SACRAMENTO — The California Department of General Services (DGS) announced today that the California Department of Rehabilitation's headquarters in Sacramento has become the first State building to be awarded green building certification after undergoing a major renovation.

To mark the achievement, a USGBC plaque designating the Department of Rehabilitation Building as "LEED-New Construction Silver" (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) was unveiled today at the 721 Capitol Mall building during a ceremony for the building's employees.

The USGBC is the nation's foremost coalition of building industry leaders working to promote buildings that are energy-efficient, environmentally responsible, healthy places within which to work and conduct business.

"Building green saves energy, conserves resources and helps us meet the ambitious goals Governor Schwarzenegger laid out for us when he signed the Global Warming Solutions Act and established his Green Building Initiative," said State and Consumer Services Agency Secretary Rosario Marin.

"I'm excited that our march to green State buildings continues today in this historic building along Capitol Mall in the shadow of our State Capitol. DGS is committed to continuing the push to increase energy efficiency throughout all State buildings," said DGS Director Will Bush.

Governor Schwarzenegger's Green Building Initiative (Executive Order S-20-04) directs state agencies to reduce California's energy use at State-owned buildings 20 percent by 2015, while also reducing the impact State buildings have on climate change. His executive order also directs that state buildings like this one, and all future state construction and major renovation projects, should meet a minimum of LEED Silver certification in order to save energy, conserve water, divert waste from landfills and cut greenhouse gas emissions.

"The California Department of Rehabilitation is proud to occupy the first renovated State-owned building to be honored for its energy efficiency," said DOR Director Tony Sauer.  "Moving to 721 Capitol Mall has enabled us to conduct the people's work in a beautifully historic, state-of-the-art, energy efficient building that happens to be conveniently located within a few blocks of the State Capitol and most government leaders.  This move will assist DOR to better assist all Californians with disabilities toward equality and independence."

The newly renovated building now features many energy- and resource-saving features, including:

• Energy-efficient HVAC (heating, ventilation, air conditioning) system, mechanical systems, and lighting systems.
• Energy management system to monitor hundreds of heating and cooling sensors in facility to adjust temperatures where needed.
• ENERGY STAR-compliant "cool" roof that cuts heat gain and reduces energy consumption.
• Window shading and low-e (low-emissive) film on window glass reduces heat gain and heat loss, resulting in lower energy consumption.
• Increased insulation in exterior walls and roof.
• Overall energy efficiency measures in the building are designed to be 15 percent higher than CA Building Code (Title 24) requires.
• Low emitting volatile organic compounds (VOC) materials used in adhesives, sealants, coatings, carpet, and composite wood.

Other environment-friendly features include:

• Low-flow plumbing fixtures that decrease water usage by 23 percent.
• Recycled-content carpeting.
• Low VOC paint.
• Bike storage and locker rooms that encourage alternative transit by employees.
• Recycled construction waste (wood, metal and roof aggregate).
• Historic preservation in lobby and building exterior.

The 145,000 square-foot facility was built in the early 1950s and was the former headquarters of the California Department of Education.

To date, ten state buildings are LEED certified. In addition, more than 200 new state buildings are being designed and built to achieve LEED certification, while approximately 200 existing state facilities are pursuing LEED certification for maintenance and operations practices. The Governor's Green Building initiative also directs that the State pursue LEED certification for maintenance and operations (LEED – Existing Building) on all buildings that have previously received LEED certification for new construction. 

For more information on the Governor's Green Building Initiative, go to http://www.green.ca.gov/.