In Balance Green Projects
At In Balance Green Consulting, we help owners, builders, and designers of commercial, institutional, and residential buildings throughout California to create sustainably built environments. By providing Green Consulting, Energy Analysis and Optimization, LEED Certification, Daylight and Water Use Analysis, and Incentive Programs services, we make it easier for our clients to achieve high performance buildings – whether LEED rated or not.
 Niner Wine Estates, Paso Robles, CA
– LEED Silver Certified
85,000 SF winery building and tasting rooms
Services: LEED Certification and Energy Modeling
Architect: Steven D. Pults, AIA and Associates
Energy efficiency has been a major consideration for this large 3-building project since conception, and it now integrates siting, orientation, daylighting and passive cooling strategies. Joining the project toward the end of the design, In Balance Green Consulting coordinated the LEED certification effort and provided vital insight and strategies to the design team that fine-tuned the envelope, daylighting, equipment, electric lighting, water use, and sustainable material choices.
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 Palo Alto Bowl Hilton Suites Hotel, Palo Alto, CA
– Pursuing LEED Silver NC (New Construction)130,000 SF Hotel
Services: LEED Certification and Energy Modeling
Client: Barry Swenson Builders
Architect: Steinberg Architects
To meet the City of Palo Alto’s requirement to design this new, $26 million, 4-story hotel to meet LEED Silver, In Balance Green Consulting is providing green building strategies to the Owner/Developer team. These strategies included daylighting and views in every room, underground parking, highly efficient equipment with room-key energy management, and recycling washing machine water for use in flush fixtures and landscaping.
 Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity, San Luis Obispo, CA
– Pursuing LEED Gold NC
8,830 SF Fraternity House
Services: Energy Modeling and Daylight Analysis
Architect: RRM Design Group.
The goal of this Cal Poly fraternity design is not only LEED Gold, but Net Zero Energy. Working with the client to achieve net zero energy, In Balance Green Consulting ensured the building’s features include passive solar design, water conservation, natural daylighting, and energy efficient lighting systems, building envelope, and glazing systems.
 Union Street Building Municipal Offices, Santa Cruz, CA
– Earned LEED Gold NC
21,000 SF City Administrative Offices
Services: LEED Consulting, Title 24, Energy Modeling, and Daylight Design
Client: Barry Swenson Builders
Architect: William Bagnell Architects
This existing 2-story masonry school building was completely renovated to include large amounts of natural daylight, a photovoltaic array, natural ventilation, optimized mechanical and electrical lighting systems, and improved envelope and glazing systems. By utilizing In Balance Green Consulting’s insight and strategies, the building earned all 10 LEED energy credits, has produced a savings of approximately $5000 per year on electric energy use and another 30% electrical savings due to the photovoltaic array. This project owner and design team received incentive funding through the Savings by Design Program.
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 alGOOD Winery, Paso Robles, CA
– Pursuing LEED Silver NC
5,000 SF Production Winery and Tasting Room
Services: LEED Certification and Energy Modeling
Architect: Studio 2G
This boutique winery was designed specifically to focus on being sustainable and celebrating “California native” through both its architecture and landscapes. To achieve these project goals, In Balance Green Consulting recommended rainwater capture for graywater re-use and irrigation, daylighting strategies in every space, and energy efficient systems and controls.
 San Luis Obispo Eye Associates, San Luis Obispo, CA
– SLO Green Build Certificate of Recognition,
LEED-CI (Commercial Interiors) Checklist
5,000 SF Medical Office Tenant Improvements
Services: Green Consulting and Energy Modeling
Architect: Deborah Woodle, AIA
This project earned a SLO Green Build Certificate of Recognition using the LEED-CI criteria. With In Balance Green Consulting insights and strategies, the building includes optimized daylighting; green materials; energy efficient lighting and controls that achieved a 22% savings over Title 24; and programs for green operations, including reduced waste, alternative transportation, green cleaning, and education on green building.
 Long-Bonetti Ranch, San Luis Obispo, CA
– Pursuing LEED Silver CS (Core and Shell)
30,000 SF Retail Development
Services: LEED Certification and Energy Modeling
Architect: Mainstreet Architects + Planners
Critical factors in this project include site development for open space and storm water retention to create cost-effective solutions through landscape, surface retention, and treatment of hardscape, while still enhancing the visitor experience. In Balance Green Consulting provided initial project strategies, including a design-build evaluation of its construction systems, mechanical equipment, and daylighting to optimize the building’s performance and feasibility.
 RRM Design Group, San Luis Obispo, CA
– Achieved LEED EB Certification
5,000 SF Office Tenant Improvements
Services: Energy Modeling and Consulting
Architect: RRM Design Group
Though this project was completed several years ago, its green design still helped it achieve its recent LEED-EB certification, the first in San Luis Obispo! With In Balance Green Consulting’s insight and strategies, the office’s natural and mechanical ventilation systems eliminate the need for air-conditioning in much of the building, reducing its use by 40%. In addition, natural daylighting and energy efficient electric lighting systems resulted in a 50% reduction in electrical energy use.
 Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, San Luis Obispo, CA
5,000 SF Religious Facility
Services: LEED Consulting
Architect: San Luis Sustainability Group
In line with the congregation’s commitment to “living lightly on the land,” this church optimizes passive solar design through use of orientation and strawbale construction. In Balance Green Consulting is providing LEED strategies, including a restoration to native landscape for open space, natural ventilation, indoor air quality, water conservation through low-flow and waterless fixtures, and the use of recycled materials.
 Department of Motor Vehicles Field Office, Lompoc, CA – LEED Gold
4,000 SF Office Building
Services: LEED Certification oversight
Architect: Peikert Group
This retrofit of an existing 1960’s building was not an obvious candidate for LEED Certification, but the DMV required LEED silver as part of the tenant improvement, and the final award was for LEED Gold in September 2010. New windows and storefront, high efficiency mechanical equipment and lighting, and a well-oriented building shell combined to have energy savings of 45% better than a standard building. Additional strategies include low-emitting materials, 95% waste diversion, and water conservation.
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 Plantronics, Santa Cruz, CA
40,000 SF Office Energy Efficiency Upgrade
Services: Energy Modeling and Daylight Analysis
Project Management: Mark Dure-Smith
After touring the Union St. Municipal Offices in Santa Cruz, the owners of Plantronics understood the dramatic improvements possible with daylighting. The project groups together four upgrades – cool roof, solar panels, daylighting and lighting upgrades – to create significant improvements in energy efficiency, utility bill savings and employee comfort and productivity.
 Knight Residence, Atascadero, CA
3100 SF Custom Home, Near Net Zero Energy
Services: Energy Modeling
Builder: Semmes & Company, with Jennifer Rennick, Architect
This home includes the principals of passive solar design: Orientation, Ventilation, Insulation, and Mass. It utilizes southern orientation with properly sized window overhangs and heat-rejecting glass, proper ventilation including a whole house fan and solar powered attic fans, abundant insulation, and a high level of thermal mass (concrete floors and window sills etc.). Even in the hot north county climate, the house maintains comfortable interior temperatures with no air conditioning. A 3 kW PV array provides almost all the electricity needed.
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 Municipal Service Center, Thousand Oaks, CA
10,000 SF Meeting and Industrial space, pursuing LEED Silver
Services: LEED Consulting, Energy Modeling
Architect: Mainstreet Architecture + Planning
This project for the City of Thousand Oaks is the first phase of a master plan to upgrade the Municipal Services facilities for the City. Phase 1 includes collection and sorting facilities for household hazardous waste (HHW), new meeting rooms, an upgrade to the Wellness Center, and a large bus canopy that houses a 20 kW photovoltaic array. Stormwater and cool site strategies include a living vegetated roof on top of the HHW, as well as natural bioswales and permeable paving.
 Department of Industrial Relations (DIR), San Luis Obispo, CA – Earned LEED Gold
9,000 SF State Office Building
Services: Energy Modeling, Daylight Design, LEED Energy Credits
Architect: Fraser Seiple Architects
The DIR building is a 9,000 SF office space for the State of California. The structure is laid out with optimum orientation and proportions for daylighting and solar control. Green features include solar shading devices, high performance glazing, reclaimed water, cool roofing and paving, FSC certified wood products, solar photovoltaic panels, and multiple daylighting strategies. An innovative system of wind towers above the roof uses negative air pressure from the consistent prevailing winds to drive a passive ventilation system.
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Additional Projects
• Public Storage, 190th Street, Los Angeles, CA
:: Green Consulting, LEED compliance
• Charlotte's Web Children's Library, Lompoc, CA :
: Energy Modeling
• Beato Atelier, Happy Valley School, Ojai, CA
:: Energy Modeling
• Municipal Service Center, Thousand Oaks, CA
:: LEED Consulting
• Lompoc Children’s Library, Lompoc, CA
:: Energy Modeling
• Naval Working Dog Facility, Port Hueneme, CA
:: LEED Certification (Pursuing LEED Silver) and Energy Modeling
• Range Control Facility, Ft. Hunter Liggett, CA
:: LEED Construction Administration
• Front Porch Student Housing, San Luis Obispo, CA
:: Green Consulting, Energy Modeling
• Morro Bay Conference Center, Morro Bay, CA
:: LEED Consulting and Energy Modeling
• MindBody Online Tenant Improvement, San Luis Obispo, CA
:: Lighting Consulting
• Central Coast Door & Window, San Luis Obispo, CA
:: Energy Modeling
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