As part of the on-going LEED recertification process for four buildings in Balboa Park, a group of volunteers and staff from the San Diego Green Building Council’s Green Assistance Program and our Sustainability Program performed an energy audit of Casa del Prado. In this energy audit, the building was surveyed and analyzed to create a picture of how energy is … Read More
Upgrading with LED Lights at the Natural History Museum
As a part of on-going energy efficiency efforts in Balboa Park, many organizations have been upgrading lighting in their buildings to efficient LED bulbs. In July, staff at the San Diego Natural History Museum retrofitted 800 LED light bulbs using a rebate from San Diego Gas & Electric. We sat down with Michael Field, Director of Experience Design, to talk … Read More
Using Data to Pursue Sustainability Initiatives with Measurabl
To help the Balboa Park Cultural Partnership’s members use building operation data to run their buildings more sustainably, the Sustainability Program has partnered with Measurabl, a data management software. This dashboard will allow facility managers in the Park to view their building data in a single dashboard, including energy benchmarking, project tracking, and building audits. With this, our facility managers … Read More
Balboa Park Employees Save Energy
High utility costs can be a result of paying for energy that is wasted by lights, equipment, and HVAC systems that are left on for long periods while not in use. According to Energy Star, office buildings waste up to one-third of the energy they consume. By looking closely at their operations and how they use their building, staff in … Read More
Reducing Energy Costs with Efficient Lighting at the Fleet Science Center
As part of the Fleet Science Center’s ongoing efforts to reduce their building’s energy usage, the organization is replacing existing light bulbs throughout the building with 1,100 energy efficient LEDs. By using these new bulbs, they expect to save $16,365 through reduced energy costs. The Fleet Science Center, also known simply as the Fleet, has continued to operate more sustainably … Read More
April OPOT Get-Together Recap
The April OPOT Get-Together featured complimentary coffee and pastries for a “happy morning,” in the heart of Spanish Village Art Center. In celebration of Earth Month, the Balboa Park Sustainability Program joined One Park – One Team to share sustainable tips and play games to win Earth-friendly prizes! Members of the Sustainability Program and the Balboa Park Green Team played … Read More
Exploring Energy Efficiency for Balboa Park’s 2019 LEED Efforts
We are excited to partner again with the San Diego Green Building Council to relaunch the Green Assistance Program (GAP) in Balboa Park. Through this program, green building professionals from the San Diego community will volunteer to help nine non-profit organizations in Balboa Park achieve LEED recertification, while attaining LEED project experience. LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, … Read More
Successful Strategies to Improve Recycling at Events: Accomplishments at the Cherry Blossom Festival
After benchmarking the recycling and waste at the Japanese Friendship Garden’s Cherry Blossom Festival in 2018, we were excited to work with their staff to put sustainability efforts into action at this year’s event. We specifically focused on “waste diversion” – the practice of reducing how much trash you send to the landfill by increasing how much you recycle or … Read More
Casa de Balboa Goes Solar
A new solar project has been activated at Casa de Balboa as a joint effort between the Museum of Photographic Arts (MOPA) and the San Diego History Center. This new system of 480 panels is capable of producing 370 watts of power, offsetting the building’s annual energy usage by 23% on average. Within the first year, the solar panels are … Read More
Balboa Park Conservancy: Preserving Balboa Park’s Urban Forest
The Balboa Park Conservancy is continuing to offer an outstanding example of environmental protection through their new Tree Stewards volunteer program. Through this initiative, the Conservancy trains volunteers on how to take care of Balboa Park’s vibrant, urban forest. Volunteers will learn important skills including tree identification, proper planting techniques, irrigation of new and established trees, and general tree maintenance. … Read More