Sempra Energy’s San Diego headquarters was recently awarded Gold Certification by the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program. LEED Gold is the second-highest ranking for buildings, measuring positive impacts on occupants, the use of renewable energy and sustainability procedures.
The 16-story tower has a 52-kilowatt solar panel system and overall energy use has been reduced by 29 percent, compared to similar buildings in the region. The structure also was designed for optimal water efficiency, including drought-tolerant landscaping, technology that reduces irrigation water use and a bio filtration system to process storm water.
Sempra Energy’s headquarters, also known as the Cisterra Tower, was designed by the architectural firm Carrier Johnson and is owned by Cisterra Development. Sempra Energy moved into its new headquarters last year and signed a 25-year lease.
