The City only had sufficient budget for a new roof. We gave them a super-efficient green building paid for by energy savings. It didn’t cost the taxpayer a single penny. Now the staff and customers are happier and more productive. The views from the beautiful Library above are dramatically improved and the city’s carbon footprint is a small fraction of what it was.
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Project Background:
The City of Encinitas first considered building improvements because their Civic Center roof was leaky and needed replacement. They also recognized that the building was not as efficient as it could be and expressed interest in reducing energy use and associated costs. With a new, modern library being built on the hill above to capture panoramic views of the beautiful Pacific Ocean, the City also wanted to “clean up” the Civic Center rooftop below that was cluttered with air conditioning units, duct work and rusting gas lines.
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Solution:
The clutter of packaged rooftop HVAC units were replaced with a small central plant and thermal energy storage with advanced energy management. Skylights, advanced day lighting, and a 96 kW solar photovoltaic system was also designed into the new roof to further reduce energy costs. Our creative design not only provided dramatic utility and maintenance cost savings for the City, it also resulted in: improved aesthetics for the public from the library and neighboring homes, great educational opportunities for the public, improved working conditions (and productivity) for city employees and civic pride as Encinitas leads the way with the first LEED (potentially Gold) certified Civic Center in Southern California. Click here to watch project video.
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Notable Results:
- Demand Savings: 218 kW (65%)
- Annual Energy Savings: 345,634kWh/yr; 999 Therms/yr (75%)
- Annual GHG Savings: 465 trees (312,019 lbs CO2; 578 lbs NOx; 650 lbs SO2)
- 2012 USGBC LEED Silver
- 2010 EPA Energy Star
- 2009 Regional SANDEE Award
- 2009 International Renewable Energy Project of the Year
- 2009 Building of America Award
- 2009 APWA Award
