California Climate & Energy Collaborative

New Study: Cool Roofs’ Effect on Urban Heat Island in Chicago

As shared by EurekAlert.org, a new study has reviewed the potential for cool roofs and green roofs to reduce urban heat island effect and improve air quality in the City of Chicago. Read below for highlights, or visit EurekAlert.org here. (more…)

Cool Roofs Fact Sheet from Los Angeles DWP

LADWP has released a fact sheet on cool roofs, sharing incentives offered in LADWP territory. Click here for the LADWP cool roofs fact sheet. For more information on Los Angeles’s cool roofs ordinance, click here or here.

Los Angeles Unanimously Passes Ordinance Requiring Cool Roofs

Read below or get more coverage from ThinkProgress here or LADWP News here. “On Tuesday the Los Angeles City Council unanimously passed a building code update that will require all new and refurbished homes to have cool roofs, which use sunlight-reflecting materials. Los Angeles is the first major city to require such a measure, which…

Urban Heat: Can White Roofs Help Cool World’s Warming Cities?

“It has long been known that installing white roofs helps reduce heat buildup in cities. But new research indicates that making surfaces more light-reflecting can have a significant impact on lowering extreme temperatures – not just in cities, but in rural areas as well.” Click here to read more from Yale Environment 360.

Urban Heat: Can white roofs help cool world’s warming cities?

“The systematic replacement of dark surfaces with white could lower heat wave maximum temperatures by 2 degrees Celsius or more. And with climate change and continued urbanization set to intensify “urban heat islands,” the case for such aggressive local geoengineering to maintain our cool grows. The meteorological phenomenon of the urban heat island has been…

A California startup that cools with ice raises $40 million

“Ice Energy, based in Costa Mesa, California, makes refrigerator-sized systems that freeze water at night when electricity prices are low and uses it to provide cooling during the day when rates are higher. They’re installed on the roofs of commercial buildings and connected to air conditioning systems. When switched on, they cut down on buildings’…

How Does a Roof Quality as Cool Roof?

Installation of a “cool roof” can be a great way to reflect sunlight rather than having a building absorb it, thereby reducing a building’s thermal load, saving energy, money, improving building comfort, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. To provide guidance on what it takes for a roof to be considered a cool roof, the CEC has…

Cool Roof Design Brief Available

A cool roof design brief is available on PG&E’s website, produced by Energy Design Resources. Click here to access the brief and learn about what qualifies as a cool roof, and what the benefits are – including lower thermal burden, savings in building conditioning, and credits and incentives. For more on cool roofs, click here.

What does Local Government action on energy efficiency look like?

Develop an energy efficiency, sustainability, or climate action plan: A plan is a power tool to transparently set goals, get the many stakeholders of energy projects on the same page, optimize project selection, and check baselines to ensure you can measure project success. Follow the strategic planning or climate action plan links for more resources covering…

Resource Archive

The Best Practices Coordinator has gathered a number of climate and energy resources useful to local governments. Below is an archive of the different resources available.Energy Efficiency 101Coordinator and Utility ReportsEnergy Efficiency Strategic PlanProceedings, Decisions, and LegislationPublicationsTrainingsTransportationOther ResourcesEnergy Efficiency 101 New to local government energy efficiency, and looking for some information to get started? See…

Past Forum Resources

The California Climate & Energy Forum (previously the Annual Statewide Energy Efficiency Best Practices Forum) has been held since 2010. Resources, including videos, powerpoints, and notes from previous forums can be found below. 20222021202020192018201720162015201420132012201120102022 13th Annual CCEC Forum September 21 – 22, 2022 | San Diego, CA 2022 Forum Theme: Accelerating Climate Action & Advancing…

Energy Efficiency 101

New to local government energy efficiency, and looking for some information to get started? See information in the four main categories below – or, check out some of the new, highlighted resources. Highlighted Resources: Energy Efficiency 101 Presentations (SEEC Forum Workshop): Why Energy Efficiency? Motivating factors, data, and case studies Policies Driving Energy Efficiency: EE Policy…

Local Government Action on the EE Strategic Plan

Below are the California Energy Efficiency Strategic Plan’s 5 overarching goals for local governments. Scroll below to see examples of local government activities that support these goals, and additional resources and best practices. Goal #1: Going Beyond Code. Local governments lead adoption and implementation of “reach” codes stronger than Title 24, on both mandatory basis and voluntary…

CURRENTS: Preparing for the 2016 Building Energy Efficiency Standards (Title 24 Part 6) – New Resources, and Ways to Leverage the Standards for Local Goals

The adoption of the 2016 Building Energy Efficiency Standards for Residential and Nonresidential Buildings by the California Energy Commission created some exciting and unprecedented new opportunities for energy savings. As an example: single-family homes built following the 2016 standards will use 28% less energy compared to those built to the 2013 standards. Per California Energy…