San Diego Yacht Club Brings Home The Gold
The San Diego Yacht Club has earned a prestigious environmental certification following its recent $10 million renovation project: a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.
The Yacht Club, located at 1011 Anchorage Lane on Shelter Island, has redesigned its locker buildings, junior clubhouse and maintenance structure to be more environmentally friendly.
"One of our goals with the new project was to be environmentally conscious," said Kyle C. Clark, Commodore of the San Diego Yacht Club. "We used as few lights as possible and rely on natural light. There are windows everywhere. Our goal is to leave lights off during the day."
The San Diego Yacht Club is a member of the Port of San Diego's Green Business Network. The Green Business Network is an integrated energy efficiency and sustainability effort spearheaded by the Port of San Diego and San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E). Members of the Network – which include Port tenant restaurants, marinas, hotels and attractions - strive to reduce their environmental impact by taking advantage of free technical assistance, attending monthly training on green business tactics, and sharing best-practices with fellow businesses.
"Being part of the Green Business Network allows us to educate ourselves to operate better and more efficiently," Clark said.
Among the other sustainable features of the renovation are solar-heated showers, high-efficiency lighting for the tennis courts and parking lot, and a computerized air conditioning system, which is helping the club's bottom line.
"The overall economic payback through energy efficiency, cost savings on our monthly bills, and then rebates through the state or SDG&E, really helped us in every aspect," Clark said.
Local boating enthusiasts founded the San Diego Yacht Club in 1886. It moved to its current location on Shelter Island in 1924, and has produced more sailing Olympic medalists and world champions than any other city in the world, including Dennis Conner, Lowell North, Charlie Rogers, Robby Haines, Brian Ledbetter and J.J. Fetter.
Now the San Diego Yacht Club is proud to be among the first marinas to go green.
"We're one of the first clubs that built a building like this. So we're able to share what we're learning with the other yacht clubs as they go about their programs, as well as other Port of San Diego tenants," Clark said.
The San Diego Yacht Club is the second Port tenant to have earned a LEED Gold designation. The first was Sun Harbor Marina, located at 5000 N. Harbor Drive on Harbor Island. The Port Pavilion on Broadway Pier, at 1000 N. Harbor Drive, is also a green building, earning a LEED Gold certification.
About the Port:
The Port of San Diego is the fourth largest of the 11 ports in California. It was created by the state legislature in 1962. Since then, it has invested millions of dollars in public improvements in its five member cities of Chula Vista, Coronado, Imperial Beach, National City and San Diego.
The port oversees two maritime cargo terminals, two cruise ship terminals, 17 public parks, the Harbor Police Department and the leases of more than 600 tenant and sub tenant businesses around San Diego Bay.
The Port of San Diego is an economic engine, an environmental steward of San Diego Bay and the surrounding tidelands, and a provider of community services and public safety.
