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Statewide LG EE Best Practices: Weekly Update
Here
are your wEEkly updates:
Peer-to-Peer Requests
Opportunities to Offset Operational
Costs
A rural, low-income community on the Central Coast is interested in learning about opportunities, strategies, and resources to help offset operational costs for water and wastewater. If you have any information or resources you can share, please send them my way. If you are willing to provided one-on-one guidance around pump upgrades, optimization of control systems, and other strategies, please let me know.
A rural, low-income community on the Central Coast is interested in learning about opportunities, strategies, and resources to help offset operational costs for water and wastewater. If you have any information or resources you can share, please send them my way. If you are willing to provided one-on-one guidance around pump upgrades, optimization of control systems, and other strategies, please let me know.
News and Opportunities
The World Passes 400 PPM Threshold. Permanently.
At a time when atmospheric carbon dioxide is usually at its minimum, the monthly value failed to drop below 400 parts per million. That all but ensures that 2016 will be the year that carbon dioxide officially passed the symbolic 400 ppm mark, never to return below it in our lifetimes, according to scientists.
At a time when atmospheric carbon dioxide is usually at its minimum, the monthly value failed to drop below 400 parts per million. That all but ensures that 2016 will be the year that carbon dioxide officially passed the symbolic 400 ppm mark, never to return below it in our lifetimes, according to scientists.
Governor Brown Signs Bill to Strengthen PACE Protections
AB 2693 mandates the loan administrator "accurately identifies important consumer issues with the program and prescribes on-point solutions that preserve PACE's unique structure and benefits, while improving consumer disclosures and safeguards."
AB 2693 mandates the loan administrator "accurately identifies important consumer issues with the program and prescribes on-point solutions that preserve PACE's unique structure and benefits, while improving consumer disclosures and safeguards."
California Golden Again on Energy Efficiency
California and Massachusetts both won the top spot in the 10th edition of the 2016 State Energy Efficiency Scorecard published by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. Check out California's State Scorecard.
California and Massachusetts both won the top spot in the 10th edition of the 2016 State Energy Efficiency Scorecard published by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. Check out California's State Scorecard.
Planes, Trains, and Automobiles Have Become Top Carbon
Polluters
Transportation is likely to surpass the electricity sector in 2016 as the largest source of carbon dioxide emissions in the United States, according to a new analysis of government data.
Transportation is likely to surpass the electricity sector in 2016 as the largest source of carbon dioxide emissions in the United States, according to a new analysis of government data.
Driving Energy Efficiency by Improving the Owner/Tenant
Relationship
The owner/tenant relationship is not always an easy one, but with good communications and a sharing of common goals, it can be a beneficial one. This article discusses a number of strategies to improve this relationship. Also, take a look at Energy Star's 8 Great Strategies to Engage Tenants on Energy Efficiency.
The owner/tenant relationship is not always an easy one, but with good communications and a sharing of common goals, it can be a beneficial one. This article discusses a number of strategies to improve this relationship. Also, take a look at Energy Star's 8 Great Strategies to Engage Tenants on Energy Efficiency.
Job Opportunities: The Energy Coalition
The Energy Coalition, a nonprofit working to create an abundant and healthy world by inspiring others to take responsible environmental actions, has multiple project coordinator openings in San Diego and Irvine. Job announcements attached.
The Energy Coalition, a nonprofit working to create an abundant and healthy world by inspiring others to take responsible environmental actions, has multiple project coordinator openings in San Diego and Irvine. Job announcements attached.
Janea
A. Scott, the Lead Commissioner for Transportation of the California Energy
Commission, will conduct a workshop to discuss and seek comments from
interested parties regarding the inclusion of transportation electrification in
integrated resource planning of California's publicly owned electric utilities
as required by SB 350.
CPUC
Decision 16-06-008 requires the utilities to hold working group meetings with
stakeholders and Energy Division to "develop a consensus proposal to
streamline and simplify the direct participation nrollment process, including
adding more automation, mitigating enrollment fatigue, and resolving any
remaining electronic signature issues."
10/12 - 10/14 (Denver)
Getting to Zero National Forum
This forum, dedicated to zero net energy (ZNE) buildings, will provide opportunities for attendees to share perspectives on the growth of ZNE, discuss the policies driving new projects, engage in best practices for successful outcomes, and collaborate on opportunities for ZNE to transform the built environment.
This forum, dedicated to zero net energy (ZNE) buildings, will provide opportunities for attendees to share perspectives on the growth of ZNE, discuss the policies driving new projects, engage in best practices for successful outcomes, and collaborate on opportunities for ZNE to transform the built environment.
Resources and Reports
A Clean Energy Action Plan for the United States
This report from the Center for American Progress proposes policy recommendations that promote the three elements of decarbonization - energy efficiency, low-carbon electricity generation, and the electrification of end uses - and that address their integration, financing, and implementation at the federal level.
This report from the Center for American Progress proposes policy recommendations that promote the three elements of decarbonization - energy efficiency, low-carbon electricity generation, and the electrification of end uses - and that address their integration, financing, and implementation at the federal level.
California Energy Commission: Tracking Progress
Sector-specific summaries of California's progress toward a cleaner energy future, with links to additional resources. Includes energy efficiency, statewide energy demand, renewable energy, electric vehicles, installed electric capacity and generation, reliance on coal, transmission expansion, combined heat and power, resource flexibility, once-through cooling, American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, and the California Clean Energy Jobs Act: Proposition 39.
Sector-specific summaries of California's progress toward a cleaner energy future, with links to additional resources. Includes energy efficiency, statewide energy demand, renewable energy, electric vehicles, installed electric capacity and generation, reliance on coal, transmission expansion, combined heat and power, resource flexibility, once-through cooling, American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, and the California Clean Energy Jobs Act: Proposition 39.
Cool Roofs Brochure
A brochure that explains cool roofs, its benefits, requirements, and more.
A brochure that explains cool roofs, its benefits, requirements, and more.
Coordinator Resources
Browse the Coordinator website for more resources on a variety of energy efficiency related topics.
Browse the Coordinator website for more resources on a variety of energy efficiency related topics.
That is all for this week!
Statewide LG EE Best Practices: Weekly Update
Here
are your wEEkly updates:
Peer-to-Peer Requests
Responses:
EVSE Installation
Information on vendors and opportunities to help offset of installing charging infrastructure for electric vehicles:
Information on vendors and opportunities to help offset of installing charging infrastructure for electric vehicles:
- SCE's
Charge Ready program partners with local governments and
businesses to increase the availability of EV charging stations, providing
rebates to cover some or all costs related to installation.
- Green Charge
Networks combine
EV charging and energy storage to minimize peak hour demand, reduce load
on the power grid and minimize peak electricity rates.
- Additional
incentives for commercial and residential EVSE installation.
- If you are a city in any of these counties (Kern, Kings, Tulare, Fresno, Madera, Maricopa, Merced, San Joaquin, or Stanislaus) and interested in learning more about opportunities to offset the cost of EVSE installation, please email me so that I can connect you with the San Joaquin Valley Electric Vehicle Partnership.
Responses:
Community-Based Social Marketing Methods
Resources on community-based social marketing methods that a city staff can implement in their offices to help reduce energy use:
Resources on community-based social marketing methods that a city staff can implement in their offices to help reduce energy use:
- Step Up and Power Down:
PG&E program working in Redwood City, San Carlos, San Francisco, San
José, and Woodland to help reduce energy waste among businesses and homes
while helping local cities achieve their sustainability goals. Includes
office engagement games like Adopt a Light, Unplucked, Vampire,
and more.
- Fostering Sustainable
Behavior is an online book that introduces the five steps of
community-based social marketing (selecting behaviors, identifying
barriers & benefits, developing strategies, conducting a pilot, and
broad-scale implementation), and showcases numerous programs illustrating
its use.
News and Opportunities
New
PACE "Guidance" Takes Effect Tomorrow
In July, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and Federal Housing Administration (HUD and FHA) issued guidance under which the FHA would back properties using PACE financing. The rules take effect tomorrow. The FHA guidance stresses that PACE obligations must be treated and follow the same rules as other special tax assessments leveled by municipalities.
In July, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and Federal Housing Administration (HUD and FHA) issued guidance under which the FHA would back properties using PACE financing. The rules take effect tomorrow. The FHA guidance stresses that PACE obligations must be treated and follow the same rules as other special tax assessments leveled by municipalities.
Seeking
Comments: SB 350 Barriers Report
The CEC is now accepting comments for their SB 350 barriers study: A Study of Barriers and Solutions to Energy Efficiency, Renewables and Contracting Opportunities Among Low-Income Customers and Disadvantaged Communities (Draft Staff Report). Comments are due Thursday, September 29th by 4:00 PM.
The CEC is now accepting comments for their SB 350 barriers study: A Study of Barriers and Solutions to Energy Efficiency, Renewables and Contracting Opportunities Among Low-Income Customers and Disadvantaged Communities (Draft Staff Report). Comments are due Thursday, September 29th by 4:00 PM.
Seeking
Comments: Vibrant Communities & Landscapes
This draft vision for comment and discussion is intended to consider land use in the context of California's climate change policy and begin to explore how the State can support actions, at all levels of government, to facilitate development and conservation patterns that help to achieve the state's climate mitigation and adaptation goals. Comments are due to ca.50m@opr.ca.gov by September 28th.
This draft vision for comment and discussion is intended to consider land use in the context of California's climate change policy and begin to explore how the State can support actions, at all levels of government, to facilitate development and conservation patterns that help to achieve the state's climate mitigation and adaptation goals. Comments are due to ca.50m@opr.ca.gov by September 28th.
Job Opportunity: Statewide Local Government Energy Efficiency
Best Practices Coordinator
The Local Government Commission is seeking to fill the Coordinator position with a highly motivated and knowledgeable individual to support local government energy efficiency efforts throughout the state. Please feel free to contact me at jkim@lgc.org if you have any questions.
The Local Government Commission is seeking to fill the Coordinator position with a highly motivated and knowledgeable individual to support local government energy efficiency efforts throughout the state. Please feel free to contact me at jkim@lgc.org if you have any questions.
SBCCOG
is seeking a senior project manager for energy efficiency and environmental
programs to manage the development of strategies, standards, and processes for
the implementation of programs, activities, and events related to the
environment, water, energy and transportation. This position is open until
filled.
Job
Opportunity: Air Pollution Specialist, California Air Resources Board (ARB)
ARB is seeking two Air Pollution Specialists for its Sacramento office with the necessary skills and expertise to contribute to the implementation of SB 375 in a strong team environment within the Sustainable Communities Policy and Planning Section of the Transportation Planning Branch. Applications are due by September 28th.
ARB is seeking two Air Pollution Specialists for its Sacramento office with the necessary skills and expertise to contribute to the implementation of SB 375 in a strong team environment within the Sustainable Communities Policy and Planning Section of the Transportation Planning Branch. Applications are due by September 28th.
9/20 (Oakland /
webcast) 2016 CALGreen Residential Measures: Changes and Opportunities
BayREN invites local government policymakers and sustainability staff, building department staff, city planners, and energy consultants to learn about the changes to the 2016 CALGreen requirements for residential buildings. Presentations will provide high level overview of these changes and the implications for building department code compliance processes and market transformation.
BayREN invites local government policymakers and sustainability staff, building department staff, city planners, and energy consultants to learn about the changes to the 2016 CALGreen requirements for residential buildings. Presentations will provide high level overview of these changes and the implications for building department code compliance processes and market transformation.
9/21
(Irwindale / webcast) Energy Data Access Committee (EDAC) Q3 2016 Meeting
The EDAC, a forum established by the CPUC for discussing changes in data access and CPUC Privacy Rules as technology and stakeholder data needs change, will be meeting on September 21st. Agenda items include a discussion of how the 2013 Decision that formalized CPUC's Privacy Rules has increased the inconsistency in municipal GHG inventories and a presentation by CEC staff on AB 802 requirements for all utilities to provide access to whole building monthly energy usage data, which will phase in January 2017.
The EDAC, a forum established by the CPUC for discussing changes in data access and CPUC Privacy Rules as technology and stakeholder data needs change, will be meeting on September 21st. Agenda items include a discussion of how the 2013 Decision that formalized CPUC's Privacy Rules has increased the inconsistency in municipal GHG inventories and a presentation by CEC staff on AB 802 requirements for all utilities to provide access to whole building monthly energy usage data, which will phase in January 2017.
9/21
(San Francisco / webcast) Coordinating Committee Meeting #9
The California Energy Efficiency Coordinating Committee is meeting next week to review the Voluntary DRAFT Business Plan Sector Chapters, which are now open for comments, and to discuss a number of other important local government energy efficiency topics.
The California Energy Efficiency Coordinating Committee is meeting next week to review the Voluntary DRAFT Business Plan Sector Chapters, which are now open for comments, and to discuss a number of other important local government energy efficiency topics.
10/27 (webinar): LGP + REN EM&V Roadmaps Update
This webinar will present the proposed update to the CPUC EE EM&V Master Plan, LGP and REN-CCA Chapters ("roadmaps").
This webinar will present the proposed update to the CPUC EE EM&V Master Plan, LGP and REN-CCA Chapters ("roadmaps").
Resources and Reports
10
Tactics of Successful Energy Managers
This eBook discusses the role of the energy manager in an organization and provides 10 guidelines for enhancing energy management effectiveness. It is intended for use by energy management professionals and other energy stakeholders seeking to implement positive organizational change.
This eBook discusses the role of the energy manager in an organization and provides 10 guidelines for enhancing energy management effectiveness. It is intended for use by energy management professionals and other energy stakeholders seeking to implement positive organizational change.
How
the IoT is Reshaping Building Automation
This white paper defines the Internet of Things (IoT) for the building automation industry as an integrated ecosystem.
This white paper defines the Internet of Things (IoT) for the building automation industry as an integrated ecosystem.
Coordinator Resources
Browse the Coordinator website for more resources on a variety of energy efficiency related topics. If there are topics that you would like to see added or further developed, please reach out to me at jkim@lgc.org.
Browse the Coordinator website for more resources on a variety of energy efficiency related topics. If there are topics that you would like to see added or further developed, please reach out to me at jkim@lgc.org.
That's all for this week!
Statewide LG EE Best Practices: Weekly Update
Here are your wEEkly updates:
1. California Adaptation Forum: Last call for
discounted rates for September’s 2nd California
Adaptation Forum! Register for the Forum by Wednesday, August 12 and
receive $50 OFF One-Day and Full Forum rates! The Forum is an incredible
opportunity to connect with hundreds of climate leaders from across the
state. See
more opportunities, a full Forum program, Forum events, plenary speakers and
partners, and more.
2. Statewide Codes & Standards Team Conference
Call: The Statewide Codes & Standards team works to develop resources
to help local governments consider, adopt, and measure energy-saving successes
from reach codes. If you are a local government interested in learning more,
and/or hearing troubleshooting and success stories from other local governments
across the state, please contact the Coordinator at jdecker@lgc.org to RSVP to this
call.
3. New CEC Funding for EE Tech Demonstrations:
On August 1st, the California Energy Commission (CEC) announced
a grant funding opportunity for Emerging Energy Efficient Technology
Demonstrations (GFO-16-304), and will be holding a pre-bid conference workshop
August 11th.
4. CEC LinkedIn Networking Group for Open GFOs:
Looking to find partners for the above grant funding opportunity? The
California Energy Commission Networking Hub on LinkedIn has
set up networking groups for the Technology Demonstration GFO, and
three others.
5. Federal Gov. Energy Webinars this August: A
list of August
2016 webinars is now available from federal agencies providing support
on the EPA benchmarking tool Portfolio Manager, data center energy efficiency,
EE financing, community resiliency through EE, resilient solar retrofits, waste
management, and more.
6. What’s New with AB 802? In case you
missed the July 22nd workshop held by the California Energy Commission on AB
802 implementation (Project Title, “Building Energy Use Disclosure and Public
Benchmarking Program Mandated under Assembly Bill 802”), a transcript
is now available from the CEC.
7. More on AB 802: Also in case you missed it:
additional guidance linked to energy savings measurement was released in
the CPUC’s
recent decision providing guidance on Program Administrator EE
business plans. (Need a refresher
on AB 802?)
8. SB 350 Low-Income Barriers Workshop 8/12:
The California Energy Commission conducting
a workshop August 12th to gather input on barriers faced by low-income
and disadvantaged communities to investing in energy efficiency and
weatherization, installing solar photovoltaic and other renewable generating
resources, and contracting opportunities for small businesses. This input will
be included in the “Senate Bill 350 Barriers Study,” required by the Clean
Energy and Pollution Reduction Act of 2015.
9. AB 32 EJAC Meeting 8/11-12: The AB 32
Environmental Justice Advisory Committee (Committee) will
be meeting on August 11, 2016 from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm (PDT) and
August 12, 2016 from 9:00 am to 3:30 pm (PDT) in Huron, CA.
10. Financing Tools for Local Gov Webinar 8/25: This
webinar will discuss the various tools and products that the State of
California is making available to local governments to promote clean energy
projects for residents and business owners, and will showcase a new financing
marketplace for finding energy project-related financing solutions. (Go Green
Financing is a program under Energy Upgrade California, administered by the
Center for Sustainable Energy.)
11. PACE’s Value to the Real Estate Market:
Event/Webinar 8/18: This
CEFAC event and webinar will explore the recent amendments to the
residential PACE program, along with updates on consumer protection, regulatory
changes, and market growth in California. Join the Center for Sustainable
Energy for a panel discussion that will cover these topics and validate why
PACE is vital to the residential energy efficiency financing market.
12. EV’s Role in ZNE: Webinar 8/17: The Center
for Sustainable Energy (CSE) invites city and county staff, contractors,
architects, and developers to a free
webinar August 17th on how electric vehicles (EVs) can help
support zero net energy (ZNE) goals.
13. Energy Code Ace Webinar 8/23: We heard
great feedback from local governments on energy code expert Gina Rodda’s
presentation on energy code compliance tools at this year’s SEEC Forum. Now,
Rodda will be teaching a “not-your-average webinar” on what’s
new in the 2016 code in two sessions August 23rd. Get the word
out to your buildings departments!
14. CivicSpark Project Lessons Learned Webinars
8/23-8/24: CivicSpark is a Governor’s Initiative AmeriCorps program that
provides capacity-building support to local governments to accelerate California’s
response and resiliency to climate change. These
webinars aim to provide a snapshot of some of the accomplishments of
the 2015-16 service year, with an emphasis on sharing lessons learned and best
practices.
15. New Integrative Business Model for ZNE: In
the Rocky Mountain Institute’s new Insight
Brief, An Integrative Business Model for Net Zero Energy Districts, RMI
presents an innovative business model for developing net zero energy or
ultra-low energy districts and details how pursuing net zero energy is not a
cost, but rather a significant value driver.
16. EE Shows Its $ Value in SF Real Estate: As
covered by BizJournal’s
July 28th article, funding green upgrades is made easier as the market
shows the value of and desire for energy efficient real estate.
17. California Releases Sustainable Freight Action
Plan: In response to an Executive Order issued by the Governor last year,
the state has released the California
Sustainable Freight Action Plan, a comprehensive document that serves as a
blueprint for transforming the state’s multi-billion dollar freight transport
system into one that is environmentally cleaner, more efficient, and more
economically competitive than it is today.
18. Energy Transition Podcast on EE: In a recent
episode of the Energy Transition Show, Chris Nelder speaks to energy
efficiency expert Matt Golden about raising the profile of energy efficiency,
sharing that energy efficiency (looking nationally) has been disproportionately
neglected considering its extreme value, and also stating that efforts to raise
the profile to date have failed. Matt Golden shares some interesting food for
thought.
19. Job announcement: The San Joaquin Valley
Clean Energy Organization (SJVCEO) is hiring for a Project Analyst! Learn
more here.
20. RFP announcement: The City of San
Jose’s RFP
for Environmental Sustainability Plan Consultant Services closes
August 12th.
As always, you can keep track of relevant events
by connecting to the EE Events Calendar, and find more resources
being added daily on the EECoordinator website – including
past WEEkly Updates.
That’s is all for this week!
Statewide LG EE Best Practices: Weekly Update
Here
are your wEEkly updates:
1.
AB 802 Workshop This Morning!: The California Energy Commission’s workshop
to seek input on draft regulations for implementation of building energy use
data access and public disclosure components of AB 802 is this morning! Get
information to attend in person or by phone/online. The CEC
presentation is now available through the same link.
2.
FHA PACE Guidance Released: This week, the Federal Housing Administration
(FHA) announced
clear guidance that will expand access to renewable energy, energy efficiency,
and other home resiliency projects for American homeowners. The guidance,
signaled last August by President Obama and the FHA, allows residential
Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) assessments to interact with single
family home mortgages secured by the FHA in the event of purchases, refinances,
and loan modifications.
3.
PACE Nation Webinar 7/26: Join PACENation on Tuesday, July 26th for the
webinar "FHA's
PACE Guidance Explained," to discuss HUD/FHA's recent residential PACE
guidance and the White House's new initiative to broaden the scope of
residential PACE. Panelists include Renew Financial CEO Cisco Devries,
PACENation Executive Director David Gabrielson, and more.
4.
PACE Draft Best Practices for Review from DOE: the U.S. Department of
Energy has
released a draft best practices document for residential PACE that
focuses on best practices for program design, including protections to both
consumers who voluntarily opt into PACE programs, and to lenders who hold
mortgages on properties with PACE assessments; compatibility of PACE with other
energy efficiency programs and services; and evaluation of program outcomes,
including cost effectiveness, energy savings, and non-energy benefits such as
improved health and comfort. The comment period for this document is open
through August 19th.
6.
CPUC Evaluation of RENs and LGPs: The California Public Utilities
Commission (CPUC)’s consultants shared their draft research plans for assessing
the impact of California’s two Regional Energy Networks (RENs) and its Local
Government Partnerships (LGPs) in two
webinars this week. The presentations
shared in each are available and the public comment period has been
extended to August 1st.
7.
New options for lighting EE compliance: The California Energy Commission
approved the use of an optional compliance pathway for use in non-residential
lighting alterations that trigger Title 24, Part 6. This is in addition to the
pre-existing two compliance pathways. Learn
more (and share with your buildings stakeholders!).
8.
Updates to GreenPoint Rated Program: Hear from Build It Green on the new
updates to the GreenPoint Rated Program in this
recorded webinar. Public comments are welcome until 7/31.
9.
Local Policies to Support Microgrids: Learn what local
policies can support microgrids from former CPUC Analyst turned
Minnesota PUC Director Chris Villareal – and get some great California (and
national) examples.
10.
California Cities Shine in $5 Million Energy Prize Competition: As shared
by SEEC’s Institute for Local Government (ILG), learn how Berkeley, Chula
Vista, Claremont, Davis, Fremont, Palo Alto, San Mateo and Sunnyvale are
rallying their communities to complete their last year of competition for the
Georgetown University Energy Prize.
11.
Free ZNE Conference 8/19 in Downey: Verdical Group is hosting its 3rd
Annual Net Zero Conference in Downey, CA at SoCal Gas’s Energy
Resource Center on August 19th.
12.
Presentation Proposing RCx, OBF, and HVAC Programming: Southern California
Edison’s presentation from
their 7/14
webinar on their proposed High Opportunity Programs or Projects
(HOPPs) – including public buildings retro-commissioning (RCx), on-bill
financing, and comprehensive commercial HVAC – is now available.
13.
New Study on Data Center EE: Data centers are incredibly energy intensive –
but a new
study shows that some data centers are learning to slim their energy
footprint.
14.
Google Data Center Uses AI to Save: In recent months, the Alphabet Inc.
unit put a DeepMind AI system in control of parts of its data centers to reduce
power consumption by manipulating computer servers and related equipment like
cooling systems – and is seeing some
interesting results.
15.
Seeking Water EE ordinance experience/interest: The Statewide Codes
& Standards team has had a request from a city for resources to implement
efficiency standards for greywater systems and drip irrigation microspray for
trees & shrubs. Reach code options for water-energy issues is new
territory, and the C&S team would appreciate hearing from any other local
governments that are interested in this, or that have experience developing
such standards. Please contact Jordan (jdecker@lgc.org)
and Javier Mariscal (javier.mariscal@sce.com)
if you are a local government and have feedback you can share.
16.
Green Real Estate Interest Survey for Realtors: A number of local
governments engage their builder, developer and realtor communities to connect
on the value of EE. If you are connected to realtors in your jurisdiction,
please help Build It Green distribute
a survey to licensed realtors in California. The survey seeks their feedback on
various green home topics, including a proposal to make green and energy
efficiency features transparent on real estate listing services. You can
forward the survey link to any realtor contacts: https://www.getfeedback.com/r/ys58KCHP.
17.
Testing residential solar+storage: SolarCity and PG&E have announced
a collaborative
demonstration in the San Jose area to see how the coordinated use of
solar smart inverters and behind the meter energy storage could provide
enhanced benefits to the grid.
18.
New report on solar+storage for critical infrastructure: A new
report completed as part of the New York Solar Smart DG Hub-Resilient Solar
Project shows a higher return on investment for solar+storage
combinations for resiliency benefits in critical infrastructure.
19.
Pollution Control Authority New Rules: the California Pollution Control
Financing Authority (CPCFA), chaired by Treasurer John Chiang, has
taken formal action to help large and small businesses in California
keep costs low when financing waste management and recycling projects.
20.
Job announcement: the City and County of San Francisco is hiring for a
Distributed Energy Projects Manager! Learn more here.
That’s all for this week!
Statewide LG EE Best Practices: Weekly Update
Here
are your wEEkly updates:
1.
Prop 39 Proposed Changes Webinar 7/6: Get the word out to your schools and
local educational agencies (LEAs): The California Energy Commission has
initiated a substantive changes cycle for the Proposition 39: California Clean
Energy Jobs Act – 2016 K-12 Program Implementation Guidelines. Learn
more, review the changes and sign up for a CEC webinar to review.
2.
Smart Cities Webinar 7/14: This free
1-hour webinar sponsored by DNV GL will feature two contrasting cities
– Cambridge, Mass., and San Diego, Calif. – to explore on-going “smart city”
initiatives that intersect with climate resiliency, clean and renewable
distributed energy, microgrids and zero net energy concepts.
3.
SEEC Forum Plenaries online: Miss this year’s SEEC Forum? You can hear from
the CEC, CPUC, SGC, OPR, environmental justice leaders, and energy and climate
specialists in recordings of the SEEC Forum plenary sessions. Visit the
EECoordinator.info main page for
descriptions and Youtube links.
4.
New Energy Efficiency 101 resources: As Coordinator I hear about the need
for 101 resources from beginner and veteran local government energy leaders
alike. Whether its due to staff turnover or transfers, or the wealth of rapidly
evolving information on energy best practices in California, it helps to have
some introductory resources in one place. Check out a new (and
growing) page of
Energy Efficiency 101 resources and presentations on the EECoordinator
site – and feel free to request additional information.
5.
Low-Income EE resources expansion: SoCal Gas announced
a significant expansion of its Energy Savings Assistance Program. As many
as 500,000 additional low-income families may now be eligible to receive
no-cost energy efficient home upgrades.
6.
PACE Savings through HERO: A press
release from the residential PACE HERO Program released this week announced
that Californians Are Saving 10 Billion Kilowatt-Hours Through the
HERO Program - roughly equivalent to taking almost a million Americans off the
grid for a year or closing two coal-fired power plants for a
year. For more on financing, click here.
7.
Commercial EE opportunities: We learned in the SEEC plenary on the State of
Local Climate Action that a number of California local governments are seeing
high savings in the commercial sector. New
coverage from ACEEE shows commercial sector savings, but also a number
of remaining opportunities.
8.
Motivating Commercial EE: Something to share with your commercial sector
partners: stakeholder requests for EE and sustainability information are
changing trends in business activities and reporting. A new
report shows that 81% of S&P companies produced Sustainability
Reports in 2015.
9.
Clarifications on heat pump water heater compliance: the CEC’s Advisor
Patrick Saxton spoke to requirements for residential heat pump water heaters in
the Q&A of the Forum’s opening plenary session. Some additional residential
heat pump water heater compliance guidance from follow up with the CEC is
available here.
10.
New water efficiency standards in effect TODAY: With all the excitement
around the new building energy efficiency standards becoming open for cities
and counties to adopt by January 1, 2017, we can’t forget about new water
efficiency standards! Read an excerpt from the California Energy Commission
(CEC)’s blog, and get links for more information here.
11.
New EIA study projects the effect of energy policies: Projecting the effect
of policies is a challenging but critical part of energy planning and
governance. See how the U.S. Energy Information Administration has analyzed
U.S. energy policies and released its findings of an estimated 30%
increase in clean power from Clean Power Plan implementation.
12.
Time-of-Use Service for Residential: A new “time of savings” service
offered through a partnership between Nest and SolarCity offers residential
customers deeper demand response and EE savings. Learn more here.
13.
Procurement templates for energy storage: Clean Energy Group and the Clean
Energy States Alliance, with support from Bright Power, Sandia National
Laboratories, the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Electricity, and the Barr
Foundation, have drafted
and released a series of energy storage procurement guidance documents for
municipalities.
14.
Job announcement: Marin County is hiring for a Sustainability Program
Planner! For more information click here.
15.
Job announcement: MCE is hiring for several positions, including a Customer
Programs Specialist and Customer Programs Manager! For more information,
click here.
That’s all for this week!
Statewide LG EE Best Practices: Weekly Updates
Here
are your wEEkly Updates:
1.
First, a reminder that the Commercial Sector Subcommittee Meeting of
the California Energy Efficiency Coordinating Committee is going on today!
(Click here for
more info.) This is an important opportunity to share feedback (or just listen
in) on utility and other program administrator business plans for energy
programming that are in the works now. To get direct alerts on subcommittee
meetings, visit www.caeecc.org.
2.
Registration is open for the ACEEE 2016 Summer Buildings Study in
Pacific Grove this August. This year’s theme is “From Components to Systems,
from Buildings to Communities.” To learn more or register, click here.
3. State-level
EE 101 webinar: Looking to better understand state-level programs and
resources for local government energy efficiency? Click here to
learn more about and register for our upcoming April 19th webinar.
4. Webinar
on DSM-focused customer engagement: Greentech Media is hosting an April 21st webinar,
“Key Strategies for Driving Energy Efficiency and Customer Engagement.” The
webinar may be of interest to utility partners and local governments seeking to
support and leverage customer-centric demand side management (DSM) for deeper
energy savings. For more information click here.
5. Tools
for PACE standards adoption: As the market for PACE financing as grown hot,
many local governments have been working to adopt local standards for PACE
financing firms that wish to operate in their jurisdiction. The Bay Area
Regional Energy Network (BayREN) has released an Agreement template:
click here for
more information.
6. Increasing
Home Value through Energy Upgrades: More interesting findings this week on
energy improvements in buildings increasing building values – this time,
specifically in residential. Click here for
more information.
7. EE
leaders in business: Click here to
read about Ford’s renovations of its existing campus in Dearborn that will make
it a state-of-the-art, water- and energy-efficient facility complete with a
living machine and driverless cars.
8. Using
data to plan holistically: Cities like San Jose are deploying data
solutions to holistically understand their buildings and achieve energy
efficiency and air quality goals. Click here for
coverage on data use from Environmental Leader.
9. Green
historic preservation requirements: ASHRAE is working on an update to their
Guideline 34P, or Energy Guideline for Historic Buildings – with comment
periods upcoming. Learn more in this Energy
Manager Today article.
10. Resources
for going beyond code: cool roofs: the CEC and the Utilities Statewide
Codes and Standards teams have been working on some new resources to help local
governments efficiently implement reach codes. One of them, a cool roofs cost
effectiveness study for all climate zones, is now available. Learn more and
review the study here.
11. Resilient
Communities training: The Resilient Communities Initiative will be holding
a special training, Engaging Communities for Effective Problem Solving,
for local government officials tasked with protecting public welfare June 6th.
Click here for
more information.
12. Job
announcement: San Diego International Airport seeks a highly-motivated
professional to join its Environmental Affairs Department as a Senior
Environmental Specialist! Learn more here.
13. Job
announcement: MCE is hiring a Legal Counsel! Learn more here.
14. Recruit
a CivicSpark fellow: Looking for capacity at the local level for energy,
water, and sustainability projects? If you missed the webinars on how to apply
for the CivicSpark AmeriCorps program, you can review a recording online.
As
always, you can keep track of relevant events by connecting to the EE
Events Calendar, and find more resources being added daily on the EECoordinator website.
That’s
all for this week!
Statewide LG EE Best Practices: Weekly Update
For those of you who know who Joseph Oldham is you likely are on his email distribution list and receive this update each week. We are grateful that Joseph has agreed to allow our little blog to re-post his weekly update. If you have an interest in the happenings of energy efficiency and local government throughout California this is the update for you! If you love the information here, but want more in depth features be sure to check out Joseph's quarterly newsletter, CURRENTS.
1. Tesla Unveils Powerall Energy Storage System for Homes and Businesses
Good article about how to engage facility operators when deploying energy upgrades. Often, these folks are overlooked in the building retrofit process, but they are key to making the project work.
1. Tesla Unveils Powerall Energy Storage System for Homes and Businesses
For
those that missed the announcement last night from Elon Musk, here is an
article from Forbes Magazine that provides the details: http://www.forbes.com/sites/michelinemaynard/2015/05/01/after-all-tesla-motors-unveils-the-powerwall/?ss=energy
2. One Man’s
Experience with Engaging Building Operators
Good article about how to engage facility operators when deploying energy upgrades. Often, these folks are overlooked in the building retrofit process, but they are key to making the project work.
To read the article, go here: http://www.energymanagertoday.com/engaging-building-operators-or-how-to-win-friends-and-influence-operators-0111617/
3. California
Statewide PACE Symposium-May 28-29, in Los Angeles
The California Statewide PACE Symposium will be held in Los Angeles this
year on May 28 and 29. To get more details, go to this link: http://capaceconference.org/ .
Here is the link to registration:
https://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/eventReg?oeidk=a07eatzrdusc30c6aa4&oseq=&c=&ch=
And that is all for this week!
More Companies Discover The Economic Wisdom Of Energy Efficiency
Good investments are hard to find in this economy. Housing prices are falling. Spiking oil prices send shock waves through the stock market. Some experts worry about the safety of municipal bonds. It is tough all over.
But one investment is almost a sure bet. It's not a standard investment, such as a mutual fund. And you don't earn money as much as you save money. But the result is the same: more money in your bank account.
What is this sure-fire investment? It is energy efficiency.
Minimum investment can lead to maximum returns. According to this report, every $1 investment in energy efficiency leads to a savings of $4. The consulting firm of McKinsey & Company reports that energy-efficiency programs could save $600 billion by 2020.
Some companies are reaping large returns from energy-retrofit projects. AT&T saved $44 million in 2009, Dow Chemical is investing $100 million in efficiency measures and News Corp has saved a bundle.
The owners of the Empire State Building and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill also are believers . There is a reason why federal energy officials call efficiency the low-hanging fruit of clean energy.
But, like many investments, there are upfront costs and other barriers to entry.
It has been an uphill slog in many ways. Some politicians propose deep cuts to efficiency programs, PACE programs (which would provide a financing mechanism for property owners to finance energy upgrades) were all but curtailed and budgets are in disarray.
But a potential $600 billion in savings awaits. And a strong energy-efficiency program could have a significant impact in places such as the San Joaquin Valley of Central California. In Fresno, where I live, my summertime power bill can exceed $500, and is my second-largest expense behind my mortgage.
Incomes here are low. The unemployment rate exceeds Appalachia figures. We have some of
worst concentrated poverty in the nation. Lower power bills would enrich residents, provide jobs and potentially stimulate the economy.
Photo of University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill by earthfirst.com
Support For PACE Programs, Consumer Study Shows
California and 15 other states were just starting to roll out Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) programs to help homeowners finance energy-efficiency modifications and reduce power bills when concerns from a federal housing agency essentially stopped them in their tracks last year.
But a a new survey shows many homeowners support PACE-type programs, and would consider adding an assessment to their property taxes to make their houses more energy efficient.
About 42% of 1,000 people surveyed by Pike Research said they were "extremely" or "very" interested in using a PACE program. Of those, 63% said they would install a tankless water heater or solar panels. More than 50% said they would install a more efficient air conditioner or boost insulation.
Not surprisingly, the homeowners who supported PACE programs generally have power bills exceeding $200 per month. They also tended to adopt new technology early.
More than half of the homeowners who said they were "somewhat" or not interested in participating in a PACE program said they did not want any more financial liability. An additional 30% said they didn't understand the PACE concept.
PACE programs require little or no upfront costs and have repayment periods of 15 to 20 years. If the property is sold, the payments are transferred to the new owner. Such programs were gaining favor in 2010 when the Federal Housing Finance Agency, worried because the PACE assessment would be repaid before a mortgage loan in a default, expressed concerns about the program.
Those concerns froze many PACE programs because Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which are regulated by the FHFA, guarantee more than 50 percent of all home loans in the United States.
There is momentum to revive PACE programs. Some states and cities have filed lawsuits. Others have adopted PACE programs for commercial property only, or are tweaking the original PACE concept.
Officials at Pike Research, which analyzes clean-technology markets, said the findings "illustrate a clear market" for PACE programs. They suggested the programs could be a boon for makers of water heaters, air conditioners, solar companies and other manufacturers of green products.
Researchers also noted that more homeowners would likely be pick up the PACE when the economy shows signs of recovering. "As the global economy slowly recovers and the appeal of energy-efficiency improvements grow, availability of attractive financing will be a key component to the market's development," Pike researchers said.