What: Bentley Arena
Where: Waltham
Owner: Bentley University
Built: 2018

The 76,000-square-foot multipurpose Bentley Arena is the first standalone ice arena in the U.S. to receive LEED Platinum certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. The arena hosts the university’s Division I hockey team and events such as career fairs, guest speakers, alumni events and concerts. 

Sustainable features include a 504-kilowatt, rooftop solar array developed by Rivermoor Energy that will generate 40 percent of the building’s annual electricity needs, heat capture technology from the ice-making equipment that heats building water and high-efficiency LED lighting. 

Ice-making and air conditioning systems use zero chlorofluorocarbon refrigerants, and at least 50 percent of the building wood is sourced from areas with certified sustainable forestry practices.

“Thanks to the combination of the rooftop solar technology and energy-efficient mechanical design, the overall grid energy required to power the arena will be less than half of what it would take to power a building of a similar size. These technologies also cut the building’s carbon footprint in half.” — Amanda King, director of sustainability, Bentley University