SDG&E's Energy Innovation Center Awarded LEED Platinum
Certification By U.S. Green Building Council
SAN DIEGO, Nov. 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- San Diego Gas &
Electric's (SDG&E) Energy Innovation Center (the Center), a
showcase facility where residential and business customers can
learn about energy efficiency, alternative fuel transportation and
clean generation, has achieved LEED Platinum certification by the
U.S. Green Building Council.
"Earning LEED Platinum certification for the Energy Innovation
Center is a significant milestone for SDG&E, and is a testament
to all of our committed employees and community partners who have
worked to help make this vision a reality," said Pam Fair, vice president of environmental,
operations support and chief environmental officer for
SDG&E. "Since its unveiling earlier this year, this
facility has been a valuable resource for the community and is
demonstrating ways that we all can move toward a more sustainable
energy future."
LEED Platinum certification is the highest level of
sustainability a building can achieve with the U.S. Green Building
Council, nonprofit organization committed to a prosperous and
sustainable future for our nation through cost-efficient and
energy-saving green buildings. For commercial buildings to earn
LEED certification, a project must satisfy all LEED prerequisites
and earn a minimum 40 points on a 110-point LEED rating system
scale.
"SDG&E's Energy Innovation Center has raised the bar for our
leadership class of high-performing green buildings in San Diego," said Douglas Kot, executive director of the San Diego
Green Building Council. "Perhaps, more importantly, the
Center has also transformed an underutilized commercial
neighborhood center into a beacon of sustainability."
In order to meet the LEED platinum certification, SDG&E
benefited from the incorporation of the latest sustainable features
in the Center's design. Some of the key elements of the
Center include:
- Six sun-tracking solar "trees" in the parking lot provide shade
and generate 62 kW of electricity. Combined with the solar
panels on the roof, the system provides enough electricity to power
31 homes.
- The "cool roof" reflects the sun's rays and keeps the Center
cooler than a conventional roof, which helps reduce the demand on
the Center's air conditioning. The roof also has a rain water
collection unit that stores water used for the Center's irrigation
system.
- The landscape features drought resistant landscaping and
efficient irrigation technology, resulting in a 50 percent water
savings compared to a conventional design.
- 85 percent of the original building's materials were reused or
recycled, including the carpet which is made from recycled
tires.
- Over 10 percent of the materials used to construct the building
were harvested, manufactured and processed within 500 miles of the
Center's site, reducing the environmental impacts associated with
transportation and shipping building materials.
SDG&E began construction on an existing 27,000-square-foot
building in late-2010 and showcases different examples of highly
efficient lighting, HVAC units and leading technologies to
demonstrate the choices available for businesses and design
professionals to incorporate into their buildings. Many of
the program offerings and design features are the result of a
collaborative approach with community-based organizations, local
businesses and other key stakeholders and technology
sponsors.
Key features that customers can experience at the Center
include:
- Smart Home experience tours; sustainability tours; Food Service
Demonstration Kitchen; interactive kiosks and resource library;
water-wise walkway with drought-tolerant landscape demonstrations;
and a Produce Demonstration Garden.
A key component of the Center is the full commercial Food
Service Demonstration Kitchen that boasts over 40 energy efficient
appliances. Chefs, restaurant owners, and facility managers
with commercial kitchens can test their recipes on energy efficient
equipment to ensure that the updated appliances work well with
their dishes.
In addition to LEED Platinum, the Energy Innovation Center was
also recently honored with additional awards including the 2012
Orchid Award for Adaptable Reuse and the American Institute of
Architects San Diego Chapter's Committee on the Environment Award.
At the award ceremonies, the Center's architect, Hanna Gabriel
Wells, was recognized for sustainable architecture that integrates
buildings with the physical and cultural environment.
The Energy Innovation Center is located at 4760 Clairemont Mesa
Blvd. in San Diego and is open to
the public Monday – Friday from 8
a.m. – 5 p.m. To learn more about how you can utilize
the Energy Innovation Center visit www.sdge.com/eic.
SDG&E is a regulated public utility that provides safe and
reliable energy service to 3.4 million consumers through 1.4
million electric meters and more than 850,000 natural gas meters in
San Diego and southern Orange
counties. The utility's area spans 4,100 square miles.
SDG&E is committed to creating ways to help customers save
energy and money every day. SDG&E is a subsidiary of
Sempra Energy (NYSE: SRE), a Fortune 500 energy services holding
company based in San Diego.
(Logo:
http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110106/MM26476LOGO)
SOURCE San Diego Gas & Electric