Two Southern California projects have taken advantage of climate-related and site-specific characteristics to design and construct high-performance, environmentally friendly buildings.

Sometimes, a building owner's best intentions can be a little like "telephone," a favorite childhood game. The first person in the chain starts with a key message, such as "I want an energyefficient building."

Large retail or big box stores are looking toward energy efficiency and sustainable design strategies to provide a competitive edge and increase profitability across the nation and in California's hard-hitting marketplace.

Choices made during the concept, design, and construction phases of new K-12 school projects in California impact students, teachers, parents, and the community for various reasons. For children and teachers, their daily comfort and performance is affected by the classrooms, hallways, gymnasiums, and auditoriums where they interact from four to eight hours each day.

Designing a healthcare facility can be as complicated and take as many plot twists as an episode of "ER."

By using recommended design methods for rooftop heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, significant improvements in operational savings, energy efficiency, and indoor comfort can be achieved.

Displacement ventilation (DV) is an air distribution system designed to simultaneiously improve indoor air quality and reduce energy use. Cool, rather than cold supply air is provided through low sidewall diffusers directly to occupants. The cool air, at about 65 degrees F rather than 55 degrees F, falls to the floor due to gravity and spreads across the floor.

Underfloor air distribution and access floor systems can provide energy savings, improved indoor air quality, and a technology ready environment for today's commercial buildings.

The Savings By Design program and the Energy Design Resources tools have helped the San Mateo Police Facility design team to design a building that will meet the City of San Mateo's goals for a LEED Silver rating and will provide long-term financial benefits to the City.

The 2005 version of California's Energy Efficiency Standards for Residential and Nonresidential Buildings, commonly known as Title 24, went into effect October 1, 2005. Building plans submitted after this date must meet the requirements of these updated Standards, which span envelope, lighting, heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) and domestic water heating measures.

In response to rising product demand, Piranha Pipe and Precast (Piranha) built a new production facility in Chowchilla, California. Piranha's management needed a concrete plant with greater production capacity, but they were concerned about increased energy consumption.

Radiant cooling systems are more efficient, more comfortable, more attractive, and more healthful than systems that circulate air. Unlike most cooling systems in California, which circulate cold air to maintain comfort, most radiant cooling systems circulate cool water through ceiling, wall, or floor panels. "Coolth" from that water is then absorbed by occupants and interior spaces according to the dynamics of thermal radiation.

In 2005, the Dublin San Ramon Services District (DSRSD) redesigned their plant to increase its capacity and better serve the residents of Dublin and San Ramon. The plant's engineers worked with PG&E staff under the auspices of a statewide investor-owned utility sponsored energy efficiency program, Savings By Design (SBD), to analyze the plant's energy consumption patterns and design it as efficiently as possible.

Older schools in this district were built with few windows, and students complained they felt "claustrophobic." Based on these comments, as well as concerns about energy efficiency, the school board decided that natural light was essential to the learning experience.

In libraries, lighting typically consumes more energy than any other end use. Consequently, the design team for the Multi-Agency Library at the College of the Desert decided to take advantage of the abundant natural light available in this desert climate to reduce energy use. This strategy directly resulted in strong architectural elements that delineate the building, making it a readily identifiable icon for the college campus and the surrounding community.