GOODYEAR, ARIZ. — REI will build its new distribution center in Goodyear to be net zero energy as it pursues LEED-Platinum — the highest level in the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) rating system. Situated in the Arizona desert, the facility is intended to be one of the world’s most sustainable distribution centers.
REI is driving sustainability and efficiency at its new distribution center in several new ways:
• The facility’s 2.2 megawatt solar system produces renewable energy on-site, enough to power the entire facility annually. The system is expected to provide REI with 20 years of free energy and pay for itself in five years.
• REI and its partners have designed an omnichannel one-touch fulfillment system, enabling one person to process items eight times faster than the typical distribution center.
• The distribution center will help restore the nearby Verde River, enhancing water flows and recreation access.
• The distribution center features a non-evaporative cooling system fully powered by renewable energy, saving millions of gallons of water every year.
Butler Design Group designed the facility in collaboration with Rocky Mountain Institute. The developer is Merit Partners Inc., and the builder is The Renaissance Companies. DMW&Hand KNAPP led technology design, and CBRE is leading the certification efforts. EDF Climate Corps were involved early in the process to determine the financial feasibility of the project.