On Saturday, October 20, 2007, Lights Out San Francisco, a new organization run by Nate Tyler, is asking San Franciscans to turn off all non-essential lighting for one hour, from 8 - 9 p.m. With managers of the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz, as well as the Bay Bridge and the TransAmerica building already on board, Lights Out organizers estimate that the hour-long voluntary blackout could save as much as 15% of the energy consumed on a typical Saturday night. Following San Francisco’s lead, Los Angeles city and county officials hope to inspire residents, businesses and government organizations to join the conservation effort. On October 2, the Los Angeles City Council and Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors did just that, voting to designate October 20 as “Lights Out Los Angeles Day.” The idea for the San Francisco event was inspired by Earth Hour, an hour-long voluntary blackout held in Sydney, Australia, in March, in which 2.2 million participated, preventing the release of 25 tons of carbon dioxide — the equivalent of taking 49,000 cars off the road for an hour. More than 100 cities have contacted San Francisco organizers to start planning similar events. Lights Out has plans for a nationwide voluntary blackout hour on March 29, 2008.

• Read background
• Read or listen to Steve Curwood’s Interview with Nate Tyler, “San Francisco Lights Out,” Living on Earth (10/05/07)
• Read more: “Lights Out San Francisco: Fight Climate Change With the Flip of a Switch” (Power Plug, 10/03/07)

The new home for Integrated Design Associates (IDeAs), the Z² Design Facility, is one of the first net-zero energy, zero carbon commercial office buildings constructed in the United States. Working from the shell of an abandoned 1960s Bank of America branch, designers created an office space with energy consumption expected to be 60% below ASHRAE 90.1.

The IDeAs Z2 Design Facility before (left) and after renovation (Photos: IDeAs)

Lighting loads are estimated to be 40% of normal for a conventional building its size with the help of T8 linear fluorescent lamps controlled by daylight sensors, plentiful sloped skylights, south-facing windows and LED desk task lamps. A high-performance ground-source heat pump feeds a radiant slab that, when coupled with operable windows and doors and increased insulation, coheres into an HVAC system and building envelope estimated to be 40% below California’s Title 24 efficiency requirements. One hundred percent of the load that remains should be met by a 30-kilowatt, roof-integrated photovoltaic system. Had the designers not lowered Z²’s load with a bundle of efficiency measures, a PV system nearly twice this size would have been necessary.

Clockwise, from left: North-facing skylights; electrochromic windows linked to a photosensor that respond to changing sunlight; rooftop-integrated, 30-kW PV system and sloped skylights; and radiant floor heating and cooling system (Photos: IDeAs)

• Read background
• Read Flex Your Power’s best practices guide for commercial office buildings
• Guides for energy-efficient products and equipment for the commercial sector

(Photo: EBCHR)

“The first industrial revolution hurt the people and the planet. The second industrial revolution — carbon constrained, much smarter on resources, much smarter on water, energy — the next industrial revolution has to help the people and the planet. And in order to do that, you’ve got to put people to work. And not just as workers, but on their way to managers, owners, investors, inventors. You’ve got to bring people who were left out of that pollution-based economy into the heart of the green economy.”

• Read or listen to Steve Curwood’s Interview with Van Jones, “Green Collar Jobs,” Living on Earth (10/05/07)
• Read about the Ella Baker Center’s new green-collar jobs initiative, Green for All

California State Capitol (Photo: California State Legislature)

On October 12, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a stack of energy and water efficiency bills, including AB 1470, which provides incentives for the installation of 200,000 solar water heaters in the state by 2017. Freshman Assemblyman Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael), formerly a senior attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council, authored four of the seven bills signed by the governor in a ceremony at Cal/EPA headquarters. Two days later, Gov. Schwarzenegger vetoed three bills (AB 35, AB 888 and AB 1058), which would have established green building standards and best practices for state, residential and commercial buildings.

Here’s an overview of the signed bills, courtesy of the governor’s office:

* AB 662 by Assemblymember Ira Ruskin (D-Redwood City), expands the authority of the California Energy Commission to set water efficiency standards for appliances.

* AB 1103 by Assemblymember Lori Saldaña (D-San Diego), requires electric utilities to maintain records of energy consumption data for all non-residential buildings to which they provide service and requires building owners or operators to provide benchmarking data to prospective buyers, lessees or lenders beginning January 1, 2010.

* AB 1109 by Huffman, enacts the California Lighting Efficiency and Toxics Reduction Act, which prohibits the manufacturing for sale or the sale of certain general purpose lights that contain hazardous substances. In addition, the bill requires the California Energy Commission to adopt energy efficiency standards for all general purpose lights.

* AB 1406 by Huffman, adds condominiums to the meaning of “structure” with respect to the use of recycled water for toilet and urinal flushing.

* AB 1470 by Huffman, creates the Solar Water Heating and Efficiency Act of 2007, which provides incentives to attain the goal of installing 200,000 solar water heating systems in the state by 2017 (e-Newswire, 5/16/07).

* AB 1481 by Assemblymember Hector De La Torre (D-South Gate), creates a uniform, statewide permitting process for landscape irrigation uses of recycled water, such as parks, playgrounds and golf courses, by requiring the State Water Resources Control Board to adopt a statewide general water quality permit.

* AB 1560 by Huffman, requires the California Energy Commission to incorporate standards for water efficiency and conservation into the existing building standards governing energy efficiency.

• Read background
• Read more: Updates on and summaries of 2007-2008 California energy legislation, Energy Policy Initiatives Center, University of San Diego School of Law
• Read more: “Environment California Report Promotes Solar Water Heaters; Assembly Bill Goal: 200,000 Systems by 2017” (e-Newswire, 5/16/07)

The California Energy Commission’s draft 2007 Integrated Energy Policy Report (IEPR), released on October 2, recommends the development of a feed-in tariff to boost the delivery of renewable energy and legislation to create more far-reaching energy efficiency programs. The report found that even though peak demand is growing at 850 megawatts (MW) annually, the electricity sector can exceed its expected greenhouse gas reduction goals under AB 32 if utilities aggressively pursue energy efficiency and renewable energy. To jumpstart the renewables sector, the report recommends a renewable energy feed-in tariff that would guarantee a long-term minimum price for facilities of up to 20 MW. The state’s investor-owned utilities (IOUs) have all contracted enough renewable energy to meet their 20% by 2010 mandate, but actual delivery of power from renewables, as a percentage of sales, has declined in recent years. Because the IOUs missed their 2006 energy efficiency targets (PG&E achieved 700 of 800 gigawatt-hours (GWh) in savings; SDG&E about 100 of 300 GWh; and SCE about 600 of 900 GWh), the IEPR recommends legislation to make up for a “dearth of new program ideas” from the utilities. Among the recommended legislative remedies are bills that would require energy audits for buildings and efficiency improvements at the time of sale; zero net-energy homes and commercial buildings by 2010 and 2020 respectively; more stringent appliance efficiency standards; and “white tags,” or tradable energy efficiency credits (e-Newswire, 5/17/06).

• Read the draft 2007 Integrated Energy Policy Report, California Energy Commission, October 2007 (PDF, 3.5 MB)
• Read more: “CEC Draft Report Recommends Feed-In Tariffs, More Efficiency,” By Chris Raphael, California Energy Markets (10/12/07) (subscription required)
• Read more: “CPUC Proposal Would Require ‘Zero Net Energy’ Buildings, Urges Utilities to Develop Unified Statewide Efficiency Plan” (e-Newswire, 10/03/07)
• Read more: “Tradable Energy Efficiency Credits Coming to U.S.” (e-Newswire, 5/17/06)

San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed (Photo: Office of Mayor Chuck Reed)

San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed recently unveiled a 10-point “Green Vision” calling for a 50% reduction in per capita energy use and a switch to 100% renewable energy sources. Currently, only 13% of San Jose’s energy comes from renewables; California’s goal is 20% by 2010. Reed also calls for the construction or retrofit of 50-million-sq.-ft. of green building space — 22 times the city’s current inventory of green building space. In addition, Reed envisions adding 25,000 new clean-tech jobs, mostly in the solar industry, replacing incandescent light bulbs in the city’s 58,185 streetlights with solar-powered LEDs, converting waste to energy and recycling or reusing 100% of San Jose’s wastewater (the city currently converts none of its waste to energy and only recycles about 10% of its wastewater). Reed says San Jose should account for 100,000 of the 1 million solar roofs the governor envisions for California, and he wants all city-owned buildings on solar power by 2022.

• Read San Jose’s Green Vision (PDF, 158 KB)
• Read “San Jose Mayor Unveils Green Vision,” By Matt Nauman, San Jose Mercury News (10/05/07) (registration required)
• Read Flex Your Power’s best practices guide, Cutting Costs With Energy Efficiency and Conservation: A Guide for Local Government Agencies

Contra Costa County Courthouse (Photo: Office of Congressman George Miller)

With funding from an $180,000 loan from the California Energy Commission, Contra Costa County will install new energy-efficient lighting systems at eight of its county buildings. This retrofit is estimated to save about 297,092 kilowatt-hours, or $41,593 in avoided energy costs, annually, and reduce its electric demand by 93.4 kilowatts. The county will replace old T12 and T8 lights with new low-power factor electronic ballasts and T8 lamps that use about 25% less energy. Additionally, exits signs will now be lit by LEDs instead of incandescent and compact fluorescent light bulbs, and standard metal halide lamps will be replaced with lower-wattage pulse-start models. After Pacific Gas and Electric Company rebate, the project has an estimated payback of 4.3 years. The county loan was from the California Energy Commission’s Energy Efficiency Financing program, which offers California schools, hospitals and local governments loans of up to $3 million, with rates as low as 3.95%, for energy saving projects. For more information, visit the CEC’s Energy Efficiency Financing page or call (916) 654-4147.

• Energy Efficiency Financing through the California Energy Commission
• Read more: “LED Lighting to Save City of Alhambra $90,000 Annually” (e-Newswire, 8/22/07)
• Read Flex Your Power’s best practices guide, Cutting Costs With Energy Efficiency and Conservation: A Guide for Local Government Agencies

(Graphic: PG&E)

In what is being called the largest month-long promotion of energy-saving light bulbs of its kind, this October Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) is giving away 1 million compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) to customers in its service territory. PG&E purchased the bulbs below retail cost — paying $1.25 each — with funds designated for energy efficiency. More than 1,000 PG&E employee volunteers, with help from partners such as the Sierra Club and Lights Out San Francisco (see story above or here; Power Plug, 10/03/07), will give the CFLs away at over 300 events in northern and central California throughout the month. The utility estimates the giveaway will save 400,000 megawatt-hours of electricity, the equivalent of lighting 60,000 homes in Northern California for a year. The savings will also prevent the emission of 200,000 tons of greenhouse gases.

Energy-efficient CFLs have caught on around the nation. Wal-Mart’s “Change a Light, Change the World” program has surpassed its goal to sell 100 million CFLs by the end of 2007 three months early, creating a potential savings of $3 billion dollars on electric bills and preventing the emission of 20 million tons of greenhouse gases.

• Read background
• Read more: “PG&E Giving Away 1 Million Energy-Saving Lightbulbs,” Reuters (10/05/07)
• Read more about Wal-Mart’s “Change a Light, Change the World” program
• Read more: “Lights Out San Francisco: Fight Climate Change With the Flip of a Switch” (Power Plug, 10/03/07)
• Find rebates, incentives and services for the residential sector

CPUC Commissioner Dian Grueneich presents Jack Holt (left) and Christopher Cumming of Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems with an Energy Efficiency Award at the 5th Annual Flex Your Power Awards (Photo: Flex Your Power)

Raytheon challenged its enterprise energy team to cut 2006 electricity consumption by 10%, and they responded by delivering over 11,000,000 kilowatt-hours of energy savings, $1.5 million in cost savings and over 9 million pounds of CO₂ reductions. The company organized the effort carefully and ran it through a core energy team, 300 employee energy champions, and maintenance and infrastructure teams. These teams, with help from Southern California Edison incentives, completed major upgrades to the HVAC system, replaced 80,000 light bulbs, upgraded lighting controls and improved the efficiency of motors and other systems. Raytheon has spread the efficiency message to all its employees and has been a leader in the state through its commitment to the California Energy Pledge, the EPA Climate Leaders program and as a 2007 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year. Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems was the recipient of an Energy Efficiency Award in the 5th Annual Flex Your Power Awards.

• Read background
• Energy efficiency resources for the industrial sector
• View the winners of the 5th Annual Flex Your Power Awards

Fresno Unified School District (FUSD) recently completed a large retrofit project in 984 portable classrooms at 84 school sites expected to save the District $400,000 in electricity costs annually. In about 12,000 fixtures, four T12 fluorescent lamps were replaced with two second-generation, 32-watt T8 fluorescent lamps, and added to each were a high-efficiency electronic ballast, and new lamp sockets, reflector and lens. Electrical load in these rooms has been reduced by 61%, or 2,763,000 kilowatt-hours annually; light level readings, meanwhile, have improved by up to 60%, improving the learning environment. FUSD contracted Resource Solutions Group to perform the retrofit under the School Energy Efficiency Program. After nearly $320,000 in rebates, FUSD’s payback should be about 1.4 years, according to FUSD’s Frank DiLiddo.

School districts wanting to replicate FUSD’s efforts now have some extra help from the State of California. The Department of General Services recently announced that its Office of Public School Construction (OPSC) will begin awarding $100 million in High Performance Incentive Grants to California schools for more energy and resource efficient “green” classrooms. California voters approved this measure last year as part of Proposition 1D. The program will promote the use of high-performance features in new construction and renovations of K-12 schools. Grants will fund designs and materials that promote energy and water efficiency, maximize natural lighting, encourage the use of recycled materials and materials that emit a minimum of toxic substances, and improve indoor air quality and acoustics to help the teaching and learning process.

• Read about the School Energy Efficiency Program
• Read more about High Performance Incentive Grants for California schools
• Read more about linear fluorescent lamps
• Read more: “Study Shows That Building Green Saves Schools $100,000 a Year” (e-Newswire, 11/15/06)
• Energy efficiency resources for schools and Flex Your Power’s best practices guide for local governments