Building A Green Gas Station

BP’s “little better” station in Los Angeles

By Rusty Moore

2007 marked the opening of the first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)-certified gas station in the United States. Located at the corner of Olympic Boulevard and Robertson Road in Los Angeles, California, the station was conceived and designed by BP. Having built over 3,000 gas stations for BP, B & M Construction Co. was brought in to build this one. It was the first “environmentally friendly” station we’ve built and involved intense work with designers, architects, contractors and the customer to ensure that BP’s commitment to a “little better” gas station would not be compromised. Bovis Lend Lease provided project management and construction services.

Called “Helios House,” this is a working station whose primary focus is to educate consumers on a responsible approach to the environment, as well as to provide fuel for their vehicles. BP wanted something different, and to get it they decided to work with architects who had never before designed a gas station. Boston-based Office dA and Johnston Marklee & Associates in Los Angeles were the architects of choice. Coined a “living laboratory,” the intent was to use as many recycled components as possible and to integrate sustainability into the architecture. Originally a Thrifty station built in the 1970s, BP decided this underperforming site was perfect for an up-cycle to an eco-friendly gas station.

The LEED Green Building Rating System was started in 2000 by the U.S. Green Building Council to develop standards relative to sustainable green building and development practices. It is a sought-after certification that recognizes performance in five key areas: • Sustainable site    development • Water savings • Energy efficiency • Materials selection • Indoor environmental   quality.

Despite all the focus on renewable materials, this station currently does not offer any biodiesel, E85 or other alternative fuels. BP is waiting for such dispensers to be UL-listed and hopes to be able to offer alternative fuels at this site in the future.

Helios House took 100 days to build from start to finish. We typically take 90 days for a design/build project. The biggest issues were zoning and permit challenges. Open for 12 months now, the station is achieving its mission of educating consumers about sustainable resources. It’s also proven to be a very popular destination for fuel. Sales are up three-fold, and according to a survey conducted by BP, nearly one-half of consumers surveyed stated they would go out of their way to purchase fuel at Helios House.

— Underground Storage Tanks —	————— Dispensers —————
The old station had three 10,000 gallon tanks. These stayed in place. However, new submersibles, lines and fiberglass piping were installed, along with methane blankets as required by the County of Los Angeles. Everything is double walled for complete containment.	There are five dispensers, with ten fueling positions. The internal components are the same as for any other dispenser. The outer frame was modernized for a futuristic look, including the addition of LED lighting. Dispensers show entertaining video tips about how people can make greener, more sustainable lifestyle choices. PEI member Carolina Products, Inc. supplied standard-issue electrical equipment that runs Helios House, including: • Unitized electrical switchgear • Fueling controls for dispensers, submersible     pumps and emergency shutoff • Automated lighting controls • POS Power conditioning equipment • Surge protection, lighting protection and    power conditioning equipment • California Title 24 certified time clock for    exterior lights.
————————————— Rooftop ——————————————
The equipment and restroom building is covered with a living, or green roof, so called because it contains soil and plants. This reduces the need for heating and cooling systems and optimizes rainwater runoff. Rain water from the canopy roof is collected and saved in a 2,000-gallon underground cistern. From there it is filtered and then pumped through an irrigation system to water the drought-tolerant plants used in the landscaping.

—————————————— The Canopy ——————————————
The existing canopy iron was skinned and re-clad with 1,653 recyclable non-coated stainless steel panels. These panels were fabricated locally off site and brought on site for installation. They could not be modified once they reached the site. Stainless steel is extremely rigid and sharp. Great care was taken to maintain safety procedures. Not one accident occurred on site during the entire project.	The canopy rooftop holds 90 solar panels which produce approximately 15,000 kWh of energy to power the entire station. This is equivalent to over 5,000 lbs. a year of CO2 generation reduction.
——————— Lighting ——————— Helios House makes use of natural lighting as much as possible. The LED bulbs save about 50% of the energy of fluorescent bulbs and metal halide bulbs, and have a two-year life span instead of six months. Reducing energy consumption by 16%, the calibrated stainless steel cladding acts as a reflector for up-lighting.	————— Slab ————— The slab features recycled glass aggregate, which takes on the effect of a terrazzo floor. The recycled silica carbon-based concrete appears to sparkle. The existing alleyway, which was upgraded, was paved with recycled asphalt pavement (RAP).

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The PEI Journal • First Quarter 2008 • Volume 2, No. 1 • Contents are Copyright © Data Key Communications, Inc.
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