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Power

SFPUC Completes Full LED Lighting Retrofit at 1 South Van Ness

A spacious office with rows of cubicles, each equipped with computer monitors and personal items under modern LED lights.
  • Donald Pollitt

At 1 South Van Ness, one of San Francisco’s busiest public buildings, a quiet but important change has taken place. This update boosts efficiency, lowers costs, and supports Californias’s and the City’s push toward a cleaner energy future.

California has officially moved away from fluorescent lighting. As of January 1, 2025, linear fluorescent lamps and ballasts are no longer sold in the state. This follows the earlier 2024 phase-out of screw-in compact fluorescent lamps. These changes are part of a larger effort to replace older, less efficient lighting with better options.

To prepare for these changes, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) completed a full lighting upgrade at 1 South Van Ness. They replaced all fluorescent lights in the building with modern LED lights.

A Building That Powers City Services
The building is over 560,000 square feet and includes eight floors, a basement, a parking garage, and a San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (MTA) garage. Many important City departments work there, including Human Resources, the Department of Police Accountability, the Department of Technology, MTA, the 311 Call Center, the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development, and the Office of the Treasurer and Tax Collector.

Why a Full Upgrade Matters
Instead of replacing lights one at a time when they stopped working, the SFPUC upgraded all lighting at once. This approach created clear benefits: better and more consistent lighting, immediate energy savings, less maintenance because LEDs last longer, and smoother building operations.

Project Highlights

  • Replaced about 5,700 light fixtures
  • Added occupancy sensors in some areas to save more energy
  • Upgraded lighting in offices, shared spaces, and garages

Real Results

The project has made a big difference:

  • Saves about 800,000 kWh of energy each year, enough to power hundreds of homes
  • Reduces peak energy demand by 280 kW, helping reduce stress on the power grid during busy times 

These improvements lower costs for the City and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, supporting San Francisco’s climate goals.

Lighting the Way Forward
The lighting upgrade at 1 South Van Ness shows how smart improvements can bring both short-term and long‑term benefits. By using efficient LED lighting and controls, the SFPUC is helping City buildings run more sustainably while keeping a high‑quality environment for workers and residents.

As California continues to move away from outdated lighting, projects like this help San Francisco stay ahead by saving energy, cutting costs, and building a cleaner future.