All contractors and subs up through the general contractor are issued copies of Wells Fargo’s 60-page LEED-training manual and accompanying addendum, a detailed compilation of compliance procedures. Aspects of compliance covered include site erosion, sedimentation control and construction-waste management (a minimum of 50% to 75% of construction waste is recycled).

Virtually all materials, including insulation, roofing, paint, sealants and adhesives, are monitored for compliance with LEED protocols. Every aspect is documented and all documents archived for subsequent inspection.

Key benchmarks for pre-certified LEEDs require that 20% of materials contain recycled content and greater than 50% of wood components be certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. Also required are low-flow water fixtures, light-and-heat reflective roofing, light-harvesting systems that respond to sunlight fluctuations, mechanical-and-electrical installations that automatically adjust to the level of occupancy and low-VOC finishes.

Use of “cradle-to-cradle” materials (the adoption of reutilization practices, materials and products that maximize health, safety and effectiveness) is crucial. Good examples are carpeting that contains 38% recycled material, countertops with 75% recycled glass and concrete and porcelain floor tiles made up of 40% recycled ceramics.

Wells Fargo deploys its own commissioning authority to review construction documents; make revision requests; review submittals; and perform mechanical, electrical and plumbing system tests. “Third-party commissioning would make this effort prohibitively expensive; roughly $15,000 per building,” Elbert says. “But our value-engineering efforts and in-house commissioning help us maintain cost neutrality.”

Once the first three retail banks have been approved for LEED pre-certification by onsite inspections, design documents and procedures for subsequent retail stores will be vetted in-house and archived internally for review by USBGC inspectors.

Recently, Wells Fargo has shifted its focus to the LEED program for existing buildings. “LEED standards for new construction in areas such as roofing and mechanical systems are applicable to our huge portfolio of existing buildings,” Elbert says. “This will make a far greater impact on the environment than pre-certification for new buildings, not only because of our huge inventory, but because it touches on all systems within those buildings.”

Ecofriendly efforts by Wells Fargo have included the installation of energy-saving cooling systems in data centers and top-performance Energy Star ratings for a number of its administrative buildings, including its San Francisco headquarters.