Since 2015, CodeGreen has been working with California’s Department of General Services (DGS) to improve sustainability performance across their portfolio by improving energy and water efficiency, reducing waste, improving recycling rates and indoor air quality. And over the past two years, they have achieved LEED certification for 25 buildings through the LEED Volume program, totaling over 8 million square feet.
CodeGreen’s process included performing energy audits, on-site inspections and training and education sessions with building operators and occupants to help improve the overall efficiency of these buildings, which include a wide variety of building types and ages, ranging in age from 10 to 93 years including the iconic Caltrans District 7 Headquarters and the historic Stanley Mosk Library and Courts Buildings above.
The LEED Volume program allows DGS to take advantage of efficiencies gained by managing the portfolio as a whole, while reviewing each building’s performance against standard operating protocols. These LEED certifications also provide third-party verification of DGS’ rigorous green building program and focuses building management on contributing to the state’s broader goals around greenhouse gas reductions, waste management and sustainable purchasing. CodeGreen will continue to support DGS’ ongoing sustainability program through engagement, ongoing data management and LEED certification for eligible buildings.
One of the buildings to achieve LEED Gold certification was the California Energy Commission (CEC) building in Sacramento. Collaboration with the CEC team led by Executive Director Drew Bohan was an essential part of the successful certification. “Achieving LEED Gold certification is a testament to the good work our team provided and the seasoned guidance supplied by our partners.” said Executive Director Bohan. “The Department of General Services helped improve the efficiency, sustainability and health of our building, while CodeGreen provided the expertise and hands-on support needed to manage the certification process.”
CodeGreen worked with the operations and management teams of each building individually to understand operational and procurement practices, measure baseline performance and identify opportunities for improvement. Building improvements included HVAC, lighting system and controls upgrades, operational and procurement improvements and water efficiency measures. They also worked with the team at each building to reduce waste production and increase recycling. Throughout the process, CodeGreen tracked monthly building performance across dozens of metrics using their online ProAct tool.
Patricia Lee, Principal at CodeGreen, added, “We have been thrilled to work with the State of California and the Department of General Services as they lead by example on achieving sustainability goals for their buildings. We look forward to supporting the DGS team and their dedicated Facility Management staff as they continue their efforts to achieve aggressive sustainability targets.”
