Gilbane Building Co

Architect:

Gensler

Scope Of Work

California State University Northridge’s goal was to have their Associated Students Sustainability Center not only certified as LEED Platinum, but to also conform to the Living Building Challenge. After performing a solar site analysis, it was determined that the amount of Photovoltaic (P/V) panels which could fit on the roof size of the building was not adequate to power all the building systems, so an alternate solution was required.

Gilbane worked with the electrical subcontractor to determine the efficiency and design of a solar water heating system that could capture enough of the sun’s energy reaching the building site in order to overcome this problem. A solar water heater is one of the most effective ways of cutting a structure’s carbon footprint by reducing reliance on dirty fossil fuel usage. By offsetting the use of electricity, gas or heating oil, using this solar water heater will also provide financial savings to the client by reducing their energy costs. The combination of rooftop P/V panels and the two-tank solar water heating system has ensured the Sustainability Center will generate enough power to run all of the building’s systems.