US-based beverage and snack company PepsiCo has announced that Frito-Lay's distribution facility in Oahu, Hawaii has earned the US Green Building Council LEED Gold certification.

LEED certification is awarded by the US Green Building Council (USGBC) and verified by the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI). LEED is the foremost program for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings.

According to the company, the 55,000 ft2 facility is Hawaii's first industrial new construction Gold site. It incorporates LEED requirements such as energy efficient construction.

Some of the features of the building and construction include - energy management system to control facility equipment, photovoltaics to generate 10% of the facility's electricity, energy efficient windows and skylights to provide ample daylight, and light colored paved surfaces to reduce the heat island effect.

The general contractor for the distribution center was The Haskell Company.

Frito-Lay North America, headquartered in Purchase, New York, is the $13bn convenient foods business unit of PepsiCo.