California's Environmental Upgrades

Source: the Newsletter (Nov. 5, 2008 / #632) from flexyourpower.org (the non-profit) encouraging energy stewardship in California. "New State Energy Plant to Meet LEED Gold Certification" The State Capital is going green. Office buildings in particular can be very hard to heat and cool (because the air usually doesn't move, and there are other 'heat-making' appliances - computers/printers/etc...). This building is going to have solar panels to power the indoor office equipment and a cylinder to release built up heat. They are also utilizing a water cooling mechanism for temperature control. Here is the architect's rendering of what the new building is planned to look like. Source: http://www.nlarch.com/portfolio/gov_dgs_cup.html. Here is the summary of what flex your power had to say about the new building:

"The facility will feature cooling towers to release heat pulled from state buildings as well as a 140-foot-tall, 4.25 million gallon thermal energy storage tank to store chilled water for plant operations during off-peak hours. Incredibly, it is expected to use only 1/10th of the water needed by the existing plant and will also include solar panels to power the office space within it. The project also recycled much of the demolition material from the old central plant and is being designed and constructed by Skanska USA Building Inc., in conjunction with other designers, architects, and subcontractors."