There has never been a better time to help out and be recognized.
Email Martha, call 310.371.7222, x 209 or complete our volunteer application and submit by email or fax. You can make a huge difference!
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To read the South Bay Cities Council of Governments' latest edition of its newsletter, South Bay Watch, click here |
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Program Manager's Message |
Energy Upgrade California has officially launched the Energy Champions program in Los Angeles County. This is a fabulous way for local community-based organizations to raise money and encourage their homeowners to make their homes more energy efficient at the same time! Nonprofit and faith-based organizations, K-12 public AND private schools, homeowners associations, and South Bay chambers of commerce are all invited to apply.
As an Energy Champion, an organization will receive $500 for each homeowner whom they introduce to the Energy Upgrade program and completes a home energy upgrade, and then watch those dollars build up!
If you have any questions, please be sure to call us at (310) 371-7222. Enjoy the rest of your summer, and by the way, have YOU called a participating contractor yet?
- Marilyn Lyon,
Program Manager
[email protected]
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Energy Upgrade California
Summer Bonus Deadline Looming
September 5 is the deadline to reserve your $2,000 rebate from Los Angeles County for your Energy Upgrade California project. You must take the first step TODAY and call a contractor to start talking about the kinds of energy saving projects your home needs. Go to www.energyupgradeca.org/lacounty for a list of qualified, participating contractors.
If you want to go even further and get your home "Green Point Rated", you may qualify for up to an additional $1,000 rebate.
Home Energy Makeover Contest - Brown Family Closeup
Meet Lisa Brown, a real estate professional who just completed the $10,000 Energy Upgrade she won for her 1,700 square foot home. Built in 1951, the home was costing Ms. Brown approximately $2,465 a year for electricity and gas. In an effort to reduce her bills and improve the home's appearance, she recently replaced all of the windows. But the bills didn't decrease. Why?
Financing options are now available.
LA County has launched a financing program to deliver special financing for property owners doing energy upgrades to their homes through Energy Upgrade California in LA County. In partnership with lenders, the program will provide loans at lower interest rates.
To be eligible, property owners must receive an incentive reservation from the SCE and/or SoCalGas Energy Upgrade Whole Home Rebate Program. Coverage includes those customers that receive full or partial rebates from the Energy Upgrade California Whole Home Rebate Program sponsored by SCE and/or SoCalGas.
The program is expected to provide loans from $2,500 to $15,000 with fixed interest rates below 9% and loans from $15,001 to $50,000 at a significantly lower fixed interest rate. There is a 680 FICO minimum requirement for property owner eligibility.
Click here for more information on the finance option.
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Southern California Edison
Lamp Exchange JUST DAYS AWAY!
Bring up to 10 old lamps per day to the two day lamp exchange in the parking lot of the Forum in Inglewood THIS WEEKEND, August 27-28 and exchange them for new, free, energy efficient ones. The event starts at 8:00 am on Saturday morning, and SCE is expecting record crowds, so plan to arrive early. Shopping carts will be provided to help you manage your lamps. Your old lamps must be in working condition with their current light bulbs in the sockets, but please leave the lamp shades home!
Click here for Lamp Exchange Flyer
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The Gas Company
Smart Meters Are Coming!
Southern California Gas Company is upgrading their metering system by adding a wirelsss communication device to all residential and most business natural gas meters. This advanced metering technology will automatically read and transmit customers' gas usage information to the Gas Company Customer Service and Billing Center. The benefits to customers are all good!
Click Here for More Information on Gas Company Smart Meters
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West Basin Municipal Water District
Water Reliability 2020 - Speakers Available
If your club, community organization or group needs a speaker to round out a program, please give SBESC a call at (310) 371-7222, x 206, and we can arrange for an expert to give a 30 minute presentation on Water Reliability 2020, and how each person can contribute to the effort to reduce dependence on less reliable imported water to coastal LA from 66% all the way down to 33% by the year 2020. Remember, every drop counts.
An Ocean Friendly Garden Workshop has been scheduled in Redondo Beach on September 10 at the Wilderness Park. What a great place to have a workshop. Check out the September Events section below for more information.
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Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County
Where Does Your Wastewater Go?
Have you ever wondered what happens to your wastewater? Find out on this FREE tour! Visit the Joint Water Pollution Control Plant, owned and operated by the Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County. The tour will be held on Saturday, August 27 from 9 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. at the Joint Water Pollution Control Plant, located at 24501 S. Figueroa Street, Carson, 90745. Ages 7 and up are welcome.
Click here for a Tour flyer
Sanitation Districts Partnering with Manhattan Beach's Grades of Green
Skip the ziplock, recycle your milk carton, and please compost that banana peel. That's the lesson the Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County wants to teach area school children this year. On August 17 the agency announced that it will partner with Grades of Green, a Manhattan Beach-based non-profit group, to conduct its first "Trash Free Lunch Challenge." The contest will divert thousands of bags of trash from area landfills and save schools thousands of dollars in supplies and trash hauler fees.
Any school within the Sanitation Districts' service area is eligible to participate. The first qualified 10 schools to register will receive an Eco Starter Kit worth more than $1,500 from Grades of Green.
For more information and to register your school, click here for Grades of Green.
Source: Sanitation Districts - Press Release
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L.A. Metro
Vanpools are Business-Friendly
- Free assistance to start one
- Subsidy of up to $400 a month
- Gets your employees to work on time
- Employees arrive less stressed and ready to work
- A happy employee is a productive employee
- Save on payroll taxes when vanpoolers pay with pre-tax dollars
- Vanpools solve parking problems, reduce traffic congestion and ease parking space shortages
To schedule a Vanpool meeting at your business, or if you would like a copy of a beautiful brochure that says all of the above and more, call SBESC at (310) 371-7222 and ask for either Martha or Grace.
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City of Torrance
Saving Water in Torrance
The City of Torrance is in the process of completing restroom retrofits in most city -owned buildings to reduce water usage. Upon completion, approximately 300 older high water using toilets and 80 urinals will be replaced. The project is funded by ARRA stimulus dollars, outside sources, including the Metropolitan Water District, and other funding.
In addition, over the last three years the City has replaced approximately 2,000 older inefficient toilets with high efficiency toilets (HET) for a number of customers in the city including; small businesses, institutions, hotels / motels and multi-family complexes, through a number of partnership conservation programs with the West Basin Municipal Water District, the Water Replenishment District, and the Metropolitan Water District.
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SEED House Event a Huge Success
Homeowners / Contractors Mixer on August 20
Homeowners had the chance to talk to contractors face to face on Saturday, August 20 about the Energy Upgrade Program at the Southbay Energy Efficient Demonstration House in Lennox. They learned about air sealing, attic insulation, duct sealing, hot water pipe insulation, combustion appliance safety testing, and how they can qualify for generous rebates from LA County and the utilities to help pay for these improvements. In addition they were treated to complimentary food from gourmet food trucks brought in just for the occasion.
Click here for some pictures of the event.
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Volunteer Spotlight
Ty Carter
Volunteer Tyrone Carter is a local home grown guy who spent many years here in the South Bay area and attended El Camino College, where he was the football team's most outstanding defensive back and team captain in the 80's.
Click Here to Learn More About Ty
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Two Title 24 Workshops in September
ICC Continuing Education Credits are Available
SBESC is excited to be hosting two FREE Residential Energy Code trainings for plan checkers, building inspectors, and anyone whose job is about Title 24 compliance and preparing compliance paperwork for submittal. In other words, the focus of the workshops is Title 24 as it applies to the jobs of Plans Examiners and Building Inspectors and the forms they need to have and why.
The trainings are delivered by SCE and the California Statewide Codes and Standards team. The program is funded by California utility customers under the auspices of the California Public Utilities Commission.
Architects who wish to attend this training need to know it is not eligible for AIA CEU's.
The workshops will be held on September 8 in El Segundo, and September 15 in Redondo Beach. To register, click the hyperlink in the attached flyers. HURRY - seats are filling up!
El Segundo September 8 Flyer
Redondo Beach September 15 Flyer
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Become An Energy Champion
Are you interested in raising money for your organization while helping reduce energy use?
Energy Upgrade California in Los Angeles County has launched the Energy Champions program to help community-based organizations raise money by encouraging homeowners in their communities to make their homes more energy efficient. An Energy Champion organization can receive $500 for each homeowner they introduce to the Energy Upgrade program who completes a home energy upgrade.
The Energy Champions program is currently accepting applications from nonprofit and faith-based organizations, K-12 public and private schools, homeowner associations, and chambers of commerce located within Los Angeles County. If your organization is interested in bringing important information to the community and raising funds at the same time, please apply at www.EnergyUpgradeCA.org/LAChampions or call 800-439-9339
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August Events
Southern California Edison Lamp Exchange
Saturday and Sunday, August 27-28, 2011
8:00am - 1:00pm
The Forum Parking Lot
3900 West Manchester Boulevard, Inglewood
Click Here for Lamp Exchange Flyer
Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County
FREE Tour - Joint Water Pollution Control Plant
Saturday, August 27, 2011
9:00 - 10:30am
24501 S. Figueroa, Carson
Click Here for an Event Flyer
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September Events
SBESC office will be closed Monday, September 5
FREE Tour of Sanitation Districts' Bixby Marshland
Saturday, September 3, 2011
8:00am - 12:00pm
First Saturday of Every Month
Near the intersection of Figueroa & Sepulveda in Carson
Click Here For More Bixby Marshland Information
West Basin Municipal Water District
FREE Tour of Edward C. Little Water Recycling Facility
Saturday, September 10, 2011
9:30 - 11:30am
Second Saturday of Every Month
1935 Hughes Way, El Segundo
To reserve a spot, call (310) 660-6200
West Basin Municipal Water District
Ocean Friendly Garden Workshop
Saturday, September 10, 2011
10:00am - 1:00pm
Wilderness Park
1102 Camino Real, Redondo Beach
Click Here to Register for OFG Workshop on September 10
City of Carson Sanitation Districts Household Hazardous Waste Roundup Saturday, September 17, 2011 9:00am - 3:00pm Joint Water Pollution Control Plant West Maintenance Building Parking Lot 24501 South Figueroa Street Click here for a map to the Carson HHW
Whole House Energy Upgrades for Remodeling Workshop
South Bay Adult School
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
7:00 - 9:00pm
Mira Costa High School, Room 36
701 S. Peck, Manhattan Beach
Click Here to Register for September 20 Workshop
City of Manhattan Beach Moving Planet South Bay
Saturday, September 24, 2011
8:00am - 2:00pm
13th St. Between N. Valley & Morningside, Manhattan Beach
A fun, family-friendly celebration of a more bikeable, walkable and liveable Beach Cities presented by: City of Manhattan Beach, South Bay Bicycle Coalition, Transition South Bay LA, Healthways Blue Zones / Vitality City, South Bay 350 Climate Action Group
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