Earth Day coincided this year with an award for the Grey Bruce Health Unit.
The Canada Green Building Council has awarded the Health Unit the Gold Standard in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. (LEED)
New buildings are evaluated, and the local building on Owen Sound’s waterfront achieved 39 points, meeting the LEED gold standard.
Health Unit spokesperson Drew Ferguson says there are several unique features in the building.
One unique feature is light sensors which recognize ambiant light and lower interior lights when it is bright outside.
The Grey Bruce Health Unit also collects rain water and stores it in a cistern, with the water used to flush toilets and water the lawn saving them thousands of dollars a year.
It also reduces water use by 60 per cent compared to other similar sized buildings.
Ferguson says there is carbon dioxide monitoring in all rooms, so when a large meeting is underway more oxygen gets pumped into the room.
A celebration marking the LEED award will be arranged later this spring at the Grey Bruce Health Unit.