Statewide LG EE Best Practices: Weekly Update

1.  Proposed Decision on Energy Efficiency Portfolio for 2016 and Beyond

Administrative Law Judge Edmister’s Proposed Decision Re:  Energy Efficiency Goals for 2016 and Beyond, Energy Efficiency Rolling Portfolio Mechanics, and Guidance for Changes to 2016 Energy Efficiency Program Portfolios.  The full text of this decision is made available through the link provided below. 

http://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/SearchRes.aspx?docformat=ALL&docid=154225993

In the event of problems with this e-mail or internet link, please contact Shonta Bryant-Floyd at sbf@cpuc.ca.gov, telephone # 415-703-5242.

2.  AB 2188 Ordinance Adoption

The Solar Permitting Efficiency Act, signed into law by Governor Brown in September 2014, requires California cities and counties to adopt an ordinance that creates an expedited solar permitting process by September 30, 2015. The Solar Permitting Efficiency Act modified specific statutes that compose the Solar Rights Act and requires cities and counties to substantially conform their streamlined permitting process to recommendations contained in the current version of Spring 2015 Second Edition of this Guidebook lays out a safe, standardized, and streamlined permitting process for small residential photovoltaic (PV) and solar water heating systems (SWH) that can be adopted by most local governments with only minor changes to reflect local requirements.

To support local governments in achieving the ambitious goals set by the Solar Permitting Efficiency Act, the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR) has been working to remove barriers that constrain expansion of small-scale renewables. The Solar Permitting Guidebook is an important step toward this goal. The Guidebook explains current requirements for small residential solar PV and SWH installations, describes key steps in the permitting process, and recommends ways to improve local permitting. It also includes several template documents that local governments can customize for their own use to improve permitting. The Guidebook can also provide useful information to solar contractors and property owners.

Please visit the OPR webpage to view the Solar Permitting Guidebook, download editable Toolkit documents, and find additional information and resources related to solar and renewable energy. For more information, please contact Carolyn Angius at Carolyn.Angius@OPR.CA.GOV.

3.  Google tool to Help Install Solar Rooftop Panels

A team of Google engineers just released a tool called Project Sunroof to handle those concerns and more. They adapted the high-resolution aerial maps from Google Earth to estimate the total sunlight a rooftop receives throughout the year. The tool then tells you how much you can expect to save with solar panels under different financing plans (you can plug in your current electric bill for a more refined calculation) and connects you with local companies that do installations.  The tool covers limited communities at this point, but will be expanded in the future.

And that is all for this week!  

Statewide LG EE Best Practices: Weekly Update

For those of you who know who Joseph Oldham is you likely are on his email distribution list and receive this update each week.  We are grateful that Joseph has agreed to allow our little blog to re-post his weekly update.  If you have an interest in the happenings of energy efficiency and local government throughout California this is the update for you! 

1.   New Interactive Map Tracks Climate Investments in California

A great resource for presentations and discussions with our state partners about the successes and challenges of these various funding programs.  To use the map, go here: www.ClimateInvestmentMap.CA.Gov

2.  Public Meeting August 26, 2015 - California Energy Commission Drought Response: Water Energy Technology Program - Pomona

California Energy Commission staff will conduct a public meeting to receive input on the Water Energy Technology (WET) Program Phase 2 (commercial, industrial, and residential sectors) and Phase 3 (desalination) on:

Wednesday, August 26, 2015
Beginning at 10:00 a.m.
Kellogg West Conference Center
Cal Poly Pomona
3801 West Temple Avenue Bldg #76
Pomona, CA 91768
http://www.kelloggwest.org/kw-directions.aspx

Please go to Front Desk upon arrival for free parking pass or print pass from https://event.gg/1465-ca-energy-commission.

Pass must be displayed in vehicle. (Wheelchair Accessible)

Remote Access Available by Computer or Phone via WebEx

Presentations and audio from the meeting will be broadcast via our WebEx web meeting service. For additional details on how to participate via WebEx, please see the notice at: https://efiling.energy.ca.gov/Lists/DocketLog.aspx?docketnumber=15-WATER-01

Computer Log on with a Direct Phone Number:

- Please go to https://energy.webex.com and enter the unique meeting number 920 388 034.

- When prompted, enter your information and the following meeting password meeting@10 . (Please note that password is case sensitive.)

For more information: http://www.energy.ca.gov/wet/documents/index.html#07022015
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3.  Cities Focus on Transportation, Buildings for Energy Goals

Good article about how various cities across the nation are focusing on reducing their energy use.  To read the report, go here:  http://www.energymanagertoday.com/cities-focus-transportation-buildings-energy-goals-0114490/

4.  City of Berkeley is Seeking Energy Accounting Software Information

Neal DeSnoo with the City of Berkeley is looking for information about what accounting software cities use to do internal interdepartmental billing of energy costs.  If you have a software system that works well, please contact Neal directly at: ndesnoo@ci.berkeley.ca.us

And that is all for this week! 

How Do You "Green" Your Dorm?

Here in the next few weeks freshman and college students will be moving into their dorm rooms anticipating the start of their college adventure. Parents and their kids have now spent a lot of time in stores looking for what is needed for the dorm room, but two questions still linger...did I buy too much and do I really need it?

But lets back up and start with the basics of college dorms. The standard dorm room is around 228 square feet. How in the world can we spend so much time searching for the right items to bring and buy? Maybe we should be looking at minimizing clutter and going "green" this time around. It might just save parents and kids a lot of money and stress.   

"Greening" of dorm rooms is becoming a very large trend in the larger universities within the United States. Many common items that you would buy for a dorm room come in a "green" form. Those items can include: organic sheets, bed set, biodegradable laundry detergent and cleaning products. 

Besides the many items that come in "green" form schools are actually taking it one step further. Schools are now tailoring dorms to those that would like to live in a sustainable environment. Such universities as Duke, Brown and Stanford have paved the way on this initiative. Duke University set's up a green dorm room for visual teaching during the summer months when prospective students are visiting the campus. These new dorms feature LED lighting, smart power strips, energy efficient appliances and drying racks. Some universities have even go so far as to place composting toilets and geothermal heating in dorm rooms.

After universities starting converting dorm rooms to be more sustainable students thought it may be a good idea to continue the green theme and have a green dorm checklist. For this green dorm checklist each student would go through their daily behaviors and check the boxes that applied. Once it was completed they would discuss the habits with a Dorm Eco-Rep and see where they can improve. 

Some universities have shared their energy saving statistics so we would like to share them with you and show how the dorms are making a difference. 

• 20% Estimated reduction in energy use at Stanford's green dorms.
• 968,073 Pounds of CO2 Tulane could save annually by creating green dorms across the whole campus.
• 30% Estimated reduction in energy and water at Tufts University green dorm room building.

Green dorms may not be for everyone and the universities know that, but if you are an eco fan and heading to college do some online searching. You may be very surprised that the university you are interested in has a green dorm building.

Statewide LG EE Best Practices: Weekly Update

1.  Linear, Low-Bay/High-Bay LEDs Have Greatest Market Potential

For those interested in and following lighting technology, this article with results from a study completed by Navigant Research should be useful.  To read the article, go here:  http://www.energymanagertoday.com/linear-low-bayhigh-bay-leds-greatest-market-potential-0114446/

2.  August 28 DAWG workshop on AAEE for the Demand Forecast

CPUC staff and the Demand Analysis Working Group (DAWG) will be hosting an Energy Savings Subgroup workshop to discuss the incorporation of Additional Achievable Energy Efficiency (AAEE) into the CA Energy Commission’s Demand Forecast and Integrated Energy Policy Report.

The agenda and all other information regarding the workshop is as follows:
August 28, 2015 @ California Public Utilities Commission, 10am-1:15pm
Agenda:  Additional Achievable Energy Efficiency (AAEE)

For additional details including dial-in, webinar, agenda and meeting documents, click: http://demandanalysisworkinggroup.org/?p=2466
For any questions, [please contact Aaron Lu, at aaron.lu@cpuc.ca.gov.

3.  EnergyPro 6.7 Approved For 2013 Nonresidential Performance Compliance

EnergyPro 6.7, using the simplified geometry two-dimensional (2D) option of the CBECC-COM API, is approved as an alternative calculation method for demonstrating performance compliance with the nonresidential provisions of the 2013 California Building Energy Efficiency Standards.

EnergyPro 6.6 shall continue to be valid for demonstrating compliance with the nonresidential provisions of the 2013 California Building Energy Efficiency Standards.  All permit applications submitted on or after August 17, 2015, must use either EnergyPro 6.6 or 6.7.   EnergyPro 6.5 will expire and may not be used for permit applications submitted on or after August 17, 2015.

All approved computer compliance programs can be viewed at: http://www.energy.ca.gov/title24/2013standards/2013_computer_prog_list.html.

For more information: http://www.energy.ca.gov/title24/2013standards/2013_computer_prog_list.html#nonres
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And that is all for this week!  

Workshop Opportunity: Water Loss Control

Learn more about understanding water balance and the AWWA water audit. The workshop will outline how to calculate volumes of water balance, system audit data requirements and validation.

Tulare Contractor Training Invitation

Calling all contractors who work in Madera and Tulare Counties!

Are you frustrated when you propose an energy upgrade but your customers have no way to finance it? We may have a solution!

The California Hub for Energy Efficiency Financing (CHEEF) is launching the Residential Energy Efficiency Loan Assistance Program (REEL) aimed at providing attractive unsecured financing options to help residential customers complete more energy efficient projects.

SJVCEO's New Blog

Just a reminder that SJVCEO has switched to our new blog site. Make sure you go check it out today! 

http://sjvceo.squarespace.com/cleanenergynews/

Sign-Up For Our New Blog!

SJVCEO has switched its blog hosting to a newer site. Make sure that you sign up today for our news and updates. These can be emailed directly to you!

Our Blog Has Moved!

A notice to all over our Clean Energy News followers. Our blog has just moved over to our website. You can read all of our stories by CLICKING HERE. We hope that you will sign up with your email address to get the most up to date information from SJVCEO.

Statewide LG EE Best Practices: Weekly Update

For those of you who know who Joseph Oldham is you likely are on his email distribution list and receive this update each week.  We are grateful that Joseph has agreed to allow our little blog to re-post his weekly update.  If you have an interest in the happenings of energy efficiency and local government throughout California this is the update for you! 

1.  Request for Comments on Draft Solicitation, The EPIC Challenge: Accelerating the Deployment of Advanced Energy Communities

The California Energy Commission is developing a competitive grant solicitation for the development and deployment of Advanced Energy Communities. The Energy Commission is seeking input from interested stakeholders on aspects of the draft solicitation.

Please submit comments by August 14, 2015 to Marija Krapcevich at Marija.Krapcevich@energy.ca.gov. The notice requesting public comment is available on our web site at; http://www.energy.ca.gov/research/notices/index.html#epic_challenge_aec

For more information: http://www.energy.ca.gov/research/notices/index.html#epic_challenge_aec

(If link above doesn't work, please copy entire link into your web browser's URL)

2.  TWO DRAFT REPORTS ON TO-CODE SAVINGS

Two reports, prepared under contracts with PG&E, have been posted to the CPUC’s EE Public Document’s Area for public comment:

1)  A report entitled “To-Code Savings Project”, which was prepared by EnerNOC

a.  PG&E will accept comments on the EnerNOC document until Monday, August 10, 2015

2)  A report entitled “PG&E Analytics Enabled Code Baseline Study”, which was prepared by FirstFuel

a.  PG&E will accept comments on the FirstFuel document until Tuesday, August 18, 2015. 

To locate the document and to comment, please:

1. Visit the CPUC's EE Public Documents area: http://www.energydataweb.com/cpuc/home.aspx

2. Select the "Search" tab on the upper left and use the “Search Text” option to locate this document by key title words;

3. Locate the document on the resulting list;

4. Click "view" to download the document or "comment" to post your public comment[s]. The authors will consider all posted comments.

A joint webinar will be hosted to present the key findings from the EnerNOC and FirstFuel studies via webinar on Tuesday, August 4, 2015 from 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. PDT.

The agenda is:

·      PG&E will provide a very brief overview of the two study approaches (10 min)

·      EnerNOC will present its study (30 minutes for presentation and up to 25 minutes for questions)

·      FirstFuel will present its study (30 minutes for presentation and up to 25 minutes for questions)

Webinar and conference line details are below:

Webinar and Conference Line:

1.  Please join my meeting, August 4, 2015 at 2 PM PDT.

https://pge.webex.com/pge/j.php?MTID=me71e760e0f773ac3003ec2a4dbd0be14

2.  Join the conference call:
Call-in toll-free number: 1-866-6527690  (US)

Call-in number: 1-216-4047281  (US)

Show global numbers: https://www.tcconline.com/offSite/OffSiteController.jpf?cc=1402347176

Conference Code: 140 234 7176

Meeting ID: 747 435 474

Can't join the meeting? Contact support here:  https://pge.webex.com/pge/mc

Please contact Luke Nickerman (luke.nickerman@pge.com) or David Sawaya (david.sawaya@pge.com) at PG&E if you have any questions.

3.  Request for Sample Ordinances

Delia Bense-Kang is an energy intern working for the City of Arcata.  Arcata is working on adopting an energy benchmarking and/or time of sale ordinance for commercial properties that goes beyond AB1103.  Delia is looking for sample ordinances.  If you have such an ordinance and can share it, please contact Delia directly at dede1bk@gmail.com .

4.  Direct Current Powers Building

It always interests me how sometimes what was thought to be “old school” and outdated can come back into vogue.  Case in point is Direct Current, or DC power.  Over 100 years ago, at the beginning of building electrification, DC power was lighting the earliest buildings to be electrified.  It was replaced by AC power as the main form of electricity for buildings because AC current could be transmitted easier over long distances and remote central power plants were determined to be the future of electrification.  Go to the link and read how that is now changing in Colorado: http://www.energymanagertoday.com/direct-current-powers-building-0114185/

And that is all for this week