Puerto Rico CC Latest to Go Green

The Puerto Rico Convention Center in San Juan, Puerto Rico, is the latest venue to announce it is going green.

The Puerto Rican government recently pledged to convert public properties into eco-friendly buildings, starting with the Puerto Rico CC and the Coliseum of Puerto Rico.

“More and more convention and exhibition managers are seeking out green facilities for their meetings, as well as looking for ways to reduce waste and decrease the impact of meetings on the environment,” said Manuel Sanchez-Biscombe, executive director of the Puerto Rico Convention Center District Authority.

The government will invest $250,000 to reduce the use of electricity and water within the 113-acre district, according to the authority. That is expected to reduce water use by 30 percent and electricity by 50 percent, and projections show a savings of $450,000 per year after the project's completed.

The buildings in the district will pursue the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design designation.

“I think the greening of the (Puerto Rico) Convention Center is tremendous and shows the strength, openness and innovation of SMG and the center,” said Kevin Richards, Reed Exhibitions group vice president for Interphex. He manages Interphex Puerto Rico, held annually at the center.

Several changes are being made at the convention center with the goal of sustainability:

• installing automated control systems for air conditioning and lighting
• replacing existing lamps with lighting that consumes less energy
• landscaping the district with native plants that require less water

“We strongly support these green initiatives and look forward to working with other tourism partners to establish new standards in eco-friendly and waste-conscious meetings,” Sanchez-Biscombe said.