Located on the historic grounds of Belmont Park and home of the New York Islanders, UBS Arena has been awarded LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Certified status by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The state-of-the-art arena opened in November 2021 and has welcomed artists including Harry Styles, Sebastian Maniscalco, Billie Eilish, Dua Lipa, TWICE, Eagles, John Mayer, Kendrick Lamar, and Post Malone. It achieved LEED certification for implementing practical and measurable strategies and solutions in areas including sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.
The facility also achieved carbon neutrality for operations in Fall 2022, making it the first arena to do so on the eastern U.S. seaboard.
“We are excited that UBS Arena was awarded LEED certification. This acknowledgement highlights the dedication we put forth in its efforts to be environmentally conscious when designing and constructing our venue,” said Kim Stone, President of UBS Arena and Executive Vice President of OVG East Coast. “As a founding member of GOAL (Green Operations & Advanced Leadership) and the first OVG Owned & Operated venue to achieve this prestigious certification, we’re proud that UBS Arena is at the forefront of sustainability.”
Key focal points and strategies used to achieve LEED certification include:
- UBS Arena’s high performance is specifically designed to reduce energy costs. UBS Arena uses heat recovery technology, LED lighting, high-performance glass and other efficient design practices to reduce energy by over 15%. In operations, this will be continuously tracked and validated through GOAL.
- The venue provides dedicated recycling stations to minimize the building’s operation waste stream by diverting glass, metal, paper, cardboard and plastic from landfills.
- The venue is designed to reduce indoor potable water use by over 40% with the installation of low-flow flush and flow fixtures.
- UBS Arena uses all environmentally friendly cleaning products. This puts less stress on the local water system and promotes a healthy ecosystem.
- The building provides air quality exceeding the ASHRAE 62.1-2010 standard to provide comfort and well- being for occupants, including the use of MERV13 air filters.
- UBS Arena’s location and proximity to local transit services for guests and visitors helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions and combat climate change.
- Native plants and high efficiency irrigation strategies help reduce the arena’s outdoor water consumption by over 50%, saving water and promoting healthy ecosystems with local habitat restoration.
- The shade trees and site landscape provide multiple benefits like combating the urban heat island effect, reducing rainwater run-off, promoting habitats through healthy ecosystems and creating opportunities to connect with nature.
“LEED is a transformative tool that ensures a building is designed and operated to achieve high performance, improve human health and protect the environment,” said Mahesh Ramanujam, president and CEO, USGBC. “By prioritizing sustainability, UBS Arena is leading the way in their industry and helping USGBC continue towards our goal of green buildings for everyone within this generation.”
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More than 118,000 commercial projects are currently participating in LEED, comprising more than 27 billion gross square feet of LEED-certified space in all 50 states and more than 180 countries and territories.
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