The province of Ontario recently acquired the former head office building of Sears Canada in Toronto. This retrofit will reduce its carbon footprint by implementing many of the initiatives outlined in the Green Energy Act, recently passed legislation which will help transform Ontario's economy to be more innovative, productive and competitive. The design and construction of the base building retrofit will adhere to the guidelines and sustainability principles of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED(R)) rating system, with a goal of achieving LEED(R) Gold standing. The building provides opportunities for energy-efficient building design initiatives such as: * A green roof * Solar energy * Daylight & occupancy sensors for optimal lighting control * State-of-the-art IT infrastructure * Wireless infrastructure to reduce the need to travel to meetings * Less parking and bicycle storage to encourage green commuting Using solar energy and constructing a green roof are also being considered.
