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Acterra Honors Green Business Practices Around the Bay Area: Press Release
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April 22, 2008
Integrated Design Associates, Inc. (IDeAs) Selected to receive 2008 Business Environmental Award
PALO ALTO, CA - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Acterra today announced the winners of the prestigious 2008 Business Environmental Awards, identifying ten companies and organizations who have demonstrated extraordinary environmental leadership from among this year’s highly competitive field. Once again, innovative Bay Area companies have proven their commitment to the environment with their extensive and creative sustainability practices.
The IDeAs Z-Squared Design Facility in San Jose is one of the first commercial buildings designed and built to meet a net-zero-energy/zero-carbon-emissions (Z2) target. The project took on the ambitious and pioneering challenge of transforming one of America's most common buildings, a 1960's-era tilt-up concrete structure, into a model of sustainable construction. In the end, an existing 7,200 square foot building has been transformed into a super energy efficient building which consumes approximately 60% less energy than the national energy efficiency standard.
The building utilizes natural daylighting, high efficiency light fixtures and occupancy sensors to minimize electricity used for lighting. A high efficiency ground source heat pump works with radiant heating and cooling in conjunction with operable windows, upgraded insulation and advanced glazing to reduce heating and cooling loads and optimize occupant thermal comfort. Innovative control strategies and careful equipment selection minimize energy use from plug-in equipment. Building integrated photovoltaics supply the building with 100% of its net energy requirements.
More than a place to work, the IDeAs Z2 Design Facility is also a learning lab for the electrical engineers and lighting designers at IDeAs who are working to advance energy efficient daylighting, lighting and lighting controls and sustainable electrical design concepts throughout the industry
IDeAs is collecting data on the building's energy system performance in order to help other design firms and researchers to obtain the green building knowledge required to move toward a carbon neutral society.
During the rigorous three-month judging process which involved 28 regional environmental and sustainability experts, the competitors showcased their environmental innovations in six categories including sustainability; sustainable built environment; environmental and sustainability education; environmental enterprise; commute and transportation, and pollution prevention/resource conservation.
"IDeAS has consistently looked at every detail of this building's design and how they do business every day to ensure that they minimize their energy and environmental footprint. IDeAS worked with their own engineers, engineers from other firms, the city and architects to create a project that truly revolutionizes how an existing building could be repurposed. This project is a remarkable example of considered thinking, leadership, and amazing results. Additionally the company has actively used this project as a tool to raise awareness of how much a building can lighten it's environmental effect." IDeAs will be honored at the 2008 Business Environmental Awards Reception on June 3rd at the Frances C. Arrillaga Alumni Center, Stanford University.
Since 1990 Acterra’s Business Environmental Awards program has recognized over one hundred Bay Area businesses and academic and nonprofit organizations for excellence in environmental leadership. Winners, who have in the past included Adobe, Apple, HP, Roche-Palo Alto, and Sun Microsystems, have made improvements in their operations that significantly reduce their environmental impacts, thereby benefiting all Bay Area residents.
About Acterra
Acterra is a non-profit organization with a 38-year history of environmental leadership and programming in and around Silicon Valley. Acterra has events, resources and programs that involve and educate individuals and communities across a broad range of environment issues. For more information visit www.acterra.org.
Media Contacts:
Integrated Design Associates
Therese Sullivan
650 575 2896
therese@ideasi.com
Acterra
Ariane Erickson
650 962 9876 x350
awards@acterra.org
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