Ebay

By Evan Mills

Factbox

Global number of employees: 33,000

Locations globally: 185

Square feet of occupied space: n/a

LEED-certified buildings: 2

EnergyStar Buildings: 7

Corporate Goals & Initiatives

Social Innovation is one of the four top-level categories messaged on Ebay's corporate website, and the company organizes its corporate social responsibility into 11 major areas, three of which -- obtain 8% of electricity use from green energy sources, reduce carbon emissions per transaction by 10%, and green shipping-- focus on energy and environment. The first two of these pertain directly to energy use in facilities.

Ebay estimates that about 26% of its carbon footprint is attributable to its office buildings, and 50% to its data centers, and 16% to warehouses. A number of buildings have been constructed to LEED standards, including one in Bangalore India. Energy use in facilities, receives only brief discussion in the latest (2013) sustainability report, with most attention given to community activities, waste management, and charity. The company constructed its first building in 2008, which received a LEED Gold rating, and states that every subsequent building has also achieved LEED Gold (CDP 2014 report). The building included what was at the time the largest rooftop solar array in the city of San Jose, CA. Most of Ebay's efforts on energy management appear to be focused on data centers.

Ebay participates in a 25-company initiative championed by the World Wildlife Fund and World Resources Institute to promote Corporate Renewable Energy Buyer's Principles, setting aggressive renewable energy goals, addressing barriers, and collaborating to drive change in policy.

According to its 2014 CDP report, the company identifies 16 sustainability criterion that it uses in citing its data centers:

  1. Available free air cooling

  2. Ability to provide key metrics on facility and subleased space on energy use, water use, waste, etc., as well as KPIs such as facility PUE, CUE, WUE, etc.

  3. Incentive programs (tax, federal, state and local) to offset costs of sustainable measures

  4. Current grid energy fuel mix (fossil/renewable)

  5. Cost and permissive co-generation opportunities

  6. Regional carbon capacities

  7. Anticipated/future grid energy fuel mix (fossil/renewable)

  8. Available solar energy capacity at or near the site

  9. Available wind energy capacity at or near the site

  10. Alternative water sources

  11. Grey water reuse opportunities

  12. Redevelopment and adaptive use opportunities

  13. Ability of site to add scoring of LEED, BREAM or comparable system

  14. Ability of site to contribute to net zero opportunities

  15. Brownfield opportunities

  16. Opportunity to locate in a rural area or diminished market

Ebay also notes that "historically, particularly for our low carbon energy investments, we have used alternative (as compared with standard business-as-usual) criteria for investment, including a longer payback period and lower ROI specification."

Flagship Project: Draper Customer Service Center

  • Project type: retrofit

  • Location: 583 West EBay Way, Draper, UT 84020, USA [Map]

  • Number of Buildings: 2 (1: offices, 37 conference rooms, 1: reception, gift shop, food service and 300-seat dining area, training/fitness, and 480-seat auditorium)

  • Floor area: 237,181 square feet

  • Occupants: 1,800

  • Site: 36 acres

  • Walkscore: 20/100*

  • Summary Table

A good work environment was cited as a key design objective for this building (Figure 1). Extensive attention to appears to have been paid to indoor environmental quality (13 of 15 possible LEED points earned). Company information states that heavy use was made of daylighting, although no related points were awarded under LEED (Figure 2). No post-occupancy evaluation has been reported.

Minimizing HVAC energy use was pursued on several fronts. A direct-indirect evaporative cooling system was employed, coupled with under-floor thermal distribution with a degree of personal control. The curtain wall glazing treatment is 0.25 SHGC low-e. A cool roofing system was used to minimize space-cooling needs. Company information states that 30% HVAC savings were achieved compared to typical practice, but no specific data were located. Extensive commissioning was performed.

The project received an Illuminating Engineering Society award for the lighting design, with mention of the lighting controls that included wireless daylight harvesting. LED parking lighting was used with peer-to-peer controls, reducing light pollution and meeting Dark-Sky Society standards

Green power is outsourced for all electricity needs. Preferential parking is given to electric and low-emission vehicles.

Figure 1. EBay facility in Draper, UT

Figure 2. LEED Scorecard for Ebay Draper, UT facility

Documentation

(see attached documents)