LOS ANGELES, June 10, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Southern
California Gas Co.'s (SoCalGas) award-winning Energy Resource
Center (ERC), a model of energy-efficient, environmentally friendly
technologies, celebrates its 20th anniversary today. The
ERC is a 44,572 square-foot building and was designed in part by
recycling the original 1957 building 20 years ago and adding
cutting-edge materials and technologies. It is the first building
in California to receive
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) "green
building" recognition and one of only two buildings in the state to
be awarded Platinum Level LEED by the U.S. Green Building Council.
Through the years, the ERC has hosted more than 20,000 events,
including seminars, demonstrations and consulting services,
attended by more than 650,000 people to help businesses, schools,
government and community officials find the most cost-effective and
energy-efficient solutions to their energy needs.
The ERC uses 40.7 percent less water than other commercial
buildings its size (outdoors) and 38.3 percent less water
(indoors). It also uses 51.39 percent less energy than the national
average of a building its size, and 60 percent of its employees use
energy-efficient transportation including bikes, low emission
vehicles and carpooling.
The ERC includes a 10,000-square-foot main exhibit hall
capable of accommodating more 700 people. A dozen specialty rooms
are available for meetings, workshops, demonstrations and
presentations to the public. The ERC also provides technical
assistance, computerized equipment simulations, and air quality and
environmental permitting assistance.
The 20th Anniversary event will feature presentations
from SoCalGas employees, government and community officials and
business representatives. Demonstrations at the event will include:
Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) commercial trucks and other natural
gas vehicles (NGV); an NGV fueling station; sustainable landscape
tour; rooftop solar thermal demonstration; food service equipment
lab demonstration; combustion burner demonstration; water heating
demonstration, displays, historical photos and more.
"SoCalGas has deep roots in the communities we serve, and I'm
very proud to celebrate the 20th anniversary of this landmark
building," said Bret Lane, chief
operating officer of SoCalGas. "Over the last 22-plus years, our
energy-efficiency programs – like the ones our customers learn
about at the ERC – have helped our customers save the equivalent of
taking more than 500,000 cars off the road. The ERC also has a
strong future. Natural gas not only heats our homes, cooks our food
and helps heat our water, it also fuels our businesses. It also
gives California an affordable
path to a cleaner, healthier future through providing clean,
inexpensive fuel for heavy duty trucks, buses, and rail and port
operations."
About Southern California Gas Co.
Southern California
Gas Co. has been delivering clean, safe and reliable natural gas to
its customers for more than 140 years. It is the nation's largest
natural gas distribution utility, providing service to 21.4 million
consumers connected through 5.9 million meters in more than 500
communities. The company's service territory encompasses
approximately 20,000 square miles throughout central and
Southern California, from
Visalia to the Mexican border.
Southern California Gas Co. is a regulated subsidiary of Sempra
Energy (NYSE: SRE), a Fortune 500 energy services holding company
based in San Diego.
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SOURCE Southern California Gas Co.