San Fernando Valley, March 28, 2012 – Today Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) opened the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Gold-certified retail banking store in the San Fernando Valley. The new store, located at 19767 Rinaldi St., in Porter Ranch, Calif., is the 13th Wells Fargo LEED banking store in the state and the 75th in the country, reflecting the company’s new building standards for its newly built retail banking stores.
A few green features of the new store include: * Light harvesting system, which adjusts lighting according to available daylight helping to reduce energy usage by 20 percent. * Insulation made from recycled cotton, primarily denim. * Fully recyclable carpet, window treatments and counter surfaces. * Use of water saving plumbing fixtures and control devices, which helps to cut water usage by 40 percent (compared to conventional buildings of the same type). * More than 40 percent of all materials installed in the branch are regionally manufactured and more than 20 percent are made up of recycled materials. * All of the installed glass has a special low-emittance (low-e) coating, which allows natural daylight without the harmful effects of UV rays and heat gain. Each glass panel has 50 percent recycled content. * All adhesives, paints, sealants and coatings in this branch are low volatile organic compounds (VOCs) approved, creating a healthier air quality for employees and guests. “Wells Fargo is a leader in protecting the environment and promoting the long-term economic prosperity and quality of life for everyone in our communities,” said Marla Clemow, regional president for Wells Fargo’s San Fernando Valley Community Bank. “We’re proud to bring this innovative, new store to the Porter Ranch community.”
Greater Los Angeles is home to 10 of the company’s LEED banking stores, including the Manhattan Beach, Coldwater Canyon in Studio City, Hollywood, Torrance, San Dimas, L.A. Live, Rose Ranch in Oxnard, Upland, Baldwin Park and Porter Ranch stores. Wells Fargo earned a 2011 Leadership Award from the U.S. Green Building Council for its commitment to environmentally responsible building design, construction and operation. In addition, Wells Fargo has provided more than $11.5 billion in loans and investments in renewable energy, clean tech and greener building projects nationwide since 2005, invested $4.4 million in environmental non-profits, and established a companywide greenhouse gas emission reduction goal to reduce emissions 20 percent below 2008 levels by 2018. To date, Wells Fargo has achieved a reduction of 12 percent. For details about LEED and USGBC, visit www. usgbc.org.