Chicago GreenWorks

More. . . - Exterior Features
Employee Participation

Induction Street Lighting Rancho Verde uses a first for Chicago: public street lighting using induction lamps. Induction lamps are considered “green” for two reasons: they have a long productive life as compared to incandescent bulbs meaning less resources are used to maintain them and less waste is generated over time, and they are up to 4 times as energy efficient as the standard street lighting systems. In addition, these lamps produce a good quality light that reduces the need for additional lamps.
Pervious Pavers The pervious pavers at Rancho Verde are another first for a Chicago city street. The value of the pervious paver is that it allows stromwater to pass directly through the street surface and into the ground below. Streets are particularly high in pollutants that leach from vehicles, such as oils and gas. The pervious paving allow the water to be naturally filtered by the stone and soil below the street rather than shedding to the sewer system where it has to be chemically treated.
Tree Sap At this time the high travel areas at Rancho Verde have been treated with pine sap to reduce dust. This product is completely natural and leaches into the ground slowly over time. Future applications may also include a soy based compound that will help maintain the high albedo nature of the stone roadways.