Located in the Uptown Tenderloin Historic District of San Francisco, California, and designed by TEF, PG&E’s first net zero switchgear building is an addition to the original 1962 mid-century substation. Its faceted facade is an abstraction of the city’s power grid and features an ever-changing expression of the sun’s energy throughout the day and pulsating patterns of LED lights after sundown.
The 12,200sf one-story plus basement addition safely houses critical electrical infrastructure as well as storage and support space. A towering green wall provides biophilic relief to the dense urban neighborhood, advancing the utility giant’s commitment to enhancing the communities it serves. Rooftop solar panels meet all the energy needs of the facility and it is the first Net-Zero electrical switchgear building in the US certified by the International Living Future Institute’s (ILFI) Zero Energy Building (ZEB).
This project is the fourth in a series of improvements to PG&E substations by TEF, designed to meet the practical needs of the utility giant while enhancing the surrounding community.