SJVCEO Monthly Update

Our SJVCEO team continues to master the art of energy efficiency within our participating jurisdictions and put projects into motion. Each day we come to work with a new scope of work to tackle to save others dollars and energy, and enjoy every minute of it!

                A few of our team members have completed hands on training for integrated demand side management. This course was presented by Southern California Edison and was centered on response programs that can benefit municipality’s utility bills. The presenter also discussed distributed generation and energy storage technologies. The demand response historical data is currently being incorporated into the project tracking database that SJVCEO is creating for its municipalities and utility partners.

                Lastly, a few of our team members attended the California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley Summit. 

Sarah Farell, our program administrator (and head of our Seattle office) was in town to attend the California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley annual summit. This event provided an opportunity for individuals, local governments, educational institutions, and businesses alike to share currents about the Valley as well as potential and up-and-coming events and projects in industries such as agriculture, water, housing, workforce development, energy, transportation, health care, and education. The event also celebrates the work of a variety of groups. This year, a “kudos” award went to the co-chairs of the San Joaquin Valley Electric Vehicle Partnership, Jeannie Lam of Nissan North America and Terry O’Day of NRG eVgo. This Partnership was set up through the WIB RICO grant by its Action Team which includes the SJVCEO, Fresno State Office of Community and Economic Development, the San Joaquin Valley Clean Cities Coalition, Kern Community College District, and the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District.

As we move into the month of October our team is ramping up for all ten of our community outreach events. During these events our team goes out into the community and shows residence how easy it is to become energy efficient and save! Also, we have some great giveaway items that draw in the crowds and in return they walk away with a bit of energy knowledge. Stay tuned to the SJVCEO and VIEW website to see what upcoming events may be taking place in your neighborhood.

                With the mention of the website, that leads us to a very exciting update on our website work. SJVCEO and the VIEW partnership will be receiving a website an update this year. We will be rolling out both of our websites in the coming months, so stay tuned. All of us here at SJVCEO are very excited and we hope that you are too!

Stay tuned for next month’s update on what the SJVCEO team has been up to!

               

                

Energy Use Tracking Now at Your Fingertips

Tracking your energy usage in the past has been a pain for many home owners and business owners alike. Now in 2014 there are many options available for download on your smartphone. Having your energy usage at your fingertips can make it easy to see when and how you can conserve and SAVE!

Most applications offered are compatible with iPhone and Android operating systems. Most of all they are generally FREE! We have done some investigating and found the top 5 ranking energy tracking/efficiency apps available today. (Note: these apps are not listed in ranking order)

1.      Kill-Ur-Watts

This app allows you to track your monthly energy usage month-to-month as well as show you what your carbon footprint may be. The app will also make recommendations for how to conserve energy based on your energy usage.

2.      Energy Cost Calculator

This app lets you put in the wattage information of your appliances so that you gain a clear picture of what it costs to operate them. The cost is based on watts, hours of use and the cost of electricity in your area.

3.      VELObill

This app works as a dashboard of energy usage for the consumer. It will give you insight into where your energy consumption is coming from and how you rank compared to your neighbors. This app goes beyond the others and allows you to measure water and natural gas usage if you have those as well.On top of it all the app will help you identify trouble areas and propose ways to reduce your overall utility bill.

4.      Electrify

This app has a main focus on energy efficient home improvements and lowering monthly utility bills. It will provide you with a range of calculators and guides that will help reduce your energy consumption and energy loss.

5.      Leafully

This app will allow you to see your energy use habits and alert you when your usage is out of the ordinary. It also allows you to see how many trees it will take to offset your carbon footprint.

Advanced Transportation RICO Grant Overview

The California Workforce Investment Board and the California Energy Commission are working with the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency to fund the AB 118 Regional Industry Clusters of Opportunity (RICO) grant program. If you’re unaware of Assembly Bill 118, it created an ARFV (Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle) technologies program that funds innovative fuel and vehicle technology projects so that California’s climate goals can be met.

I know that was all a mouthful, but consider this: the RICO grant program will develop and implement ways to strengthen local economies and build the alternative fuel and vehicle workforce in California.

What does that mean and who cares, you ask? Well, transportation fuels account for 38% of greenhouse gas emissions in California. So if we build the ARFV industry, we’ll find cleaner, more efficient ways to transport goods and people. To design and manufacture these new methods of transportation, we’ll need skilled engineers, chemists, machinists, salespersons, etc. Hello new, expanded workforce! And hello stronger economies!

Photo Source: http://www.energy.ca.gov/

The San Joaquin Valley has been taking charge when it comes to developing new alternative fuels and new fuel production methods. For example, an old beet sugar plant in Mendota is making a comeback with a new output. Instead of converting sugar beets into various forms of sugar, a team of farmers are using a state grant to turn beets into ethanol. The demo plant is set to start production early next year and, if it’s successful, a commercial plant will follow in 2016-2017. Production at both would use local beets and run all year long.

The SJVCEO’s role is to promote and generate focus on this grant program through education and outreach. Now that we are nearly a year into this grant process, we have found several industry employers all over the Valley interested in our efforts. We launched a CNG Partnership, a Biofuels Partnership and an EV Partnership. While the EV Partnership has had the most success, we are still dedicated to expanding the efforts of all ARFV industry employers throughout the Valley. Our air is so polluted and we contribute to it daily with how much we all individually drive, it has only become necessary to bring alternative and renewable fuels and vehicles to this region.

Keep an eye out for press releases about Partnership meetings and join us! We hope to see you and hear from you about our efforts and how we can expand this industry in the Valley.

SJVCEO Monthly Update - What Have We Been Up To?

Over the past month our new SJVCEO team has been on the move and pushing forward! Our team members have been learning the new technologies our utility partners are rolling out, gearing up for community events as well as moving forward with some of our grant extensions.

Our team has completed the Energy Insight training with one of our utility partners; PG&E. Energy Insight will allow our team members to have a clear picture of where our energy efficiency projects stand with our outside contractors and PG&E. This database allows our members to follow projects from cradle to grave to make sure our customers are fully satisfied.

With October being energy awareness month we are gearing up for our community outreach events. These community outreach events allow the SJVCEO team to get out into the community and show how easy and affordable it is to make energy efficiency updates. We hope you will stay tuned to the SJVCEO website as well as social media sites, twitter and facebook, for upcoming events.

SJVCEO along with the other SJV Action Team Members – Fresno State Office of Community and Economic Development (OCED), San Joaquin Valley Clean Cities Coalition (SJVCCC), San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District (SJVAPCD), and the Kern Community College District (KCCD) – for the Workforce Investment Board Regional Industry Clusters of Opportunity (WIB RICO) grant have received an extension of funding to continue supporting and expanding the Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology (ARFVT) industry in the Valley. We have created two new Valley-based Partnerships to support this effort; the CNG Partnership and EV Partnership have gained interest from dealerships, fueling and charging station manufacturers and deployment, automotive repair establishments, school districts, etc. Our goal is to clean up the Valley’s air, cut down on GHG emissions from transportation, build a more extensive and sustainable network of alternative fueling stations, and educate the Valley’s residents about the importance and benefits of owning and/or using a cleaner vehicle.

SJVCEO is conducting preliminary research on developing a Cool Roof Policy in the Valley. The Valley suffers from Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect, which contributes to poorer air quality, quality of life, life expectancy, and a higher demand for cooling capabilities. Introducing a Cool Roof Ordinance could decrease cooling costs in the summer, improve air quality and decrease number of health issues related to excessive heat. In addition, a Cool Roof Ordinance could include measures such as cool playgrounds and parking lots, which would extend people’s abilities to stay outside and enjoy outdoor activities thus improving their quality of life in the Valley.

          

Lastly, SJVCEO is continuously developing a project tracking database. This database will provide a centralized location of data from multiple sources including Energy Star Portfolio Manager and the Utilities Program Management. Current plans of the database will be ready to share at the Local Government Commission for Central California in Paso Robles on October 10th.

Stay tuned for next month’s update on what the SJVCEO team has been up to!