RCC Blog: Going Green in the Capital City

April is Earth Month, and at the Raleigh Convention Center, sustainability is baked into everything we do, from the steel beams in the walls to the compost bin in the kitchen. Since opening our doors, we have built one of the most comprehensive sustainability programs of any convention center in the country. We have earned LEED Silver certification, NC Green Travel certification, and the 2021 City of Raleigh Climate Action Award for Energy and Water.

The sustainability story at RCC starts before the first event was ever held. Defunct cell phone towers were repurposed as structural support beams. The tan brick on the exterior was sourced locally, minimizing transportation emissions. And during demolition of the previous facility, we diverted over 14 MILLION lbs of material from landfills and incinerators.

One of RCC's most impressive feats is what sits on top of the building: a 500kW solar array made up of 2,000 panels, making it the second-largest convention center solar installation in the United States. The output is roughly equivalent to the annual energy consumption of 100 North Carolina homes. 

The facility's HVAC system is connected directly to the booking calendar, automatically adjusting temperatures based on whether spaces are occupied or empty, saving nearly $15,000 per year in energy costs and reducing overall consumption by 20%.

Beneath the convention center flows a natural underground river. The facility's cooling tower is supplemented by this natural water source, cutting usage by 25,000 gallons per day.

The catering operation at RCC, run in partnership with Sodexo Live!, is where sustainability gets personal for every attendee who grabs a meal. Since Fall 2017, RCC has composted food waste through Raleigh-based CompostNow, diverting hundreds of thousands of pounds from landfills and achieving a 40% average landfill diversion rate. That compost is donated to the Camden Street Learning Garden, operated by Inter-Faith Food Shuttle, a local nonprofit working to end hunger.

Beyond the big-ticket initiatives, we understand that small, consistent changes have a big impact. Some examples include: 

• Lights Out program: In partnership with Audubon Society's international initiative, the City of Raleigh and RCC turn off non-essential lighting each night to protect migratory birds from dangerous collisions with the building.
• 95% green cleaning: Green Seal-certified chemicals make up the vast majority of cleaning products used throughout the facility.
• 100% organic pest management: No synthetic pesticides on site.
• Low Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) materials: Carpeting, adhesives, and paint sealants all meet low-VOC standards to protect indoor air quality.
• EV charging: An electric vehicle charging station is available in the parking deck.
• Transit access: The center is conveniently located near six bus lines and within walking distance of the GoRaleigh Station, making car-free attendance easy.
• Native pollinator gardens: The gardens surrounding RCC are irrigation- and fertilizer-free, planted with native North Carolina perennials and designed to mimic a dry riverbed using rocks sourced from City of Raleigh parks.

Event planners who choose to host at the Raleigh Convention Center are creating memorable moments for their attendees. But beyond that, they’re creating a more sustainable future for events that will allow us all to keep creating memorable moments for years to come.