JOYCE: Roberson says the lobby floor uses stone, which is expected to last for the building’s lifetime, compared to carpet, which is less durable and needs replacement. Another district project is the new skills center at the district's educational cultural complex in San Diego. The career training facility uses photovoltaic solar panels on carport structures. It also uses high efficiency plumbing fixtures that reduce water consumption by more than 40 percent compared to standard buildings. The classrooms were designed to maximize daylight, reducing the need for artificial lighting. District architect Lance Lareau says it's not just the new projects that are going green.

LANCE LAREAU (District Architect): "We're retroactively commissioning our older buildings right now to try to bring them up to current code. Some of our buildings were built, as I'm sure you know, back in the 50s and they're energy hogs."

JOYCE: One of the district’s largest building projects is the career technology center in downtown San Diego. The new facility will house the nursing, cosmetology and digital arts programs. It's one of four new buildings planned for the downtown campus. The building is using recycled glass and solar energy.

DAVID UMSTOT (Vice Chancellor, Facilities Management, SDCCD): "And we're also generating solar power here on the building both on our rooftop as well as a vertical configuration on our parking structure. Which will generate approximately seven percent of our electrical needs."

JOYCE: David Umstot with the community college district says the project is expected to be completed in April and is on track to gain LEED’s second-highest gold certification. But it's not just the community college district using green building standards. San Diego State University also has a sustainable building strategy. 

STEVE LINCOLN (SDSU Sustainability Coordinator): "It's not only the right thing to do, but I think as you look at the lifecycle of our buildings since we're going to have those buildings from now until the day that they're replaced or what have you. We have to look at measures that will save us money and energy conservation is certainly one of those."

JOYCE: SDSU's Mission Bay aquatic center uses solar to produce 100 percent of its electrical needs. Solar panels are also used on other campus buildings. Along with SDSU and the community college district, UC San Diego also generates electricity using renewable energy such as solar. Russ Thackston with UCSD says the school's goal is to get 30 percent of its power needs from renewable energy by 2015.

RUSS THACKSTON (Assistant Vice Chancellor, UCSD): "Our carbon footprint, you know, kindness to the environment is to reduce the amount of water we use and the amount of power we use. And for the power that we do use, we want to use as much renewable sources such as solar and wind. So the first thing that UC San Diego did was we've invested over $60 million in energy efficiency projects that have reduced our energy consumption by 20 percent. In addition to that it saves us $12 million a year."

JOYCE: UCSD also is incorporating LEED principles in all of its campus construction, including new campus student housing projects.
by kpbs.org