National environmental group recognizes "green' bank branch in Pa.

• Position: Marketing News - Fidelity Deposit and Discount Bank awarded

The West Scranton, Pa., branch of Fidelity Deposit and Discount Bank (assets: $586 million), Dunmore, Pa., has been cited by the Environmental Defense Fund and U.S. Senator Robert P. Casey Jr. for protecting the environment of northeastern Pennsylvania and promotion job growth in green industries.

The Scranton architectural firm for the construction of the branch, DxDempsey, was also cited. The branch opened in August 2008.

The West Scranton branch was designed with a number of energy saving and environmentally friendly features. These include a "cool roof', which reflects sunlight, thereby reducing cooling loads for the building. This roof also cuts down on what is known as Urban Heat Island effect, which raises the ambient temperature in cities, contributing to pollution.

The largely glass facade reduces the need for artificial lighting, and an internal system automatically adjusts the amount of artificial light so only as much as is necessary is used. This system can reduce energy used for lighting by 40 to 70 percent. The glass itself is high energy efficiency and much of it is frosted to diffuse the amount of direct sunlight in the building...