San Francisco Public Utilities Commission Headquarters (SFPUC)

The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) headquarters project involved constructing a new, cutting-edge office tower for the SFPUC in San Francisco, California. The new 13-story, 277,000-square-foot office high-rise was designed with sustainable technology that would make the headquarters one of the most energy-efficient commercial buildings in the country. This goal was realized in 2013 when the USGBC awarded the building LEED® Platinum certification.

In support of the facility’s sustainability goals, CEI installed a 150-kilowatt (kW) solar photovoltaic (PV) system, four wind turbines, a custom weather monitoring station and an ambient lighting control system. These installations were projected to reduce energy consumption by 55% and lower energy grid demand by 32%.

The roof-mounted monitoring station reports solar panel and wind turbine power generation, matching and controlling the input of external power based on real-time data from the SFPUC’s solar panels and wind. The ambient lighting control system brightens and dims indoor lighting based on daylight levels. The building also features a greywater recycling system and raised flooring for in-floor air distribution.

had CEI's Building Information Modeling (BIM) team was heavily involved in the SFPUC project and created state-of-the-art 3D models to plan and coordinate pre-construction efforts. Cupertino Electric also installed the building’s electrical systems, including emergency power, lighting and dimming/control. CEI also installed low voltage systems, including fire alarm, security, telecommunications and fiber optic data, and the parking garage system. In addition, CEI installed a specialty mechanical smoke control system and sound-masking technology that generates pink noise to enhance the work environment of SFPUC employees.

CEI's office location in San Francisco, construction experience and partnerships with various sub-trades and electrical firms in the Local Business Enterprise (LBE) helped it to exceed the SFPUC’s project requirement of having 20% LBE participation.