and low-impact hydro power. TD Bank has bought a block of wind energy large enough to power its network of 2,600 ATMs. TD Bank said it has also purchased 31,000 metric tons of carbon offset credits to eliminate its remaining emissions.

The bank, which has dual headquarters in Portland, Maine, and Cherry Hill, N.J., has pledged to develop LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified stores with its first planned prototype green branch set to open this spring in Queens Village, N.Y. The bank expects to open up to 10 new green branches in 2010.

In 2011, the vast majority of new TD Bank branches built will be LEED certified and all stores after that. The bank has opened a LEED office in Boston, and in 2010 plans to open a LEED call center in Auburn, Maine.

LEED evaluates buildings for their overall environmental performance in five areas: sustainable sites, water use, energy efficiency, materials and resource use, and indoor environmental quality

TD Bank's new 3,800 square-feet prototype branches will reduce energy consumption by 50 percent compared with previous designs, with nearly 20 percent of the store's energy being produced onsite through solar panels and solar drive-thru canopies. The branches will feature: wood from sustainably managed forests, products that emit little-to-no volatile organic compounds; walk-off mats and air filters that trap particles of dirt, dust and pollen for improved indoor air quality; insulated glass with a low-E coating to help keep a balanced, temperate environment; and sensors to control lighting. Stores will be maintained with green cleaning products, and will recycle paper, cardboard, glass, metal, plastics and disposable batteries.

The new branches will feature exterior walls and glazing that keep the site cool in the summer and warm in the winter, water-efficient plumbing fixtures, environmentally friendly materials and finishes made of recycled materials, secure bicycle parking and landscaping designed with drought-tolerant plants and shrubs that do not need to be watered regularly.

PNC Bank says it has 21 LEED-certified branches. On Saturday, PNC will open a green branch in Williamstown, N.J. PNC said more than 50 percent of the materials used to build the branch were locally manufactured or made from recycled or green materials. PNC said it is the first U.S. bank to design and build environmentally friendly LEED certified bank branches and has more newly constructed LEED-certified green buildings than any other company in the world.