FedEx Trade Networks Opens State's First Advanced Solar Facility

TONAWANDA, NY—FedEx Trade Networks announced on Tuesday it had opened its new environmentally advanced 88,000-square-foot office/distribution facility at Riverview Solar Technology Park here.

The facility is the first in New York State with Advanced Solar Architecture systems that generate electricity through solar technology and provide additional benefits such as shading, with wind and rain protection. The thermal mass building construction possesses Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) characteristics expected to reduce energy costs by 30% to 40%, and includes energy efficient lighting throughout. The building also uses a 100kW solar array, predicted to replace 1,000,000 kWh of fossil fuel-sourced electricity over the 10-year lease.

The opening of its Riverview facility in upstate New York allowed FedEx Trade Networks, the freight forwarding and customs brokerage arm of FedEx Corp., to consolidate its local workforce from multiple locations for greater efficiency, enhanced collaboration and a smaller carbon footprint. The new facility utilizes sustainability technologies including solar energy panels, low-flow water consumption and dedicated bio-beds, which provide underground water retention for storm water management and soil erosion control, reducing impact on the native vegetation significantly, company officials say.

“FedEx Trade Networks has deep roots in the Buffalo-Niagara region, and we are proud to lead the way for businesses to operate more responsibly with the environment and local community top of mind,” says Jack Muhs, president and CEO of FedEx Trade Networks. “Our operations at the Riverview Solar Technology Park will be a model for environmental corporate responsibility through a committed investment in renewable energy and green building best practices.”

“It's been very clear from the beginning of this development that FedEx Trade Networks is as committed as we are to taking the necessary steps to conduct business in an environmentally responsible manner,” says Thomas M. Montante, CEO, principal of TM Montante Development, the developer of Riverview Solar Technology Park. “The overarching impact of sustainable energy resonates with the FedEx Trade Networks team and it's that kind of enthusiasm that can best help us articulate the virtues of generating clean solar power.”

By using low-flow technology and fixtures in the building, FedEx Trade Networks has already reduced water consumption by approximately 50 percent when compared to usage of standard fixtures. The company is also the first tenant to have its own bio-beds. Additionally, the solar campus is recognized as a New York State Shovel-Ready Certified Site and is known as a low-impact green business park.