Facilities in Northern Virginia and Georgia Are Latest to Earn LEED Certification from U.S. Green Building Council SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 24, 2011 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ —
Digital Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:DLR, news, filings), a global provider of data center solutions, has been awarded the following new LEED certifications: LEED Gold certification for 43915 Devin Shafron Drive in Ashburn, Virginia; LEED Silver certification for 43830 Devin Shafron Drive in Ashburn, Virginia; and LEED Silver Certification for 375 Riverside Drive, Suite 135 in Atlanta, Georgia. This brings the Company’s number of LEED-certified data centers in the United States to 19, including two LEED Platinum, six LEED Gold, ten LEED Silver and one LEED certified facilities. Digital Realty also has more than a dozen additional facilities currently going through the LEED certification process.
The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System(TM) is a third-party certification program and the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.
“Energy efficiency and sustainability are very important to our customers, which is why we have made it a core element of our approach to designing, building and operating data center facilities,” said Jim Smith, CTO of Digital Realty. “The USGBC’s LEED certification program is the most widely recognized and respected standard for sustainability in buildings of all kinds. We believe that it is an excellent standard for ensuring that our data center facilities support our customers’ green strategies while helping to lower their total cost of occupancy.”
About U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)
The Washington, D.C.-based U.S. Green Building Council is committed to a prosperous and sustainable future for our nation through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings. With a community comprising 78 local affiliates, nearly 16,000 member companies and organizations, and nearly 167,000 LEED Professional Credential holders, USGBC is the driving force of an industry that is projected to contribute $554 billion to the U.S. gross domestic product from 2009-2013. USGBC leads an unlikely diverse constituency of builders and environmentalists, corporations and nonprofit organizations, elected officials and concerned citizens, and teachers and students.
Buildings in the United States are responsible for 39% of CO2 emissions, 40% of energy consumption, 13% water consumption and 15% of GDP per year, making green building a source of significant economic and environmental opportunity. Greater building efficiency can meet 85% of future U.S. demand for energy, and a national commitment to green building has the potential to generate 2.5 million American jobs.
About LEED
The U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED green building certification system is the foremost program for the design, construction and operation of green buildings. Nearly 40,000 projects are currently participating in the commercial and institutional LEED rating systems, comprising nearly 8 billion square feet of construction space in all 50 states and 120 countries. In addition, more than 11,000 homes have been certified under the LEED for Homes rating system, with more than 52,000 more homes registered.
By using less energy, LEED-certified buildings save money for families, businesses and taxpayers; reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and contribute to a healthier environment for residents, workers and the larger community. For more information, visit www.usgbc.org.
About Digital Realty
Digital Realty Trust, Inc. focuses on delivering customer driven data center solutions by providing secure, reliable and cost effective facilities that meet each customer’s unique data center needs. Digital Realty’s customers include domestic and international companies across multiple industry verticals ranging from information technology and Internet enterprises, to manufacturing and financial services. Digital Realty’s 97 properties, excluding two properties held as investments in unconsolidated joint ventures, comprise approximately 17.2 million square feet as of September 6, 2011, including 2.2 million square feet of space held for redevelopment. Digital Realty’s portfolio is located in 30 markets throughout Europe, North America, Singapore and Australia. Additional information about Digital Realty is included in the Company Overview, which is available on the Investors page of Digital Realty’s website at http://www.digitalrealty.com.
Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains forward-looking statements which are based on Digital Realty Trust, Inc.’s current expectations, forecasts and assumptions that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially, including statements related to its LEED-certified data centers. These risks and uncertainties include, among others, the following: the impact of the recent deterioration in global economic, credit and market conditions including the downgrading of the U.S. government’s credit rating; current local economic conditions in its geographic markets; decreases in information technology spending, including as a result of economic slowdowns or recession; adverse economic or real estate developments in its industry or the industry sectors that it sells to (including risks relating to decreasing real estate valuations and impairment charges); its dependence upon significant tenants; bankruptcy or insolvency of a major tenant or a significant number of smaller tenants; defaults on or non-renewal of leases by tenants; its failure to obtain necessary debt and equity financing; increased interest rates and operating costs; risks associated with using debt to fund its business activities, including re-financing and interest rate risks, its failure to repay debt when due, adverse changes in its credit ratings or its breach of covenants or other terms contained in its loan facilities and agreements; financial market fluctuations; changes in foreign currency exchange rates; its inability to manage its growth effectively; difficulty acquiring or operating properties in foreign jurisdictions; its failure to successfully integrate and operate acquired or redeveloped properties; risks related to joint venture investments, including as a result of its lack of control of such investments; delays or unexpected costs in development or redevelopment of properties; decreased rental rates or increased vacancy rates; increased competition or available supply of data center space; its inability to successfully develop and lease new properties and space held for redevelopment; difficulties in identifying properties to acquire and completing acquisitions; its inability to acquire off-market properties; its inability to comply with the rules and regulations applicable to reporting companies; its failure to maintain its status as a REIT; possible adverse changes to tax laws; restrictions on its ability to engage in certain business activities; environmental uncertainties and risks related to natural disasters; losses in excess of its insurance coverage; changes in foreign laws and regulations, including those related to taxation and real estate ownership and operation; and changes in local, state and federal regulatory requirements, including changes in real estate and zoning laws and increases in real property tax rates. For a further list and description of such risks and uncertainties, see the reports and other filings by Digital Realty Trust, Inc. with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including Digital Realty Trust, Inc.’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010 and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2011 and June 30, 2011. Digital Realty Trust, Inc. disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
| For Additional Information: | ||
| A. William Stein | Pamela M. Garibaldi | |
| Chief Financial Officer and | Vice President, Investor Relations and | |
| Chief Investment Officer | Corporate Marketing | |
| Digital Realty Trust, Inc. | Digital Realty Trust, Inc. | |
| +1 (415) 738-6500 | +1 (415) 738-6500 | |
SOURCE Digital Realty Trust, Inc.
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