State Fund Opens Green Campus in Vacaville

October 28, 2008

Facility May Earn Silver LEED Certification

SAN FRANCISCO — They say one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.

For State Compensation Insurance Fund, garbage once destined for landfills now comprises more than 20 percent of the building materials used in its new green campus in Vacaville, California.

In a demonstration of its ongoing commitment to ensuring the health of California’s communities and environment, State Fund opened the doors of its new facility to 750 employees in early October and celebrated today with a ceremony to showcase the sustainable resources and innovative technology that are expected to earn the campus a prestigious Silver LEED certification in early 2009.

“The decision to construct a new facility from the ground up presented us with a unique opportunity to invest in the welfare of our local community and the prosperity of California’s business owners,” said State Fund President Jan Frank. “The construction of a green facility is one step in State Fund’s larger effort to implement cost effective technologies to help us reduce energy consumption, shrink our carbon footprint, and introduce more environmentally friendly practices into the workplace.”

In addition to reducing waste by using recycled building materials, State Fund diverted 75 percent of construction waste away from landfills. The building’s water consumption was reduced by more than 40 percent through the use of low flow toilets and other technologies. The building’s energy performance is more than an 18 percent improvement over Title 24, California’s energy efficiency standards for residential and non-residential buildings.

Other highlights of the Vacaville campus include use of:

• 300kW renewable photovoltaic panels that will reduce carbon dioxide emissions;
• Low-emitting materials, such as adhesives, sealants, paints, carpet and wood;
• Energy efficient light fixtures and lamps throughout 80 percent of the campus, as well as energy efficient HVAC and electrical equipment;
• And server virtualization technology in the data center that reduces the number of servers.

“I am proud that State Fund is taking steps to minimize its environmental impact, and we will continue to identify areas where we can enhance our environmental awareness,” Frank said. “I want to thank the State Fund employees, business partners and community resources whose enthusiasm and support contributed to the successful completion of our new green facility.”