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Green Means Go

Overview

RFK Racing’s award winning campus houses 150,000 square feet of manufacturing space and race shops that follow a strict program of sustainable design.  This campus is very exciting for RFK Racing as an owner/operator because it satisfies so many requirements of our current business environment and at the same time, allows us to incorporate sustainable building concepts that will reduce energy, operation and maintenance costs; reduce waste and pollution; increase the productivity and comfort of the building occupants and increase building and component durability and flexibility. The end result is a better return on investment than conventional building practices.

RFK Racing considers sustainability and environmental management to be consistent with its overall corporate goals and values.  We are committed to balancing environmental protection, social responsibility and economic progress without impacting on-track performance. This commitment to sustainability and the triple bottom line is reflected in our policies, programs and practices for conducting operations in an environmentally as well as economically responsible manner. We continue to work with our sponsor and vendor partners to develop ways we can become even more sustainable.

Habitat preservation, restoration and integration are very important to RFK Racing and its sustainability platform.  RFK Racing, Concord businesses and Concord residents, came together last year to start the Concord Wildlife Alliance in an effort to achieve Community Wildlife Habitat Certification by the National Wildlife Federation and the North Carolina Wildlife Federation (NCWF).  The CWA has been working to get businesses, churches, farms and homes up to a standard that provides key habitat needs for native wildlife: food, water, cover and a place to raise young.

Current Efforts

The following design and operational components of the RFK Racing Campus helped to earn sustainability awards in Recycling and in Energy Reduction:

  • Recycle 96% of every race car
  • In 2014 RFK Racing recycled over 98 tons of waste (plastic, paper and metal). We recycled 21,300 lbs of plastic. We recycled 165,360 lbs of steel and aluminum. We recycled 11,335 lbs of paper.
  • Reduced the overall amount of waste produced by more than 11 tons
  • To date we have generated 119,000 kWh of electricity through photovoltaics, avoiding 188,000 lbs CO2
  • 12,000 sq. ft. of solar radiant heat installed
  • No Idling Campaign implemented on 25 acre campus
  • Waterborn paint systems for race cars in conjunction with Sherwin Williams
  • Aerosol and oil collection in conjunction with Safety Kleen
  • Solar orientation on the site to maximize the use of passive solar heating and cooling.
  • Solar Shades on southern exposures to reduce solar heat gain and glare, reducing the amount of artificial building cooling required.
  • Interior reflective Light Shelves on southern exposure to maximize natural reflective light, reducing the amount of required artificial lighting in the interior.
  • Interior lighting controlled by individual occupancy and photoelectric sensors to reduce electrical usage. (Lights will only activate in offices if space is occupied and will look at the amount of natural light available to determine how many fixtures to activate.)
  • New Monospace Traction Elevator that does not use hydraulics or a gear room resulting in smoother operation, more usable square footage and less electrical consumption.
  • Transom light panels on all interior walls to allow natural light to penetrate space and reduce the amount of required artificial lighting in the interior.
  • HVAC (Heating and Cooling) systems are computer controlled to maximize efficiency and reduce operating costs.
  • End user controlled Variable Air Volume HVAC diffuser system to further reduce operational costs and increase user comfort.
  • Interior movable wall system to reduce reconfiguration time and cost.
  • Insulated concrete tilt wall construction to increase energy efficiency and decrease operational costs.
  • Highly reflective roofing membranes to reduce solar heat gain, reducing cooling costs.
  • Rainwater run off captured and contained for landscape irrigation reducing the need for potable water.
  • Overflow parking on Grass Paving system to reduce storm water run off and heat islands.
  • Thermal, insulated, Low-E glazing on all windows to reduce heat gain.
  • Smaller initiatives include – elimination of Styrofoam; printer duplexing; sharing periodicals to reduce subscriptions; utilizing recycled paper products; printing only when necessary; use of lighting occupancy sensors; HVAC Smart controllers; Vending Misers; switching from 400w to 360w metal halide; and switching to newer LED bulbs where applicable.