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California Government Buildings Go Green!

EcoHomes
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Three new state buildings have been awarded green building certification for their energy-efficient, environmentally friendly design and construction. The Franchise Tax Board buildings, part of the State Office Building at Butterfield Way expansion project in Sacramento.

"Building green saves energy, conserves resources and helps us meet the ambitious goals Governor Schwarzenegger laid out for us when he signed the Global Warming Solutions Act and established his Green Building Initiative," said State and Consumer Services Agency Secretary Rosario Marin.

Governor Schwarzenegger's Green Building Initiative directs state agencies to reduce California's energy use at state-owned buildings 20 percent by 2015, while also reducing the impact state buildings have on climate change.

The one million square-foot expansion project includes the California Building, which serves as the campus' town center, along with the four-story Sacramento Building and the three-story San Francisco Building that connect two existing buildings at the southern end of the site.

The new buildings were designed to exceed California energy efficiency standards by more than 20 percent.

Each of the buildings utilizes sustainable materials that feature high-recycled content and low-emissions including paints, sealants, carpeting, ceiling tiles and modular furniture.

Ninety percent of occupied spaces receive natural daylight and have outdoor views. A lighting control system automatically adjusts with the amount of natural daylight entering the work space from perimeter windows to reduce energy spent on lighting systems.

190,000 square feet of "cool" white roofing installed atop the new Sacramento and San Francisco buildings reflects heat from the sun keeping inside temperatures ? and cooling costs ? down.

Low-flow plumbing, exterior irrigation fixtures and drought tolerant landscaping conserve water. Surface parking lots use "bio-swales" to slow the rate of storm water runoff so as not to overwhelm storm sewer systems, which also reduces erosion. The bio-swales use vegetation to filter pollutants before runoff gets to streams and rivers.

Resource-efficient construction practices diverted more than 80 percent of construction waste from going to landfills.

For more information on the Governor's Green Building Initiative, please visit http://www.green.ca.gov. To see California's Green Building Directory, please visit http://www.greenbuildings.dgs.ca.gov.

CA Dept of General Services

Some information provided by News10 Living Green
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Nichoel Farris

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American Home Sales

www.ecomanufacturedhomes.com


Submitted by EcoHomes on Fri, 07/18/2008 - 12:01.

Jeff Schultz
Re: California Government Buildings Go Green!

Green roof tops coupled with solar would take care of the BIG 20%, why not 50%?, shoot for the stars! Get rid of half of the employee "fluff" and now we are looking at some REAL gains.

About the math skills, Zimbabweans can deal with kazillion percent inflation and most people in the U.S. have problems counting out change.

Not much in the way of innovative "green" technology. From what I see, elementary measures to reduce and conserve.

I see no mention of the greening of the old L.A. jail site?


Sat, 07/26/2008 - 09:48

athena
Re: California Government Buildings Go Green!

We use more energy to run our homes because they are bigger than they were in the past.

If Arnold really wanted to use 50% less energy, he could have built 500,000 square feet of bulding instead of 1,000,000 square feet, and let half the employees work from their homes.  This would have saved even more by cutting commute travel by half.  The smaller parking lot could have left room for a vegetable garden where homeless people could grow food.  


Mon, 07/21/2008 - 18:20

athena
Re: California Government Buildings Go Green!

WE hear a lot about the higher California standards.  In Canada we call it "California Dreaming" with bedrooms over garages and windows all over the place.  Looks good, but not too practical.

Buildings permits are approved on current standards, but the standards are changing so fast that the buildings are obsolete by the time they are built.

California plans a 20% reduction in energy usage by 2012.

In Canada, the 2008 code requires an energy saving of 28% over 1997.  By 2011 the improvement  required jumps by 7% to 35% - and new non-residential and larger residential buildings will have to meet a further 25% improvement on top of that.

 I'm afraid all these numbers are deliberately confusing.  Why can we not just express these energy efficiencies in a number of watts used per square foot?

White roofs?  What a waste. What's wrong with a solar/thermal generator to power the air conditioners and really lower the building's energy usage?


Sat, 07/19/2008 - 10:06

ctyankee
Re: California Government Buildings Go Green!

[quote]

White roofs?  What a waste. What's wrong with a solar/thermal generator
to power the air conditioners and really lower the building's energy
usage? 

[/quote]

  Here here! The Pickins Plan is drawing a lot of attention to things.  Hopefully the attention will spill over into some real solutions, rather than just the most expedient.

  Watts/sq-ft  Now you're really talking!  But the dismal math skills of so many folks might doom that approach as "too complicated for average people"...  Gotta admire the government for diminishing expectations from public education


Sat, 07/19/2008 - 10:35