Liberty Mutual Group's 10 St. James Ave. building, a 585,000 s/f Class A office building located in Boston's Back Bay, has been awarded LEED Silver Certification for Existing Buildings Operations and Maintenance (LEED EB O&M) by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC). The 19-story tower, purchased by Liberty Mutual in 2006 is the first building in Boston's Back Bay to receive the designation. To achieve LEED certification, Liberty Mutual engaged the property's management company, CB Richard Ellis (CBRE) and its Sustainability Programs Group. CBRE's strategy was to increase the building's operating efficiency, reduce utility consumption and explore all aspects of the LEED EB rating system relating to the environmental impact of operations, maintenance, construction and the health and welfare of the building. To reduce base building utility consumption and lower the building's operating expenses, CBRE conducted an energy audit, a building-wide lighting audit and an on-site waste stream audit. The firm also balanced the building ventilation system to optimize occupant comfort and reduce HVAC-related energy consumption by approximately 5%. As a result of CBRE's sustainability efforts, the firm projects Liberty Mutual's 10 St. James Avenue building will realize approximately $63,900 in annual savings within an expected payback period of two years. In addition, the efforts will save 400,000 kilowatts of energy, reduce 1,323 tons of carbon dioxide emissions and divert from landfills 56 tons of recycling. "We are extremely proud that 10 St. James Ave. has been recognized as the first building in Boston's Back Bay to receive LEED EB O&M certification," said CBRE's Shay Sims, vice president, portfolio manager/partner. "We're honored to be recognized for our environmental efforts and to show that sustainable practices are both good for the environment and the bottom line." * Liberty Mutual's 10 St. James Ave. building is located in Boston's Back Bay with close proximity to the Boston Public Garden and Copley Square. Constructed in 2001, the property is one of Back Bay's newest top-tier office buildings and features a 400-car garage and approximately 35,000 square feet of retail space. In addition to the offices of Liberty Mutual, the building is home to Pearson Education and law firm Holland & Knight. Liberty Mutual has a total of 4,091 employees located in 33 offices across Massachusetts, with 2,602 of these employees located in Boston. The majority of Liberty Mutual's Boston-based employees are located at the company's Home Office campus, in buildings the company owns at 175 Berkeley Street, 30 St. James Avenue, 10 St. James Avenue and 330 Stuart Street.