National Basketball Association

Miami's AmericanAirlines Arena honored for energy efficiency

Published Jan. 20, 2015 8:17 p.m. ET

foxsports

MIAMI (AP) The home of the NBA's Miami Heat has been honored for its commitment to energy efficiency and protecting the environment.

AmericanAirlines Arena was awarded LEED Gold honors on Tuesday. The building's exterior is maintained without the use of chemicals, is located along mass-transit routes and has saved over 4 million gallons of water through various practices. During the 2013-14 Heat season, more than 330,000 pounds of waste was also diverted from landfills through recycling.

Also, more than 75 percent of the arena's energy usage comes from renewable sources, and the building limits its cooling needs by having a solar reflective material on its roof.

The certification is awarded by the U.S. Green Building Council.