Gas Co. installing eco-friendly garden at demonstration building

Jan. 12, 2012 by Matthew Guhit

DOWNEY – Just because you sell fossil fuels, it doesn’t mean you can’t be green.

In an effort to reduce energy and water usage, the Southern California  Gas Co. hired landscapers to renovate the front of their Downey building on Firestone Boulevard, dubbed the Energy Resource Center.

“We needed to make it a showcase for energy efficiency,” Southern California Gas Co. spokeswoman Denise King said.

The 44,572-square-foot Energy Resource Center is filled with rooms that give builders ideas to make their projects more energy efficient.

The Gas Co. wanted to make the outside as eco-friendly as the inside.

The garden project is expected to be completed by the end of January, King said.

It will feature eight types of gardens – fire resistant plants, coastal flowers, sage and chaparral, native ground cover, Mediterranean, riparian meadows, oak woodland understory and edible – complete with paths for visitor access.

In addition, signs will be displayed so the public will be able to learn how to use the plants in their own homes.

The project was part of a company move to upgrade its certification under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Program, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) more than 10 years ago. The Building Council employs a rating system designed to reduce energy consumption in buildings.

Though some cities and counties offer financial incentives for building greener buildings, Downey does not offer such benefits.

King said the Energy Resource Center is seeking gold certification, the second highest level of LEED.

The building at Firestone Boulevard received its last certification in 2009, according to the USGBC.

The more eco-friendly the building is, the higher the rating.

“There are obvious benefits of certification,” said Ashley Katz, communications manager at the USGBC.

Of the 10,000 buildings that have received LEED certification in the U.S., three are in Downey, she said.

In addition to the gardens and walkways, a rain catcher will be installed to help irrigate the garden.

“This is going to help us reduce water usage and help us get this gold certification,” King said.