Environmental Programs

Stewardship for today, preservation for tomorrow

Overview
Environmental Governance
Solar Initiatives
Green Buildings
Biodiversity and Habitats
Environmental Programs

Overview

SAS is committed to minimizing the environmental impacts of our business. This commitment is not just good will, it makes good business sense. Investments in environmentally responsible practices and technologies deliver returns for SAS in three significant ways:

Reducing costs through intelligently managed resource consumption.
Growing new markets through inventive, eco-friendly business practices.
Responsibly meeting the expectations of customers, government and the public.

The concept and practice of sustainability is embedded into every aspect of our business, from consideration of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) principles in building construction and maintenance to reusing IT equipment for optimization of asset life to recycling in the company’s cafés to creating an analytic software solution that enables SAS customers to better manage their sustainability initiatives.

As in last year’s report, we used SAS^® for Sustainability Management to provide the facts and figures regarding our environmental footprint. All content has been reviewed by executive leaders and other internal stakeholders.

Next: Environmental Governance

Environmental Governance

The SAS Executive Sustainability Council, formed in 2008, reviews metrics of SAS’ sustainable performance and provides guidance on ways to conduct global operations in a sustainable manner. This group includes representation from senior-level executives, including co-founders and company owners Jim Goodnight, CEO, and John Sall, Executive Vice President.

The Executive Sustainability Council – and the steering committee that reports to it – is chartered to act on an environmental policy statement and mandates.

Environmental Policy

SAS is an active and committed partner in the communities where we live, work and conduct business. At SAS, we recognize that environmental sustainability is a continuous effort that requires prudent use and preservation of our natural resources. We encourage our business operations in offices around the world to take steps to minimize environmental impacts by complying with and exceeding all environmental regulations. To accomplish this, all employees are asked to integrate environmentally responsible practices and seek innovative solutions to optimize operational efficiencies.

Environmental Mandates

Corporate priority – Establish policies, programs and practices for conducting operations in an environmentally sound manner, as one of the highest corporate priorities.
Integrated management – Fully integrate environmental policies, programs and practices into all functions, business units and global offices.
Continual improvement – Continue to raise the bar on environmental performance in alignment with technological developments, scientific understanding and stakeholder expectations.
Employee education – Educate, train and motivate employees to conduct their activities in an environmentally responsible manner.
Assessment – Conduct impact assessments before starting a new activity or project and before decommissioning a facility or leaving a site.
Products and services – Develop and provide products or services that have no undue environmental impact throughout the product life cycle – from development to delivery, use and disposal.
Customer support – Advise and educate customers, distributors and the public in the safe and environmentally responsible use, transportation, storage and disposal of SAS^® products.
Facilities and operations – Develop, design and operate facilities and conduct activities with constant consideration for minimizing resource consumption, adverse environmental impact and waste.
Research – Conduct or support research on the environmental impacts of SAS activities and how to minimize adverse impacts.
Contractors and suppliers – Promote the adoption of these principles by SAS contractors and suppliers, encouraging and (where appropriate) requiring improvements in their practices.

Implementation of environmental strategies is largely the domain of the SAS Corporate Services Division Environmental Management Program. The Environmental Program facilitates environmental efforts at company headquarters in the US, collects and reports key environmental indicators for global operations, and provides guidance and support to offices worldwide. Highest priority is assigned to energy conservation and solar projects, emission management and pollution mitigation, water conservation, waste reduction and recycling, procurement and green building.

The Environmental Program applies best practice ISO 14001 Environmental Management System (EMS) processes and structure to include:

Using SAS® for Sustainability Management and other tools to measure and improve environmental performance.
Ensuring environmental affairs are addressed by executive management.
Addressing immediate and long-term impacts of products, services and processes on the environment.
Providing global direction about addressing environmental concerns through the allocation of resources, assignment of responsibility and ongoing evaluation of practices, procedures and processes.
Enabling continual improvement of environmental processes.

Naturally, SAS uses its own analytics technology to measure and analyze the performance of its sustainability initiatives. SAS for Sustainability Management is used to calculate our global carbon footprint and measure the impacts of business processes and mitigation initiatives. SAS for Sustainability Management supports the application of global standards such as the Greenhouse Gas Protocol and the Global Reporting Initiative. Adherence to global standards provides for measurement and reporting in 57 countries in which SAS operates.

Next: Solar Initiatives

Solar Initiatives

The SAS Solar Farms are a combined 2.2 megawatts in capacity and are located on 12 acres at world headquarters in Cary, North Carolina. The photovoltaic (PV) solar arrays generate 3.6 million kilowatt hours of clean renewable energy each year, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by more than 3,500 tons annually – equivalent to the emissions produced by consuming more than 367,000 gallons of gasoline.
Solar Farm I - generating power since December 2008. The array is 1 megawatt in capacity, 5 acres and 5,040 panels in size, and generates 1.7 million kilowatt hours of clean renewable energy each year.
Solar Farm II - generating power since July 2010. The array is 1.2 megawatts in capacity, 7 acres and 5,236 panels in size, and generates 1.9 million kilowatt hours of clean renewable energy each year.

SAS also has several rooftop solar photovoltaic and thermal hot water installations generating renewably-sourced energy for office buildings at world headquarters.

Building C - 405 roof-mounted panels - 74 kW capacity solar PV system generates 100,000 kilowatt hours of electricity annually for use in the building – reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 95 tons each year.
Building R - 702 roof-mounted panels - 169 kW capacity solar PV system generates 200,000 kilowatt hours of electricity annually for use in the building – reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 190 tons each year.
Building T – 24 roof-mounted 4’x10’ solar thermal panels provide hot water for one of our on-site cafeterias. The energy output is equivalent to about 15 typical residential solar water heating systems.
Building G – 42 roof-mounted 4’x10’ solar thermal panels provide hot water for the campus gymnasium. The system produces hot water for showers and laundry services. The energy output is equivalent to about 25 typical residential solar water heating systems.
Building C – 8 roof-mounted 5’x6’ evacuated tube type solar thermal panels produce hot water for one of our on-site cafeterias. The system works in concert with a building HVAC chilled water system, which makes use of additional heat extracted from water-to-water heat pumps. The energy output is equivalent to about 10 typical residential solar water heating systems.

Next: Green Buildings

Green Buildings

SAS strives to be a leader in environmental sustainability. From U.S. headquarters to our offices around the world, SAS is committed to making a difference. Globally, SAS uses the best design, engineering, materials and technology available to minimize environmental impact when building or remodeling business facilities. This commitment led the design and construction decisions for our newest buildings.

In March 2011, SAS opened Building C, which comprises the Executive Briefing Center, cafe and an office tower for employees. The Executive Briefing Center uses cutting-edge technologies to help customers learn about SAS software. In keeping with SAS' commitment to protecting the environment, Building C achieved LEED for New Construction Platinum certification for water and energy conservation. The Platinum award, the highest level awarded by the US Green Building Council (USGBC), was the first for any building in Wake County and only the fifth in North Carolina at the time to receive this certification. The building consumes 40 percent less energy and 50 percent less water by integrating numerous highly efficient technologies and sustainable features:

Photovoltaic panels generate 100,000 kWh annually to support lighting and building systems.
Solar thermal panels provide hot water for the café.
Thermal slab floor cooling uses water cooled in off-peak hours by building chillers to help maximize air conditioning efficiencies.
Radiant floor heating is used in the atrium to maintain floor-level heat for greater occupant comfort and minimize heat loss through the roof.
Highly efficient HVAC systems integrate economizers, enthalpy wheels, variable speed drives, and various heat recovery systems to increase energy savings.
Regenerative drive elevators produce power for the building on descent.
Energy is saved by using T5 fluorescent and LED lighting fixtures along with individual lighting controls, motion sensors and automatic timers.
A one-acre sedum green roof minimizes stormwater runoff and provides increased insulation. This significantly reduces the heat-island affect for this micro-climate.
The installation of high-efficiency (low-flow) and electronically activated plumbing fixtures greatly reduces employee water consumption, resulting in 63% savings compared to EPA standards.
A rainwater collection system with two 20,000-gallon cisterns captures water for use in bathrooms.
A 655,000-gallon retention pond collects stormwater runoff and provides landscape irrigation.

In October 2010, SAS opened a new Data Center– Building D – at SAS world headquarters. The 38,660-square-foot facility includes two server farms and provides the additional data-handling capacity needed to expand SAS’ OnDemand offerings, hosted solutions and continued growth of R&D requirements. The facility was awarded Gold certification by the USGBC. The goal was to design and build the most efficient and green facility, allowing SAS to continue providing the high level of IT support customers expect and deserve. Environmental technology designed into the building included the implementation of a reclaimed water system and selection of mechanical and electrical systems emphasizing efficiency of operation.

SAS Canada’s office building was the first LEED-certified new office building in Canada. With rainwater harvesting and energy conservation measures resulting in savings of more than 6 million kWh of energy per year (equivalent to 4,000 tons of avoided CO2 emissions), the SAS building has served as an example for many other new buildings in Toronto.

SAS is also embracing USGBC LEED guidelines for remodeling and retrofit of existing buildings. For offices located in countries that do not use LEED as a resource, SAS is working to incorporate country specific best practices and pursue equivalent certifications for new construction projects and maintenance of existing buildings.

Next: Biodiversity and Habitats

Biodiversity and Habitats

SAS is very careful to minimize impact on biodiversity and the surrounding habitats as the company continues to grow and expand its operational footprint at the two company-owned locations in the US.

Of approximately 900 acres at SAS headquarters, about 80 acres have been used for buildings, roads and other impervious surfaces. The remaining 820 acres have been retained as old growth woodland, lakes and streams, farmland, natural areas and approximately 60 acres of maintained grassy lawns, primarily used for employee recreation and landscaping.

The company applies LEED best practice guidelines for new and existing building projects, smart land use planning and campus landscaping, such as:

Preserving large areas of open space in construction projects to minimize disruption to local ecosystems.
Reducing the heat island effect by installing white reflective materials and sedum, a living plant species, on rooftops. The use of sedum on rooftops provides additional insulation, minimizes stormwater runoff and provides habitats for wildlife.
Collecting rainwater from rooftop systems, retention ponds and cisterns to minimize storm water runoff and provide water for landscape irrigation.
Planting drought-resistant and native plants that require only minimal irrigation.
Harvesting timber from construction sites so artisans can craft unique pieces of furniture and accent walls for buildings.
Restoring land disturbed by construction projects with native and adaptive, drought-tolerant plants that help local ecosystems thrive and reduce our dependence on water and chemicals.
Growing local produce for SAS cafeterias from the onsite culinary farm.

The SAS Austin, Texas, office is located on 94 acres of mostly undisturbed land where deer and other wildlife freely roam. Only about three acres are used for facilities and access roads. The property has intentionally been left wild and features a long, winding driveway and natural walking trails surrounding the more landscaped areas around the building.

The Austin property is home to several types of endangered birds and spiders, which are protected by landscaping and conservation guidelines, such as the Balcones Canyonlands Conservation Plan (BCCP). The BCCP is a joint venture of the City of Austin and Travis County that protects habitats for several locally occurring species protected under the federal Endangered Species Act. SAS works closely with BCCP managers in a joint effort to maintain the natural integrity of these important habitats.

Next: Environmental Programs