case study – California Climate and Energy Collaborative

Video: Oakland and Richmond on Bringing the Message of COP21 Home to California Communities

July 5, 2016

bay area, best practices, case study, EE municipal programs, energy efficiency, environmental justice, green buiding, Local Governments in Action, renewables/DERs, SEEC, solar, stakeholder engagement, weekly updates

Hear from the Cities of Oakland and Richmond on their experience visiting Paris during the COP21 Climate Conference in December 2015, specific examples on their leadership on energy and climate in their communities, and advice for local governments looking to (more…)

Video: Beacon Program Award Winner San Carlos Shares its Energy and Sustainability Best Practices

June 20, 2016

Sarina Soor

best practices, case study, climate change, EE community programs, energy efficiency, Local Governments in Action, SEEC

In the below video, Beacon Program Award-Winning City of San Carlos shares its strategy and best practices that have allowed the City to save energy and greenhouse gas emissions in its municipal operations, and in the community. For more information on the SEEC Collaborative’s Beacon Program, visit the Institute for Local Government’s website.

Case Studies: Bringing the Benefits of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy to Low-Income Communities

June 6, 2016

Sarina Soor

affordable housing, best practices, case study, energy efficiency, environmental justice, multi-family, renewables/DERs, residential, solar, underserved communities, USEPA, webinars, weekly updates

EPA’s State and Local Climate and Energy Program is developing a series of case studies and program profiles to help officials in state and local energy, environmental, housing, and social services agencies, non-profits, and utilities understand promising practices and (more…)

Engaging the Community: emPower Program Case Studies

May 5, 2016

Sarina Soor

case study, central coast, EE community programs, Local Governments in Action

Case studies are a great way to engage the community and show the value of participating in energy efficiency and sustainability programs. The Central Coast’s emPower Program‘s case studies on its website help communicate the value of EE program participation, who else is participating, and how to participate.

U.S. Department of Energy Releases Energy Data Accelerator Resources Toolkit

April 4, 2016

Sarina Soor

benchmarking, best practices, building controls & analytics, buildings, case study, energy data, USDOE

Announced late last week, the new toolkit is a set of case studies and best practices developed in partnership with cities and utilities nationally. Per DOE’s press release, the toolkit (more…)

ACEEE Shows Energy Efficiency Leads: Bill Gates Interview Follow Up, and Clean Power Plan Solutions

February 26, 2016

Sarina Soor

ACEEE, best practices, case study, energy efficiency, new technologies, renewables/DERs

ACEEE released some interesting stories this week. The first is a response to Bill Gates’s interview in The Atlantic, in which he again shares that we need innovation, not just insulation. While new technology developments are absolutely critical, ACEEE points out that energy efficiency has provided foundational benefits on its own, and will continue to…

ZNE Case Studies Available at New Buildings Institute: Features include San Francisco’s Exploratorium, San Diego offices, San Leandro ZNE Training Center

December 29, 2015

Sarina Soor

best practices, buildings, case study, energy efficiency, Local Governments in Action, new technologies, renewables/DERs, solar, training, zero net energy (ZNE)

Looking to learn more about zero net energy (ZNE) best practices? The New Buildings Institute has released a number of case studies describing zero net energy retrofits and development from across the continent. California buildings are prominently featured, and include: San Francisco’s Exploratorium, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) building, offices on San Diego’s…

Efficiency and Resiliency Case Study: Blue Lake Rancheria Tribe

December 9, 2015

Sarina Soor

best practices, buildings, case study, climate action plans, commercial, demand response, energy efficiency, Local Governments in Action, microgrid, northern california, northern coast, renewables/DERs, residential, underserved communities, water energy nexus

Learn in this Climate.gov case study how Northern California’s Blue Lake Rancheria Tribe is leading on climate change mitigation, energy efficiency and renewables, and community resiliency – including their work to: conduct strategic climate action planning activities; build an energy-efficient hotel; install an innovative biomass-gasification-fuel cell system that turns biomass into electricity; install solar on…

Case Study: Camarillo Municipal Savings Success Story

November 9, 2015

Sarina Soor

best practices, building controls & analytics, case study, cost-effectiveness, EE municipal programs, energy efficiency, Energy Management System (EMS), ESCOs, HVAC, lighting, Local Governments in Action, renewables/DERs, solar

Outlined in its Energy Action Plan, the City of Camarillo has established a municipal energy reduction goal of 10% relative to 2008, by 2020. The City recently completed a ten year Energy Performance Contract that resulted in savings of over 15 million (more…)

ACEEE Oct 2015 Report: Enhancing Community Resilience through Energy Efficiency

November 8, 2015

Sarina Soor

ACEEE, best practices, case study, commercial, energy efficiency, publications, residential, resiliency, transportation

Many cities and municipalities lack the resources to prepare for and respond to threats like extreme weather, economic volatility, and aging infrastructure. Energy systems are particularly vulnerable because of their interactions with other systems (more…)

Deep Energy Retrofits Using Energy Savings Performance Contracts (ESPCs): Success Stories Show 58% Average Energy Savings

August 31, 2015

Sarina Soor

best practices, building controls & analytics, building envelope, buildings, case study, cost-effectiveness, demand management, demand response, electric vehicles, energy efficiency, ESCOs, HVAC, lighting, new technologies, publications, renewables/DERs, retro-commissioning, solar, stakeholder engagement, water energy nexus, zero net energy (ZNE)

Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI)’s new paper, Deep Energy Retrofits Using Energy Savings Performance Contracts (ESPCs) looks at the model of using long-term performance contracting to avoid upfront capital costs and tie payment to verification of energy and cost savings. The paper covers the following best practices, and then shares case studies of seven federal building…

Strategic Planning Best Practices from Sonoma County – Video

June 30, 2015

Sarina Soor

bay area, best practices, case study, climate action plans, climate change, community leaders, EE programs, Local Governments in Action, northern california, stakeholder engagement, strategic planning

Learn how to dovetail your energy efficiency and sustainability strategic planning and programming with the needs and the values of your community from EE leaders in Sonoma County:

California’s First Zero Net Energy Library Completes First Year of Operation, Generates More Energy than it Uses

February 18, 2015

Sarina Soor

best practices, buildings, case study, EE municipal programs, energy efficiency, evaluation, Local Governments in Action, measurement & verification, zero net energy (ZNE)

In its first year of operation Berkeley Public Library’s West Branch produced more energy than it used– leading to official certification as the first “net zero” library in the state and only the third municipal building of its kind in the nation. The International (more…)

Case Study: Solar and Energy Efficiency in Oakland

January 11, 2015

Sarina Soor

best practices, case study, EE municipal programs, energy efficiency, lighting, Local Governments in Action, renewables/DERs, solar

Learn in this case study from SunPower about municipal solar and energy efficiency investments made by the City of Oakland: Oakland recognizes the need to implement sustainable strategies that ensure both the long-term economic health and the environmental quality of its community. By leveraging one of California’s most abundant resources, sunshine, Oakland made the decision…

Community Water Management Case Study: City of Roseville

November 11, 2014

Sarina Soor

best practices, case study, EE community programs, energy efficiency, Local Governments in Action, northern california, residential, water energy nexus

Read best practices and lessons learned from the City of Roseville as they worked to engage residents using a water management platform from the company WaterSmart to achieve state-mandated water savings in a region where water is perceived as plentiful.