American University can now count the Alan and Amy Meltzer Center for Athletic Performance and Sports Center Annex (SCAN) as its first building on campus to officially earn Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) v4 Platinum certification.

LEED v4 Platinum is the highest level of distinction in the preeminent LEED Green Building rating system. It indicates exceptional performance for sustainable design and construction across energy, water, materials, and indoor environmental quality.  To achieve Platinum status, the Meltzer Center earned 83 out of 110 points on the stringent LEED scoring system.  Projects earn points through deliberate use of energy-saving features and sustainable materials to significantly reduce environmental impact.

"AU has a policy of committing to achieve LEED Gold for all new construction. However, during Meltzer Center’s design process, architects and consultants identified opportunities to elevate the building’s classification to LEED Platinum,” said Leonardo Casa, Director of Project Management. 

“To help achieve LEED Platinum, they selected low-emitting materials such as low volatile organic compound (VOC) paints and specified companies that provided environmental product declaration statements (EPDS), exceeding AU’s current standards. They also utilized means and methods of construction to reduce waste to landfill by 89.8 percent.”

Features of Meltzer Center/SCAN that earned the building LEED Platinum status include:

• Use of onsite renewable resources—without onsite combustion—to power 100 percent of its energy needs.
• An onsite solar array designed to produce more electricity annually than the building’s annual consumption. The 779,631 kWh system includes 1,334 photovoltaic panels that are located on the roof of the Meltzer Center and the adjacent Bender Arena. The system could power 124 houses! 
• Use of a ground-source (geothermal) heating and cooling system. The system includes 85 wells that are 500 feet deep. For context, the Washington Monument is 555 feet tall.  
  • The geothermal well system utilizes the stable and approximately 59-degree temperature found below ground in combination with a heat pump and heat recovery unit to heat and cool the space without using fossil fuels.   
• Use of low-flow bathroom fixtures, dishwashers, and clothes washing machines that are anticipated to contribute to a 37 percent reduction in water use compared to a building with traditional fixtures.  
• Bioretention basins and 18,822 square feet of green roof space to capture rainwater and minimize runoff. 

• Landscaping, green roofs, and highly reflective pavement and roofing that serve to decrease the heat island effect. 
• A 94 percent reduction in outdoor water use by using drought-tolerant plants. 
• An additional 32 bicycle parking racks outside the building that add to the campus inventory.

“Meltzer Center/SCAN isn’t only a LEED Platinum building, it’s also been designated as Zero Energy Ready by Living Future®, a third party-verified standard validating that buildings are designed and built to operate at net-zero energy,” said Casa.

“Living Future's Zero Energy certification recognizes buildings that achieve net-zero energy performance by generating 100 percent of their annual energy needs from on-site renewable sources, verified through at least 12 consecutive months of actual operational data by a third-party auditor. We’re now tracking energy use and production as we work to achieve that certification as well.”

The Meltzer Center can also add the 2026 Clean Energy DC Award to its growing list of honors and accolades. Presented as part of the 2026 District Sustainability Awards by Mayor Muriel Bowser and the Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE), the award recognizes projects and initiatives that advance the District’s clean energy vision through innovation, measurable energy savings, and reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. Meltzer Center was recognized for being a fully electrified, net-zero energy athletic facility powered by geothermal and solar energy.

“At every step of the Meltzer Center/SCAN project, AU has demonstrated how innovative design, community-centered planning, and climate leadership can work together to advance a more sustainable and inclusive future for the District,” said Casa.