Hertz Global Holdings Inc. held a ceremony to recognize the receipt of its headquarters LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold certification by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC).

Michael Carlson, USGBC Florida board member and board secretary, presented the plaque of recognition during the event. LEED sets the national standard for green building excellence, and the certification recognizes Hertz’s adherence to sustainable design and practices, according to the company.

Hertz’s headquarters — a 248,600-square-foot building located in Estero, Fla. — spans three floors. The building has more than 2,300 solar panels on the parking garage roof providing both power and water. The panels provide approximately 15% of the headquarters’ total energy consumption, and they also serve to channel rain water into cisterns for reuse in the building, according to Hertz.

The outside glass was selected to reduce the amount of heat coming into the building from the sun, which reduces the demand for air conditioning. An ice storage system generates ice at night, when power costs are much less expensive and more energy efficient. During the day, the system melts the stored ice to keep things cool without running the large compressors in the air conditioning system, says Hertz.

Food waste is composted in a device called a digester, which uses microorganisms to break down the waste, avoiding sending any food waste to the landfill. In addition, waste, recycling, and compost is captured in centralized locations throughout the building. The campus also includes bicycle racks, 32 charging stations for electric vehicles—with preferred parking for both electrics and hybrids — and outdoor walking/jogging trails to encourage exercise on-site, according to Hertz.

Additionally, Hertz’s cafeteria was certified by the Green Restaurant Association as a 4 Star Certified Green Restaurant, one of only three 4 Star Certified Green Restaurant corporate cafeterias in the world. Green features include: energy efficient lighting, refrigeration and exhaust; organic, sustainable and vegetarian or vegan menu options; low-flow water management devices; and recycling, composting, and reusable dishes for waste management.

As part of Hertz’s commitment to sustainability, other initiatives include:

- Nearly 80% of the company’s vehicles have a minimum fuel-efficiency rating of 28 highway miles per gallon.
- Environmental efficiency programs’ efforts resulted in recycling over 2 million gallons of used oil and auto waste in 2015.
- Approximately 80% of the company’s car washes use reclaimed water.
- Hertz has installed solar panel systems at 16 rental locations and corporate offices that produce over 2,270,000 kWh annually, which is enough energy to power about 208 U.S. homes for a year.