Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Delano kicks off plan to green its downtown core


The City of Delano kicked off its Green Downtown District plan last week with a promise to assist businesses in its eight-block downtown core with saving energy.

Delano plans to use money from its Energy Efficiency Conservarion Block Grant to encourage business and building owners to install lighting, air conditioning and other energy efficiency retrofits.

"We're here tonight to encourage you to become part of our program," said Maribel Reyna, Delano economic & redevelopment director, last Thursday. "Kind of lets you know what can be done to help."

Reyna said Southern California Edison can provide energy auditing, a process that identifies outdated lighting and heating and cooling systems and what to replace them with. Savings can be as much as 35 percent.

About 30 people attended the event. Jack Sherman, a Southern California Edison instructor from the utility's CTAC energy center in Irwindale, served up an explanation of available rebates from his employer. He also explained what can be done to save energy and kilowatt hours annually at his workshop, which followed introductions and comments about the importance of promoting energy savings from Rudy Salas, a staffer of Sen. Dean Florez, D-Shafter.

Sherman explained the differences between styles of lighting, for instance offering this bit of wisdom about mercury vapor: "They're the least efficient light."

A better option? Induction, LED or compact fluorescent lighting.

The San Joaquin Valley Clean Energy Organization is a nonprofit dedicated to improving our region's quality of life by increasing its production and use of clean and alternative energy. The SJVCEO works with cities and counties and public and private organizations to demonstrate the benefits of energy efficiency and renewable energy throughout the eight-county region of the San Joaquin Valley.

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