Kern's newest 'green' building banks on helping environment
| Friday, Feb 20 2009 10:00 PM
Last Updated Friday, Mar 27 2009 01:22 PM
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Bart Hill, president of San Joaquin Bank, is pictured with bank employees who will run a new branch. It will be Kern County's second "green" building. Pictured are Lyssa Impastato, Kimberly Cogdill, Randy Newton, Michelle Tarpley, Jaskaran Bains and Albert Idolyantes.
Solar panels are part of the new San Joaquin Bank at Panama Lane and Stine Road. The new bank branch which will be Kern County's second "green" building.
Solar panels are part of the new San Joaquin Bank at Panama Lane and Stine Road. The new bank branch will be Kern County's second "green" building.
San Joaquin Bank’s newest branch in southwest Bakersfield will be energy-efficient and environmentally friendly. And it’s not just because of a few light bulbs and modern appliances.
The bank’s fifth branch, set to open Feb. 27, was designed to meet green building standards and is registered to receive certification from the U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design rating system. If certified, it will be Kern’s second building to receive the LEED title.
“It’s just simply the right thing to do,” Bart Hill, president of San Joaquin Bank, said of the decision to build green. “One of the roles of a community bank is to make the community a better place to live. I hope we’re encouraging other businesses to also do this.”
Buildings designed to LEED standards lighten the structure’s environmental impact and promote sustainable construction.
Features built into the new bank should result in a 43 percent energy use savings over a standard building of the same size.
Bank patrons will notice a green feel even before they get inside. Parking spaces closest to the bank’s entrance are designated for low-emission vehicles.
Inside, the building has open, bright layout, with large windows that allow natural light to pour into the lobby. The artificial lighting system is designed to automatically adjust depending on the amount of natural light coming in.
Other features include:
• Roof-top solar panels that will supply about 13 percent of the building’s energy use.
• Wood furnishings from certified lumber yards that plant one tree for every tree cut down.
• Carpeting made with recycled materials.
• Concrete walls and a super-efficient heating and cooling system to better control the indoor temperature.
• Landscaping that uses bubbler irrigation for better efficiency
The building also has windows that open so the heating and cooling system doesn’t have to run when the outdoor temperature is mild.
“For too long buildings were built with fixed windows and we regret that,” said Ken Svendsen, the Renfro & Cuningham architect who designed the branch.
The green design added about 2 to 5 percent to up-front construction costs for the branch but Hill expects to recoup the money in three to four years.
“Yes, it’s more expensive to build a green building, but the payback isn’t that long, and once the costs are paid for, the bank is saving money,” he said.
The branch will also incorporate business policies that protect the environment — extra steps that don’t count toward its LEED certification. Recycling bins are scattered around the facility, and some records will soon be digitized, reducing paper use.
A dishwasher was also installed in the employee break room to encourage the reuse of dishes instead of going for disposable paper or plastic.
“Imagine that,” Hill said, “we’re going back to opening windows and washing dishes.”
