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SoCal Agencies Save Big on LED Streetlights 
Fast, transparent and cost effective - The Energy Network's turnkey project delivery services are bringing expedited street lighting upgrades to Southern California public agencies.
Replacing high-pressure sodium or metal halide streetlights with light-emitting diode (LEDs) means big benefits for public agencies who own their streetlights. LEDs consume 50-70% less energy than traditional streetlights - and this energy savings translates to reduced operating costs, less maintenance, lower emissions and eligibility for utility rebates. In addition to cost and energy savings, a city's constituents benefit from the increased safety and improved visibility that LED streetlight upgrades bring to neighborhood streets.
Fourteen public agencies enrolled in The Energy Network program are utilizing the program's many street lighting specific services to achieve measurable success. For example, in need of funding, inventory analysis, specification advice and support navigating and securing utility incentives, the Cities of San Bernardino and Arcadia enlisted The Energy Network to provide a cost-effective, fast and turnkey approach to their streetlight retrofit projects. To meet these needs, The Energy Network's experts collaborated with SCE, leveraged local resources, provided technical support and applied for incentives and On-Bill Financing (OBF) to provide customized support to each city.
The City of San Bernardino is now on its way to retrofit 389 streetlights on three major streets that cross multiple council districts. These upgrades will achieve an annual savings of approximately 250,000 kWh and earn $40,000 in incentives from SCE, reserving nearly $200,000 in OBF to fund this work. Once the first phase of upgrades is completed, the city plans to begin a second phase project which would include up to 7,000 city-owned streetlights by leveraging OBF. Additionally, the City of Arcadia received a green light from SCE for $321,491 of reserved funding in OBF and $60,972 in incentives.This funding will allow the City to prepare for the retrofit of 810 cobraheads achieving approximately 435,521 kWh savings annually.
To learn more about The Energy Network's successes in San Bernardino and Arcadia, as well as additional benefits of enrolling in the program contact Molly Drobnick. |
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LA County Releases RFP for Residential PACE Administrator
On August 12, 2014 the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors directed staff to prepare and release a Request for Proposals (RFP) for an administrator(s) to launch and manage their residential Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) Financing Program. The Board specifically directed staff to create an incentive for administrators to increase the number of water saving measures financed through the program.
On August 26, 2014, Los Angeles County released a Request for Proposal (RFP) to begin the open and competitive process for hiring an administrator(s) to launch and manage the County's residential (PACE) Financing Program. PACE is a financing option available to Los Angeles County property owners to fund on-site energy efficiency, renewable energy and water-saving improvements that enhance a building's value while lowering greenhouse gas emissions and creating jobs. PACE is a unique financing tool that allows LA County to issue a bond to a lender, which secures funding for the construction of an energy upgrade. Property owners then repay their financing twice a year through a voluntary assessment on their property tax bill.
In May 2010, The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved the formation of the LA County PACE assessment district and the launch of both commercial and residential PACE Programs. In July 2010, however, the residential PACE program was placed on hold due to FHFA statements that PACE programs present safety and soundness concerns to the mortgage portfolios held by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the Federal Mortgage Agencies.
Despite these objections from the FHFA, residential PACE programs continue to operate in California and have been successful in attracting property owners. To date, residential PACE Programs in California have provided funding for approximately 12,500 residential projects totaling $261.7 million with a typical PACE project saving a homeowner an average of $1800 per year on their energy bill.
LA County plans to launch a successful county-wide residential PACE program in early 2015. To participate, a city within Los Angeles County needs to pass a resolution opting into the program. Eighty of the County's cities have already passed a resolution to participate and are actively engaged in the Commercial PACE Program. Once the residential PACE program is launched, residents in those cities may also participate in the residential PACE program without any further action from their city.
Los Angeles County's Commercial PACE Program has been in operation since 2012 and began initiating loans for commercial properties in 2013. Thus far, it has funded $14.1 million in commercial energy upgrade projects with an additional $176 million in projects in the pipeline. For more information on LA County's Commercial PACE Financing Program, please visit www.lapace.org. |
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Coachella Valley: Targeting the Hot Spots
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Homeowners learned about the Whole House approach in Palm Springs, August 2014.
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The Coachella Valley is known for its Palm Springs resorts and mid-century architecture. However, it's also home to more than 300,000 residents, 108° F summers, and houses built before we understood the importance of insulation. That's why The Energy Network has been hosting residential workshops in the area - empowering homeowners to improve the energy efficiency and comfort of their homes.
The Energy Network held four homeowner workshops across the area during August, including Palm Springs, Cathedral City, Palm Desert City, and Rancho Mirage. Homeowners in targeted neighborhoods were invited to attend and learn about basic building science improvements and money-saving resources to make their homes more comfortable. All workshops kicked off with an opening presentation from Palm Desert's "organic architect" Eric Corey Freed. The workshop then discussed Energy Upgrade CaliforniaŽ Home Upgrade rebates and incentives and traditional financing options, as well as local Ygrene PACE financing information.
In addition, The Energy Network has been simultaneously engaging potential Home Upgrade contractors in the Coachella Valley area, complementing the ongoing outreach done by the utilities. By increasing the number of Participating Contractors, Home Upgrade will become available to even more homeowners.
If your city is interested in having The Energy Network host a homeowner workshop in your community, please call us
About The
Energy Network
The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) authorized The Energy Network to serve public agencies and their constituencies throughout Southern California.
The Energy Network's mission is to harness the collective action of public agencies and their constituents and to help them save energy by providing needed resources and technical expertise. The pilot phase is funded through the end of 2014.
This Program is administered by the County of Los Angeles and funded by California utility ratepayers under the auspices of the California Public Utilities Commission.
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