Dollars and Cents: One Riverside School District Saves Money by Updating Lighting Systems
The Riverside Unified School District, located east of Los Angeles beside the Santa Ana River, was one of the first to apply for energy-efficient funding through the California Clean Energy Jobs Act (Proposition 39).
At three of the
district’s schools, old lighting systems were replaced with more environmentally-friendly
energy saving lighting. This summer, their energy-efficiency building retrofits
will continue with upgraded heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems.
“The projected energy-
cost savings from the lighting upgrades alone, which have already been
completed, is nearly $25,000 annually,” said Orin Williams, Riverside Unified
School District director of maintenance and operations. “We are so pleased to
use energy-efficient technology to lessen the impact on the environment while
saving the district much needed funds. Right now, we are finishing the second
year submission, which will cover seven schools.”
Voter approved Proposition 39 changed the way
corporations calculate their tax loads, resulting in additional revenue, and
directs these funds towards energy-efficiency retrofit projects in California
K-12 school and Community College buildings. By creating an Energy Expenditure
Plan, school districts can apply online and work with the California Energy Commission to
fund energy efficient projects that will reduce operating costs and make a
positive impact for students, faculty members and the environment.
“We believe that every district should do its part to conserve our state’s valuable resources,” said Williams. “We will lead by example and hopefully other districts will also take advantage of Proposition 39 funds.”
“We believe that every district should do its part to conserve our state’s valuable resources,” said Williams. “We will lead by example and hopefully other districts will also take advantage of Proposition 39 funds.”
Riverside Unified School District received $1.99 million for the 2013-14 fiscal year. The district used nearly $600,000 for planning purposes and $1.05 million to complete their lighting and HVAC projects. Each year for five years the district will receive allocations, which are set by the California Department of Education. The district has the option to apply each year or for multi-year funding.
To help schools
through the application process, the Energy Commission developed easy-to-use
energy savings calculator tools for simple energy projects and has a team of
engineers and energy specialists to review and approve Energy Expenditure Plans.
Schools can access these online resources on our website and get advice by calling the toll-free
hotline at (855) 380-8722.
$9 Million in Grants Available to Train Building Efficiency Workforce
The California Energy Commission will award up to $9 million to create a workforce trained in advanced technologies and strategies for making new and existing buildings more energy efficient.
The Energy Commission is soliciting applications to provide up to $4.5 million for training on the installation of advanced energy efficiency measures and construction practices in new home construction projects. Up to $4.5 million will be awarded to provide training to install advanced energy efficiency measures in existing buildings located in disadvantaged communities.
These funding opportunities are available to individuals and public and private entities except for publicly owned utilities. Applications must be received by 3 p.m., June 4, and match funding of at least 50 percent is required for each application.
To connect and partner with other potential applicants on this or other funding opportunities, visit the California Energy Commission Networking Hub on LinkedIn.
For questions about the solicitation, contact Crystal Presley-Willis, at (916)-654-5067 or Crystal.Presley-Willis@energy.ca.gov.
Projects Converting Waste to Electricity Will Lead to Cleaner Air
The California Energy Commission recently approved grants for nine projects that will generate clean energy, reduce carbon emissions that lead to pollution and help us meet our goal of deriving half of the state’s electricity from renewable sources by 2030. Nearly $21 million in grants will develop technology to convert organic, municipal and landfill waste into electricity in nine municipalities.
Several projects convert organic waste into biogas through digesters, which process waste similar to the way a cow’s stomach digests food. Biogas can be used as a clean energy option for the state’s electricity grid. Digesters are planned in Redwood City, San Bernardino County, Riverside, and in Irvine. Furthermore, Biogas & Electric in Palm Springs received a grant to develop an innovative biogas-fired engine at a waste water treatment center that will decrease air pollution from exhaust streams.
Also approved were funds for SoCal Gas to convert dairy manure in Brawley into low-carbon renewable gas using only solar power and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in the Bay Area for their work on clean energy technology. The Laboratory’s projects include a smart charging control system for electric vehicles in Alameda County, a San Jose installation of a photovoltaic storage system for net-zero energy capabilities, and research to convert waste in San Jose into electricity through anaerobic digestion.
Energy Commission Adopts Standards for Water Appliances
Due to the severity of California’s drought, the state’s experts have been managing water resources to deal with the effects of the drought and prepare for the next one. As part of the solution, the California Energy Commission approved standards for water appliances which will save more than 10 billion gallons of water in the first year. Over time, the water savings is estimated to reach 105 billion gallons per year – a savings of more than three times the annual amount of water used by the City of San Francisco.
Listen to some highlights below, in both English and Spanish, from California Energy Commissioner Andrew McAllister, who is the Energy Commission's lead on energy efficiency.
Click here to view the full press release.
Click here to view frequently asked questions.