Environmental Projects

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BWP is making campus improvements to enhance workplace safety and efficiency while showcasing architectural solar, LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) recognition, and energy and water conservation.

View a short EcoCampus presentation about a series of sustainable green infrastructure projects at BWP - including photovoltaic parking lot canopies, a green street demonstrating innovative storm water treatment technologies, and an courtyard built around a salvaged electrical substation. http://vimeo.com/34909303

Read on for more information on three innovative environmental projects that do a great job of showcasing green technologies.

Green Roofs


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A green roof is a roof covered in part or whole with vegetation, typically drought tolerant plants. Green roofs are both esthetically pleasing and environmentally preferred. Heat from the sun coming into a building is significantly reduced by the rooftop vegetation, allowing for reductions in cooling requirements and costs. Whereas conventional roofs heat up to 190 degrees Fahrenheit, a green roof heats up to only 80 degrees. The Heat Island Group, after studying various cool roofs in Sacramento, concluded that they provided up to 40% cooling reductions compared with darker, conventional roofs. A 2006 report from LAGreen Roofs estimated that green roofs could provide a 50% cooling reduction.

In 2011, BWP installed three green roofs at the main BWP facility. The timing was perfect as our aging roof needed to be replaced. Energy cost savings from the installation of these roofs is estimated at over $14,000 annually.

Green Roof Green Roof

Lake Street Green Street

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In 2011, BWP transformed the east side of Lake Street between Olive Avenue and Magnolia Blvd. to a “green street.” Our goals were to:

  • Showcase innovative stormwater treatment technologies to the community
  • Create an attractive streetscape that enhances the pedestrian experience
  • Not lose any parking along the street
  • Meet the mandated stormwater quality requirements
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Five different technologies were used to capture stormwater run-off:

  1. Permeable Pavers & Gravel Reservoir: these pavers allow surface water to drain into their sub-base through gaps or joints placed between each paver.
  2. Infiltration Planter Bump-Outs: bump-outs slow down the speed of traveling water, allowing for more effective stormwater capture.
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  1. Filtration Planters at Open Space: These planters are structural landscaped reservoirs used to collect, filter, and/or infiltrate stormwater runoff, allowing pollutants to settle and filter out as the water percolates through the planter soil before infiltrating into the ground.
  2. Silva Cell System: Silva Cell for trees create an underground frame that can bear traffic loads and offers ample root space that allows urban trees to grow into large and beautiful specimens.
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  1. Kristar Tree Pod System: This item is a tree box that serves the important function of filtering out ultra-fine and dissolved pollutants that are normally found in stormwater runoff.
These five stormwater capture systems work together to help BWP achieve our goal of a zero runoff campus where all stormwater falling on the campus is percolated back into the aquifer. Other important components of the Lake Street Green Street project is that all landscaping on the property will be done with recycled water and all campus area lighting will be changed to LED (light emitting diode) technology, the most energy efficient lighting available.

Lake Street Solar

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BWP is using the upgrade of our 26-acre campus as an opportunity to utilize solar photovoltaic panels in a big way. Largely funded by a Department of Energy grant, we have built a 240 kilowatt solar system fronting Lake Street between Magnolia Blvd. and Olive Avenue. This project demonstrates that solar photovoltaic can be designed in an architecturally pleasing manner.

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