LoyaltyOne is LEED’ing the way in Mississauaga

AIR MILES Call Centre features largest rooftop solar panel installation in Canada.

TORONTO (DECEMBER 9, 2009) — LoyaltyOne, operators of the AIR MILES Reward Program, celebrated the official opening of a new customer call centre yesterday which has been built towards silver and gold LEED certification and features the largest rooftop solar panel installation in Canada. Marking the building opening with the LoyaltyOne team and alongside 150 AIR MILES customer care centre associates were Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Energy and Infrastructure and MPP Ottawa-Orléans, Phil McNeely; the Honourable Mayor Hazel McCallion; and Mississauga City Councillor, George Carlson. Also in attendance were representatives from the Ontario solar industry, and other environmental leaders who helped commemorate this state-of-the-art facility at 6696 Financial Drive in the heart of Mississauga’s financial district.

The hallmark of the facility is an extensive solar array on the rooftop and adjacent carport. Some 800 photovoltaic solar panels generate 165 kilowatts of power, currently the largest solar array in Canada, which can generate enough electricity to cover usage for the building through the amount of power the facility puts back to the grid. LoyaltyOne has also invested in building features and design components which will qualify for an application towards Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification.

“We strongly believe that businesses have a role to play in protecting the environment,” said Bryan Pearson, president and CEO of LoyaltyOne Inc. “Today’s launch is the culmination of a grassroots initiative started by a group of associates whose actions have grown into a culture of environmental consciousness. Sustainability is engrained in our business at LoyaltyOne and we are constantly seeking out ways to reduce our own carbon footprint and our impact on the planet. We are proud that 300 AIR MILES customer care centre employees are now working in one of the greenest facilities in Canada.”

The rooftop solar installation is completed and will be fully functional in late December, 2009. The Company has also applied for LEED certification for the interior of the building (gold) as well as the exterior (silver) in conjunction with landlord, Bentall LLP. In addition, as an early applicant to the Province of Ontario’s Green Energy Act operating the largest solar facility in Canada, LoyaltyOne supports government sustainable programs that encourage businesses to engage in renewable energy generation initiatives.

About LoyaltyOne LoyaltyOne works with more than 100 of North America’s leading brands in the retail, financial services, grocery, petroleum retail, travel, and hospitality industries to profitably change customer behavior. Through a team of businesses including Canada’s AIR MILES Reward Program, COLLOQUY, Precima, LoyaltyOne Consulting and Direct Antidote, LoyaltyOne designs, delivers, and manages a suite of loyalty marketing services — consumer data, customer-centric retail strategies, direct-to-consumer marketing, loyalty consulting, and more. LoyaltyOne is part of the Alliance Data family of companies. For over 30 years, Alliance Data has helped its clients build more profitable, more loyal relationships with their customers. More information is available at www.loyalty.com.

About the AIR MILES Reward Program: Founded in 1992, the AIR MILES Reward Program is Canada’s premier coalition loyalty program. More than 10 million active Collector accounts, representing approximately two-thirds of all Canadian households, actively participate in the Program. The AIR MILES Reward Program allows Collectors to indulge in leisure, entertainment, merchandise, travel and other lifestyle rewards quickly, simply by doing their everyday shopping for products and services at AIR MILES Sponsors. AIR MILES reward miles can be redeemed for more than 1,200 different rewards, such as movie passes, family attractions, electronic merchandise, sports and recreation, travel and more.

 

Backgrounder

BACKGROUNDER: LOYALTYONE ENVIRONMENTAL FACILITY IN MISSISSAUGA

LoyaltyOne has taken its corporate sustainability plan to the next level by establishing a state-of-the-art AIR MILES Reward Program Customer Care Centre in the City of Mississauga. The new facility opened its doors in November 2009 at 6696 Financial Drive, in the heart of the Mississauga Financial District. Now, over 300 AIR MILES call centre employees are working in one of the ‘greenest’ facilities in Canada. The building is an environmental landmark and features the largest rooftop solar system installation in Canada which generates enough electricity to cover the Company’s own usage for the building through the amount of power the solar installation will put back on to the grid.

In addition to the solar highlights, the design and construction teams have created a sustainable working environment with the guidelines of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) as the directional principles for the overall space. The exterior has been designed for a potential silver certification, and the interior of the building’s functional requirements were designed towards a gold LEED certification. The applications for official certifications for both the interior and the exterior were filed in late 2009.

LEEDING THE WAY IN SUSTAINABLE DESIGN

The 50,000 square foot building showcases a number of design and construction features which not only meet LEED criteria, but create a unique and innovative workspace:

The building is designed to reduce energy usage by 15 per cent and water use by at least 30 per cent compared to conventional buildings. Daylight sensor controlled lighting has been used to reduce consumed energy when rooms are vacant. Outside the building, rainwater is collected in underground cisterns and is used for grey water for irrigation of the landscaping. This water is also used for interior facilities needs. Only indigenous plants are used in exterior landscaping which requires less maintenance, weeding and irrigation.

Fifty-two solo tubes are spread throughout the entire space which create the same effect as a skylight and ensure less conventional lighting is used. A long tube runs from a cut out in the roof down to 12 feet above the finished floor The interior of the tube is highly reflective to provide the strongest amount and quality of natural light coming into the space.

Natural light is also maintained by preserving existing panoramic windows and outdoor views surrounding the space with low profile cubicles and offices on the interior.

HERE COMES THE SUN

The shining feature of the LoyaltyOne facility is the massive rooftop solar array:

Over 800 photovoltaic solar panels (147kW of power on the roof and 18kW on the carport) generate 165 kilowatts of power — enough to power 16 average-sized homes — making it the largest rooftop solar array in Canada.

The renewable energy generated through the main installation is fed into the provincial power grid, replacing some of the facility’s own power requirements. In addition to generating power, a TPO roof membrane – a white roof that
reflects heat all day, all year round rather than absorbing it – reduces ‘heat island’ effect (this is caused by pavement, concrete and other dark, hard surfaces absorbing heat all day and then releasing it into the atmosphere at night which contributes to global warming). A smaller array atop a carport in the building’s parking area is solar thermal hot water heating which produces electricity that heats water for employee showers, taps and appliances (all of which use low-flow technology).

COMBINING FORM AND FUNCTION

Functional components of any other conventional build have been turned into unique urban design features: Soaring 20 foot high ceilings feature exposed structural steel girders and provide a modern-day feel to the space. Power poles for cable management create a three-dimensional pattern in a variety of colours that gives the impression of a 21st century forest. Gleaming epoxy floors add to the industrial nature of the space.

LoyaltyOne is working with one of their partners to become a zero waste facility. By definition “zero waste” means 85% of all garbage leaving the site is diverted from landfill. The parking spaces under the carport are reserved for high efficiency vehicles and bike stands are available to staff who choose to ride to work.

INVERTER WALL

The behind-the-scenes functionality of converting sunlight into electricity has turned into a design feature from which employees can experience and learn the positive impact of renewable energy. A full-length wall of solar inverters, typically hidden behind drywall in most applications, has been exposed in the communal lunch and game room allowing employees to see the accumulation of power through the solar installation system in action. The inverters are connected with the solar arrays located on the roof and change DC voltage from the solar panels into AC voltage so that it can be used as common household power. When this power is not being used to power the facility it is being fed back into the grid.

AIR MILES CURTAIN

There are a variety of casual and formal meeting and training rooms through out the facility, each with special features Open meeting spaces are made more private with the innovative use of “curtains” made up of 8,500 AIR MILES Collector cards.

For further information or to arrange an interview with a LoyaltyOne spokesperson:

LoyaltyOne Media Desk at 416.552.2346

Environics Communications at 416.920.9000

Jennifer Hills or Carrie Makrigiannis jhills@environicspr.com / cmakrigiannis@environicspr.com