Wells Real Estate Funds Wins at 2011 LEED Showcase Awards

NORCROSS, Ga. (May 3, 2011) – Wells Real Estate Funds today announced that the company won the Innovation in Business award in the medium-company category at the recent 2011 LEED-Showcase Awards ceremony in Atlanta.

In partnership with the U.S. Green Building Council of Georgia, the Atlanta Business Chronicle hosted its first ever LEED Showcase Awards to honor 2010 LEED projects that set the bar for innovation and best practices.

Wells has long been dedicated to improving sustainable practices across its office portfolio, which boasted 19 LEED certified and 48 ENERGY STAR® -rated properties as of December 31, 2010. This latest distinction was earned as a result of Wells’ management of 2500 Windy Ridge Parkway in Atlanta, which serves as world headquarters for Coca-Cola Enterprises.

Wells Real Estate Investment Trust II, Inc (Wells REIT II) has owned the 25-year old property since September 2004. During that time Wells undertook several major green initiatives which raised the building’s ENERGY STAR® rating from 75 to 96, and also helped the property to earn LEED Gold Certification. Wells replaced dated equipment and systems that were original to the building, and installed a CO2 monitoring system which helps save energy by not cooling air unnecessarily. Wells also implemented a water condensate capturing system that collects water that is extracted as vapor from the building’s air conditioning systems into a 250-gallon capacity drum. That water is then used in cooling tower operations, which reduces the amount of domestic water used for that purpose by over 46%.

Wells is quick to note that these accomplishments would not be possible without partners who share their commitment to green building practices. "We are fortunate to have vendors who partner with us on a daily basis to incorporate environmentally friendly practices in many areas of property management, including pest control, landscaping, janitorial and recycling efforts," states Billie Hollifield, property manager at 2500 Windy Ridge Parkway.

Wells Real Estate Funds is a national real estate investment company based in suburban Atlanta. Since its founding in 1984, Wells investment programs – current and closed – have invested more than $11 billion in real estate for more than 250,000 investors. For more information, see www.WellsREF.com.

Currently, the Wells REIT II portfolio includes 94 office buildings in 24 states, Washington, D.C., and Russia, covering more than 22 million square feet.  Wells REIT II closed to new investments on June 30, 2010.  For information on Wells REIT II, visit http://www.WellsREITII.com/.

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