CHPS Demonstration Schools from the Collaborative for High Performance Schools. Their goal is to improve the quality of education for
California
’s children and facilitate the design of learning environments that are resource-efficient, healthy, comfortable, well-lit, and contain the amenities needed for a quality education.
The Flex Your Power website offers a large collection of case studies that provide in-depth looks at how a
California
government, water agency or wastewater agency planned, financed and implemented its energy conservation and efficiency programs.
Colorado Court A project that sets a new standard for energy- and resource-efficient affordable housing.
Toilet Replacement Program from Smart Communities Network. A
Los Angeles
program that employs community-based organizations in the distribution of 100,000 free ultra-low-flush toilets annually to households in southern
California
. Learn about their success on this site.
Ultra-low Flush Toilet Program from Smart Communities Network. A program in Los Angeles that employs local students to identify eligible households in low-income neighborhoods and to then help install free ultra-low-flush toilets to these homes in an effort to conserve water.
Residential
Wine Creek Road Home,
Healdsburg, CA
from Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. This modest
California
retreat evokes the spirit of local vernacular buildings and was designed to take maximum advantage of the site and climate to make the house comfortable while minimizing energy use and environmental impacts.
Multifamily
Marsh Commons Cohousing, Arcata, CA employs appropriate technology to reduce resource consumption and dependence on cars. The development is built on a reused industrial site adjoining a wildlife refuge on a marsh. Its buildings feature salvaged wood, certified lumber and recycled paint.
Santa Monica Sustainable City Program (.pdf file) Adopted by this
California
city on
September 20, 1994
. The program includes policy guidelines and ordinances for the following areas: Community and Economic Development, Construction and Development, Education, Energy, Hazardous Materials, Housing, Purchasing, Solid Waste, Stormwater & Wastewater, Transportation and Water.
Sustainability Plan for the City of
San Francisco
from
Sustainable
City
. Developed by a group of more than 350 San Franciscans–community activists and people representing many city government agencies, over 100 businesses, and academia. They gathered in working groups in 1996 to draft the "rough game plan that is necessary for a concerted effort to achieve a sustainable society." In July 1997, the goals and objectives of the sustainability plan became policy of the City and
County of San Francisco, CA
.
Village Homes, Davis, CA,
from Rocky Mountain Institute. One of the first modern developments that can be considered "green." Its success—first as a real estate development, and now as a community—can be traced back to its designers' and developers' whole-systems approach that considered end-use/least-cost issues.
20th Street
Apartments,
Santa Monica
,
from Global Green USA. A pioneering example of an energy-efficient rehabilitation of a low-income housing development.
Commercial
Audubon
Center
at
Debs
Park
from the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. The
Audubon
Center
at
Debs
Park
is the National Audubon Society's first nature center in
California
to be constructed from the ground up using environmentally sensitive design techniques.
Bren Hall, University of CA, Santa Barbara (.pdf file) This LEED™ version 1.0 Platinum building includes low-emitting materials, certified wood, reclaimed water for toilets and irrigation, natural ventilation, and more.
Building 850,
Ventura County
,
from Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Serves as one of the U.S. Navy's two "Energy Showcase" facilities to demonstrate applications of the latest concepts in energy-efficient and sustainable facility design, construction and operation.
Cal/EPA Headquarters Building from California Integrated Waste Management Board. Learn what sustainable building strategies AC Martin Partners Inc. employed for this building and the lessons learned from their experience.
Capitol Area East End Office Complex (.pdf file) from Integrated Waste Management Board. The state of
California
is using this project to showcase a variety of sustainable features and evaluate the results.
Capitol Success from Building Design and Construction. The state of
California
benefits from just the right approach for a megalithic, mixed-use project in its capital city. The building achieved LEED™ Gold status.
Cypress Semiconductor from PowerLight® Solar Electric Systems. The 335 kW PV rooftop array is integrated into the architecture of Cypress' new San Jose headquarters, and during daylight, generates enough electricity to power more than 330 homes.
Energy Resource Center, Downey, from Southern California Gas, a one-stop "idea shop" for customers to find the most efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally sensitive solutions to their energy needs.
Environmental
Technology
Center
,
Sonoma
State
Universi
ty
, t
he design, techniques and materials used in the building of the ERC showcase the latest strategies for energy-efficient lighting, cooling and architectural design, and highlight innovative resources for resource-efficient and energy conserving materials and equipment.
Feather River
College
from California Energy Commission. Installed a geothermal heat pump system at
Feather River
College
in
Quincy,
CA
, which is saving some $50,000 and 421,000 kilowatt-hours each year.
Franchise Tax Board State Office from California Integrated Waste Management Board. Learn what sustainable building strategies designers employed for this building and the lessons learned from their experience.
High
Tech
High School
,
Los Angeles
Unified
School District
from the Collaborative of High Performance Schools (CHPS). Located in the
San Fernando Valley
, High Tech High was designed to mirror leading-edge research centers with the most cutting-edge technologies and renewable energy sources.
Lakeview Terrace Branch Library from California Integrated Waste Management Board. Includes information on sustainable building strategies used, lessons learned, and links to more information and articles.
Natural Resources Defense Council’s Santa Monica Office is said to be among the greenest buildings in the country. The building was awarded the U.S. Green Building Council LEED™ Version 2 Platinum rating-- the highest possible level of sustainable design.
Neutrogenia Corporation from PowerLight® Solar Electric Systems. This system covers 62,000 square feet of combined roof area, making it the largest commercial solar rooftop installation in
California
.
Oak Park Library Project from the
University
of
California
,
Los Angeles
. A joint-use public and high school library in
Ventura
,
CA
with a state-of-the-art, energy-conserving design that includes daylighting, reduced cooling energy, reduced material use and energy-efficient windows.
Ridgehaven Building Renovation from City Environmental Services Department,
San Diego
,
CA
.
Sought to provide a healthful, more productive workplace for employees, minimize pollution, resource consumption and the building's impact on environment, practice resource conservation by reuse, recycling and prudent material selection, and provide the city with a model for
Green
Building
.
Salazar Hall,
Sonoma
State
University
a
unique system of low-energy cooling, lighting control, high-efficiency glazing, and photovoltaics in the remodeling of Salazar Hall on the
Sonoma
State
University
campus has earned the building project a national award for energy efficiency.
Solar
Living
Center
from the Solar Living Institute. A 12-acre demonstration site for renewable energy and sustainable living technologies and serves as the headquarters for the non-profit Solar Living Institute.The buildings are constructed of rice straw bales and feature daylighting and sustainable landscape design.
Truckee
Middle School
This case study outlines sustainable building features of
Truckee
Middle School
in
Truckee
,
C
A
. It lists funding sources and includes lessons learned during the demonstration project. The project was designed according to the Collaborative for High-Performance Schools (CHPS) Criteria through a grant from the California Energy Commission (CEC) with additional assistance provided by the California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB).
University
of
California
,
Merced
Under an action approved in 2000 by California Governor Gray Davis and the state legislature, a $30 million fund was created to purchase conservation easements allowing continued grazing and preservation of sensitive habitat in eastern
Merced
County
. In total, the fund could preserve as many as 45,000 acres of sensitive vernal pool habitat in the areas around the new campus.
US Postal Service,
Marina
del Rey, CA
from PowerLight® Solar Electric Systems. Implemented an innovative combination of on-site renewable generation and demand control measures to reduce electrical demand and energy use.
Van Atta Design Studio from Van Atta Associates. A 2500-square-foot design studio for landscape architecture located in
Santa Barbara
,
CA
, built with principles of sustainable design on a reused urban site, with a healthy indoor environment using natural light. The building includes solar panels and landscaping that creates a comfortable and appealing microclimate.
Yosemite National Park
from PowerLight® Solar Electric Systems. By implementing photovoltaic (PV) solar electric generation, the Park service further fulfilled its mission of preserving
Yosemite
’s natural resources while reducing air pollution in
Yosemite Valley
and cutting utility costs.