SFS was recently awarded a project with the Environmental Protection Agency to conduct remediation services at a residential subdivision of Oakland, CA. As part of this project, SFS was tasked to build a carbon neutral EPA Field Office and Community Center.
There are several features of the Field Office that are in keeping with the environmental and community goals of the project:
- There are informational resources for the community. It is especially rich with landscape and gardening books for those residents who are inspired by the work of the project landscape designers to revamp their yards after the soil has been processed.
A computer is available for posts to the South Prescott Community Forum, the virtual meeting place of the neighbor Community Action Group.- The wheelchair accessible deck was made from recycled lumber. The furnishings are recycled as well, but we think you will agree that it is a very nice place to hang out.
- Zero-emission electric vehicles will be used on this project.
- The office as well as the electric vehicles are operated by solar power, which is connected to the power grid and provides excess power back to the grid. Our goal is a carbon neutral footprint.
A medium capacity solar system was installed at the newly created facility and connected to the PG&E grid through PG&E’ s Net Metering Program. Not only is it powering the offices, but it is also used to power the fleet of plug in electric vehicles that is being used for the remediation project.
The project has been designed to not only take no energy from the grid, but to give excess energy to the grid that it can be later used for neighboring projects.
