Salk Institute named SDG&E 2012 Energy Champion

May 11, 2012

Salk Institute named SDG&E 2012 Energy Champion

May 11, 2012

LA JOLLA, CA—San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) named the Salk Institute for Biological Studies as an Energy Champion for their outstanding efforts in energy efficiency and conservation at an awards ceremony on May 10. The Institute is one of 13 local businesses recognized for “going above and beyond to save energy and money by taking advantage of the many rebates and incentives that are available through SDG&E’s energy-efficiency and demand response programs,” said Hal Snyder, vice president of customer solutions for SDG&E.

With a set of energy demands that has evolved since the campus was originally built in 1962, the Salk Institute completed an entire retrofit and expansion of their central plant mechanical and electrical infrastructure to improve overall energy efficiency, sustainability, and cost savings. “The ultimate challenge was trying to complete the full scope of the project within the confines of an historic and iconic structure,” said Tim Ball, Senior Director of Facility Services. “In addition to maintaining design integrity, changing out the entire infrastructure without interruption to the science was an endeavor in and of itself.”

The entire electrical infrastructure upgrade and new energy-efficiency measures has resulted in an annual savings of 3,000,000 kWh for the Institute. And in recognition of its environmental leadership and contribution to sustainable communities through its energy efficiency efforts the Salk also received $284,000 in incentives by working with SDG&E’s Energy Efficiency Business Incentives (EEBI) program and $974,346 California Solar Initiative incentives for a PV system consisting of more than 2,350 photovoltaic solar panels that sit on top of all four major buildings on the campus, generating 465 kilowatts of electrical power.

The environmental impact of the solar arrays and efficiency measures are significant; they keep approximately 846,000 pounds of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere annually – along with nearly 800 pounds of sulfur dioxide and 1,240 pounds of nitric oxide, two of the major pollutants produced by power plants. Over the next 25 years, the solar system and efficiency measure installations will be the equivalent to planting 128 acres of trees.

“Although challenging, the opportunity to enhance this infrastructure with energy efficiency improvements was monumental, as the Salk Institute is a haven for discovery with global impact on human health,” said Ball.

关于索尔克生物研究所：

索尔克生物研究所是世界顶尖的基础研究机构之一，其国际知名的教职人员在一个独特、协作和富有创造性的环境中，深入探究生命科学的基本问题。索尔克科学家们致力于发现和指导未来几代研究人员，通过研究神经科学、遗传学、细胞和植物生物学以及相关学科，在癌症、衰老、阿尔茨海默氏症、糖尿病和传染病的认识方面做出了开创性的贡献。.

学院取得了许多成就，获得了包括诺贝尔奖和美国国家科学院院士在内的无数荣誉。该研究所由脊髓灰质炎疫苗先驱 Jonas Salk 博士于 1960 年创立，是一家独立的非营利组织和建筑地标。.