PG&E Gas Safety Academy

With an on-going commitment to safety and the highest quality of service, PG&E built a new high-tech training facility on a 30-acre site located in Winters, CA. Established as a Center for Excellence, PG&E anticipates over 36,000 hours of training for best in class safety protocols for gas service technicians a year. The $77 million facility features classrooms, office space, service yard, pipe-fitting training area, and an indoor flow lab. A new feature for training, the Utility Village, consists of 15 small training rooms which models homes in a neighborhood configuration to simulate real, in-field situations. The building will be a 60,000SF single building, designed for future expansion. The facility, a hands-on natural gas vocational training center, will support the training needs of individuals who will construct, operate, and maintain pipelines, measure and control gas networks, detect leaks, locate and mark underground assets, and maintain gas storage assets. Completing the campus is a Weld Lab that teaches best techniques in pipe welding. The facility includes a large lab space, which houses 18 student weld booths and 6 stations for recertification of journeyman in-field welders.

3QC was hired to perform commissioning for T24 and LEED consulting. In addition, Our team provided a design development energy analysis and a Measurement and Verification program to monitor energy and water usage in the first year of operation. By comparing projected usage with actual use in the first year of operation, the team is able to track and analyze energy use relative to energy goals developed during design. The implementation of the plan helped PG&E understand how their building works, realize their savings from energy efficiencies designed into the building, and provides data telling the story of PG&E’s energy leadership. The plan also provides accountability for building resource consumption and information for future optimization of building systems. Our building commissioning effort also served to improve the building air quality. Through this third-party testing confirmation process, systems’ calibration, air filtration effectiveness and natural air introduction is confirmed. The installation of carbon dioxide monitors in the building’s regularly occupied spaces brings fresh, outside air into the building.

Ultimately, PG&E accomplished their goals, and the center performed over 20% better than California’s Title 24 Energy Code. The facility also achieved LEED Silver with 56/110 points.