The Glen Allen Branch Library has received LEED Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council in recognition of a variety of energy-saving measures that were incorporated into its renovation. The library is the first Henrico County general government facility to receive LEED certification under a policy backed by the Board of Supervisors in January 2010.

The library, which reopened in October 2010 following an $8.3 million renovation and expansion, features energy-efficient heating and air conditioning systems, a low-flow plumbing system and building materials made from recycled content. The building also has preferred parking for fuel-efficient vehicles and a kiosk that highlights its daily energy use.

LEED, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, establishes a benchmark for the design, construction and operation of “green” buildings. It balances some increased costs for design and construction against greater long-term savings from more-efficient use of water and energy and other benefits, such as improved air quality.

The Glen Allen Branch Library, at 10501 Staples Mill Road, first opened in 1995. The renovation and expansion, approved by Henrico voters in the 2005 bond referendum, doubled the building’s size to more than 25,000 square feet.

The Department of General Services received notice May 14 that the library had been certified at the LEED Silver level based on points awarded for various design features and other criteria. The county is actively pursuing LEED certification for several other buildings, including the Gayton Branch Library, which is under renovation on Gayton Road, the renovated Fire Station no. 12 on West End Drive and the new Eastern Henrico Recreation Center on North Laburnum Avenue.