City of Chula Vista 2014 ENERGY CHAMPION – LOCAL GOVERNMENT
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Annual Savings: 936,970 kWh SDG&E® Incentives: $476,299 Highlights “ As a city on the leading edge of energy efficiency, we’ve been able to take our successful programs and policies, package them, and share them with our neighboring cities. This is a way for us to give back.“ BRENDAN REED, ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCE MANAGER, CITY OF CHULA VISTA
• Comprehensive Climate Action Plan
• Adaptive street light controls pilot
• Participation in energy-efficiency collaboratives
• Small business energy evaluations
• Energy-efficient home showcases
• Mandatory reach codes to exceed Title 24 standards
A green city and a great neighbor The City of Chula Vista has been at the forefront of sustainability since publishing its first Climate Action Plan in 2000. Just recently, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognized the City’s impactful efforts with the prestigious Climate Leadership Award. Focusing on more than just its own efficiency, today, the City is actively reaching out to neighboring cities and regional groups to share its energy efficiency best practices. Working with SDG&E® as part of the Local Government Partnership program, the City has been instrumental in creating the South Bay Energy Action Collaborative and the San Diego Regional Climate Collaborative to foster peer-to-peer sharing about energy savings. Explains Brendan Reed, Environmental Resource Manager for the City of Chula Vista, “Beyond increasing our efficiency, we want to share what we have learned with other cities that may not have the same scale or staffing.” (continued on back)
The City of Chula Vista offers residents more opportunities for sustainable living by making electric vehicle charging stations available throughout the city.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• About the City of Chula Vista The second largest city in San Diego County, Chula Vista is at the center of one of the most culturally diverse and richest economic zones in the country. Serving a population of 250,000 residents and 13,000 businesses, futurefocused planning is the hallmark of the City’s development. A special Conservation Section in the Public Works Department coordinates energy
low-res
efficiency and climate action planning across all departments to reduce energy and water use at municipal facilities and throughout the community.
(continued from front)
Sharing sustainability success The City has found new ways to bring progressive, costeffective approaches to energy efficiency to its residents. By working with the City’s Affordable Housing Division as part of a program that purchases distressed single-family homes and sells them to low-income families for below-market value, the Conservation Section of the Public Works Department has integrated sustainable energy improvements into the retrofit process. These homes are then opened up to showcase energy efficiency, solar energy, and water-conserving landscaping to the community. Ultimately, the families that purchase get to reap the advantages of a more efficient home.
Seeing energy efficiency in a new light With most of its streetlights already converted to LEDs or induction, the City of Chula Vista is looking for new ways to save on lighting. Working with SDG&E, the City of San Diego, and the UC Davis Lighting Center, the City is testing adaptive streetlight controls that dim street lighting in the middle of the night to save energy, and evaluating different brightness levels to find the best balance of savings and safety. “The City of Chula Vista is truly leading the industry in streetlight innovations,” comments SDG&E Account Manager Dinah Willier.
Setting an energy savings example The City of Chula Vista uses its own operations to lead by
“This gives the City a bar for measuring future reductions. Plus, we hope that if we participate, our businesses will, as well.” The City helps small businesses do their part, too, by including a free energy evaluation as part of its business licensing process. This results in up to 800 assessments performed each year, and approximately 60% of those businesses implementing at least one recommendation. Add to this the fact that the City of Chula Vista is the only city in the SDG&E service area with mandatory reach codes that require new construction or major renovations to exceed California’s Title 24 Energy Efficiency Standards by 15-20%, and the City’s profound commitment to sustainability is abundantly clear.
More efforts, more advantages From making Electric Vehicle (EV) charging stations available on public sites to a Cool Roof ordinance, the City continues to set the sustainability bar higher. While the annual savings of 936,970 kWh and SDG&E incentives of $476,299 are impressive, it is the degree to which conservation has been integrated at every level by its multi-department energy management team that most sets the City apart. “We have institutionalized the value of energy efficiency into our city structure and operations,” says Reed. “Sustainability is simply part of the way the City of Chula Vista does business.”
example and gives others opportunities to do their part. One of
For more information
its most ambitious programs is the greenhouse gas emission
To learn which SDG&E program is right for your
inventory it performs to benchmark its Climate Action Plan
business, contact your SDG&E Account Executive, call
through the Cool Planet program. Gordon Day, Building Project Manager for the City of Chula Vista elaborates,
the Energy Savings Center at: 1-800-644-6133 or email businessenergysavings@sdge.com.
These programs are funded by California utility customers and administered by SDG&E® under the auspices of the California Public Utilities Commission. Rebates and incentives are provided on a first-come, first-served basis until program funds are no longer available.
P.O. Box 129831 | San Diego, CA 92112-9831 | Connect at sdge.com ©2014 San Diego Gas & Electric Company. All trademarks belong to their respective owners. All rights reserved. Some materials used under license, with all rights reserved by licensor. S1440004–PH 0514