LABBC CASE STUDY

PROPERTY OWNER
CommonWealth Partners

PROPERTY TYPE
Office

SQUARE FEET
3,607,789

6.3%

Reduction in 2018

82

Energy Star Score

2019 Innovation Awards: Energy Efficiency Project Finalist

“Sustainability is at the heart of our business. As we strive for greater building efficiency and excellence, we not only enhance the buildings we own and operate, but also deliver exceptional value to the occupants and partners who rely on us to make soundand sustainable decisions.”

TRAVIS ADDISON, Principal, CommonWealth Partners

PROPERTY
DESCRIPTION

City National Plaza is a twin tower skyscraper complexin the heart of downtown Los Angeles, constructed of steel frames covered with panels of polished granite and panes of glass. In 2018, it improved its Energy Star Score from 74 to 82.

SUSTAINABILITY GOALS

CommonWealth Partners has portfolio-wide energy, emission, and water use reduction goals of 20% by 2020 and 75% waste diversion rates by 2020. Energy efficiency projects at City National Plaza have contributed to achieving the 20% energy and emission reduction targets 3 years earlier than anticipated.

PROJECT BACKGROUND

City National Plaza is dedicated to retrofitting and improving overall building efficiency. In 2016, the building received the 1st Place Sustainability Award from Los Angeles Department of Water and Power for overall energy savings. The window film installed in 2018 will keep the building cooler, reducing the need for air conditioning. Other benefits include enhanced views, reduced glare, and extended life of furnishings.

2018 PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS

• Completed installation of solar reflective window film

• Converted additional lighting fixtures to LED

• Installed additional DDC controls and high-efficiency VFDs

• Converted 10 floors from pneumatic to DDC controls

PROJECTS COMPLETED
BEFORE 2018

• Converted 70 floors from pneumatic to DDC controls

• Installed high efficiencymotors on all four chill water pumps

• Installed a small pony chiller for low load conditions and two chill water pump variable frequency drives

• Installed solar reflective window film on the southern and eastern exposures

• Retrofitted off-site garage lighting

PRO TIPS

“CommonWealth’s history of successful projects is a result of our ability to be nimble and responsive with our building management programs. Our entrepreneurial mindset drives results and fuels efficiency as we constantly seek to employ the best technologies to support our operations.”

MICHAEL BROOKS
Operations Manager, CommonWealth Partners

STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT

As part of the bid process for any cost-saving upgrade, manufacturers and contractors are asked to provide projected energy savings and all relevant engineering data. In some instances where utility incentive programs exist for specific retrofits, the local utility providers will also evaluate and confirm the project and savings data on our behalf and provide the actual incentive amount based on the energy savings.

INNOVATION

Instead of applying the window film around all four sides of each tower, they identified what would deliver the greatest impact to the building occupants: applying the film specifically to the south and east facing facades, thereby reducing the total cost and providing a greater return on investment. The property engineers saw the considerable difference the sun had on increasing internal temperatures and found alternative measures to utilizing the HVAC system more, thereby assisting with reducing overall greenhouse gas emissions.