Media Contact
David Shaw, VP Marketing and Communications
415 561 3064; dshaw@parksconservancy.org
Center’s New Wind Turbines, Car Charger Boost Energy Research, Educate Youth
San Francisco, CA: The Crissy Field Center—an urban environmental education center at East Beach in the Presidio—is unveiling on Wednesday, February 15, the final pieces to its suite of sustainable technologies: five state-of-the-art wind turbines and an electric car charging station. With these additions, this facility is on track to attain LEED Platinum certification—making it one of the greenest buildings in America’s national parks.
The Center—a partnership project of the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, National Park Service, and Presidio Trust—is housed in a 7,500 square foot interim building that includes classrooms and learning labs for schoolchildren and youth, as well as the Beach Hut Café, which is open to the public. With features like maximized natural lighting and recycled construction materials, the entire facility is a showcase of environmentally savvy design.
The new turbines and charging station—in addition to one of the most advanced building monitoring systems in the country—will provide invaluable data to the nascent field of renewable energy and help educate community members and young people about the latest sustainability solutions.
As a pilot project within the national parks to demonstrate energy innovations, this project aims to move the Center to net zero power consumption. Some of these “green” components include:
“Golden Gate National Parks is committed to sustainability,” said Frank Dean, General Superintendent of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. “Advancement of new technologies, rethinking park operations, and investing in our future by educating the next generation all contribute to our overarching goal of energy efficiency and conservation.”
A custom designed monitoring system and “dashboard” designed by Loisos and Ubbelhode in conjunction with Project FROG and the Conservancy staff, will track energy production and consumption along with other aspects of the building’s performance. This will serve as a powerful education tool for the community by providing data in real time and also advance the Center’s existing robust science and sustainability solutions curriculum for youth. The goal is to offer the public information about local power generation with small-scale wind turbines and other sources. Students from Galileo Academy of Science and Technology will monitor the project’s energy efficiency as part of their environmental studies class in partnership with Crissy Field Center.
“The Crissy Field Center serves more than 20,000 students every year through its environmental education programs,” said Greg Moore, President and CEO of the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy. “Today, the Center has taken another important step toward fulfilling its potential as a living laboratory for youth interested in pursuing green careers. Crissy Field was transformed in 2001 from an abandoned army site to a beautiful shoreline national park. And it continues to grow as a testament to the Bay Area’s ethic, dedication, and passion for environmental protection.”
###
About Our Funders
Several sources provided grants to help implement the Crissy Field Center’s renewable energy systems and sustainability features, plus related monitoring systems and curriculum development designed to incorporate these dynamic teaching tools into the Center’s award-winning educational programs for diverse teaching tools into the Center’s award-winning educational programs for diverse urban youth. The Ayrshire Foundation and Unilever supported the installation of a solar photovoltaic system with monitoring systems to track their performance. The Bothin Foundation supported a rainwater catchment system to supply the Center’s restrooms and a solar thermal system to provide hot water for the Center’s Beach Hut Café. Funding for the wind turbines and monitoring systems was provided by the Hawaii Energy Institute (HNEI).
About the Crissy Field Center
Dedicated to multicultural environmental education, Crissy Field Center strives to encourage new generations to become bold leaders for thriving parks, healthy communities, and a more environmentally just society. The Center is a partnership of the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, National Park Service, and Presidio Trust. To learn more, visit www.crissyfieldcenter.org or call 415 561 7752.
About the Presidio Trust
Responsible for the transformation of the Presidio from an historic army post into a premier national park that is financially self-sustaining, the Presidio Trust is leading the nation’s largest historic preservation project, restoring the park’s buildings and landscapes, and creating innovative programs. For more information, visit www.presidio.gov or call 415 561 5300.
