HomeMy WebLinkAbout1998-09-22 - AGENDA REPORTS - GREEN BLDG CONCEPT (2)CITY OF SANTA CLARITA
AGENDA REPORT
NEW BUSINESS City Manager Appro`
Item to be presented
DATE: September 22, 1998
SUBJECT: GREEN BUILDING CONCEPT
DEPARTMENT: City Manager
RECOMMENDED ACTION
City Council receive report regarding the green building concept.
BACKGROUND
The City Council recently expressed an interest in the green building concept and directed staff
to look into the subject. In July of this year, Councilmembers Darcy and Klajic took the
opportunity during the ICA Conference to visit the City of San Diego's Ridgehaven Green
Building, where the City's Environmental Services Department is housed. They found the
information valuable and asked staff to bring a report back to the Council. In researching the
subject, staff also visited The Gas Company's green building, called the Energy Resource Center
(ERC), which is located in Downey.
What is a Green Building?
The two green buildings incorporated in this report are models of advanced, energy-efficient
and environmentally sensitive design. By incorporating the latest in energy-efficient lighting,
cooling and architectural design techniques, the buildings minimize energy, water and
materials consumption, while creating a high-quality, high-performance space. The following
features are common in the green building concept:
Building Renovation
Both buildings were renovated from existing structures. Instead of demolishing the old
buildings, the former structures were only dismantled as needed. Approximately 60% of the
old building materials were either left in place, refurbished or recycled.
Building Envelope
The building envelope can be thought of as a shell or barrier separating the interior spaces from
the outside environment. In order to reduce radiant heat gain or loss, the buildings both used
low emissivity glass and a solar window control film on all windows. The ERC in Downey went
a step further and included two additional enhancements to the building envelope. First, a non -
CFC rigid foam, called an "Exterior Finish Insulation System", was added to the existing walls,
reducing heat gain and loss by 50%. Second, a portion of the roof was covered with a highly
reflective white material, which was mechanically fastened, eliminating the need for heat
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equipment, hot asphalt, and toxic adhesives and sealants.
Heating and Cooling Systems
A major component of green buildings is the installation of high -efficiency heating ventilating
and air-conditioning (HVAC) units. Both credited much of the success of the buildings' energy
efficiency to computerized systems that centrally operate the HVAC units through the use of
data -gathering sensors.
Lighting
Lighting features include high -efficiency fluorescent lamps, electronic dimming ballasts, room
occupancy sensors, daylight sensors, and innovative skylights. The building engineers estimate
that these lighting features have reduced lighting requirements by about 47% over what is
allowed by the California Building Code for this type of office structure.
Water Conservation
The landscaping includes drought -resistant plants and automatic drip irrigation systems to
reduce the amount of water needed to maintain the plants. Ultra-low flush toilets reduce water
usage by at least 50% compared to conventional toilets.
Recycled Building and Design Materials
Steps were taken to use recycled materials in the building design. Some of those features are
listed below.
• Carpet tiles made partially from recycled, post-industrial waste, are installed throughout
both buildings. The tiles are designed to be rotated between high and low wear areas to
increase their useable life, and when worn, they will be shipped to a recycling center to be
made into new carpeting or used as an energy source.
• Surfacing materials used in the buildings are made from recycled glass, syndecrete,
stoneware, and other recycled composites.
• The ERC had several innovative building design features which created uses for items that
would otherwise have been sent to landfills. They used metal, which was melted down from
weapons confiscated by the L.A. County Sheriffs Department, to manufacture rebar used
in the structural concrete. They incorporated Warner Bros. studio set pieces; including an
entire staircase, into the building design. The reception area has a wall veneer made
entirely of surplus aircraft aluminum, and the floor was laid from reprocessed wood saved
from a former Banana Republic warehouse in San Francisco, which was built in the 1880's
and condemned after the Loma Prieta earthquake.
Are Green Buildings Cost Effective?
The obvious question regarding green buildings is, "Do they cost more?" Because every project
is unique and the methods are new, detailed cost analyses are almost impossible to achieve. By
examining costs on both of the green buildings, it is estimated that green. building projects
which renovate existing structures cost about 33% less than new construction, and
approximately 20% more than a standard.building renovation. Their monthly utility savings
are another factor in the overall cost analyses, and in the case of the Ridgehaven project, they
expect the payback period to be just under four years.
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