San Diego Museum of Man kicked off 2020 in a sustainable fashion by furthering their green initiatives. They are continuing towards accomplishing goals set out in their Sustainability Action Plan for 2020. Whether it is improving their building efficiency or sustainable practices, the San Diego Museum of Man believes in creating a healthy community and environment for its guests and … Read More
Sustainability Tips for Non-Profits: Lessons Learned from Balboa Park in 2019
Non-profits have an important role to play in reducing global emissions, but it can be difficult to reduce your environmental impact if you have limited resources. Based on efforts in Balboa Park from the past year, below are some tips for non-profits and businesses with limited budgets that are looking to use less energy and find new ways to be … Read More
Reducing Food Waste at the Fleet Science Center
As a non-profit that embraces sustainability, the Fleet Science Center’s Green Team is always researching how they can reduce their environmental footprint. After studying the types of waste produced in their facility, they set the goal to reduce how much food they send to the landfill by implementing innovative food donation services and composting programs. Through the methods they adopted … Read More
Performing an Energy Audit at Casa del Prado
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
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
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
Japanese Friendship Garden’s LEED Certified Inamori Pavilion
In 2016, the Japanese Friendship Garden’s Inamori Pavilion earned the distinction of becoming the first project in Balboa Park to be certified under the LEED New Construction program. The elegant structure, designed by Kotaro Nakamura, is an illustration of the Japanese Friendship Garden’s commitment to harmoniously balancing nature and man-made structures. The Japanese Friendship Garden was first opened in 1991, … Read More