www.theenergynetwork.com                                      April 2016
Local Mom Saved by Combining Home Upgrade & HERO!



Shirl Pope and her family live in a 1609-sq ft home in Palmdale that is 20 years old. She recently completed energy efficiency upgrades to her home using rebates from The Energy Network as well as financing through the HERO program. Her upgrades included a new AC unit, a new furnace, a gas on-demand water heater, and attic insulation with a thermal barrier.

Shirl recently spoke with The Energy Network about her experience with the upgrade process and the differences she has noticed in her home since the upgrades were installed. This is what Shirl had to say about her experience:
 
"My house is 20 years old and I knew that some of the energy features were wearing out and needed replacement. I had been having problems with my AC system, so when I began hearing commercials about the HERO program on the radio, I called them to see if that would be a good option for me.

I'm a single mom so I had to be careful about costs and wondered if I could afford everything that needed to be done.

I was given a list of Participating Contractors and talked to several of them before choosing Russ Gallo and his team at Anco Design & Build. Russ put me at ease and made me feel like I would not be cheated. We talked about the upgrades my home needed and the rebates that were available for them through Home Upgrade.

It was great that the Home Upgrade rebate reduced the cost of the whole job for me by $3,000."

In her testimonial, Shirl mentions one of The Energy Network's Participating Contractors, Anco Design & Build, who worked on her upgrades. In order to receive a Home Upgrade rebate, all work must be performed by a Home Upgrade Participating Contractor such as Anco Design & Build. For more information on Anco Design & Build, you may visit their website, or find a Participating Contractor near you at http://tenres.com/findacontractor.

The Energy Network Attends USGBC's MGBCE


The Energy Network recently exhibited at U.S. Green Building Council's Municipal Green Building Conference & Expo (MGBCE) on Thursday, April 21.
 
The MGBCE is hosted annually by the Los Angeles Chapter of the USGBC and Southern California Gas Company and brings together thought leaders in the industry with local government agencies, municipal policy makers, policy implementers, leading architects, and building industry professionals to further the development of a sustainable future for Southern California.


The Energy Network staff sharing case studies of enrolled agencies during MGBCE

Staff from The Energy Network Public Agency Program attended the event to promote the Program and build awareness by sharing case studies and best practices as part of the Program's marketing and outreach efforts. In addition, The Energy Network shared a presentation during an afternoon session titled Roadmap for Policy Change: Changing our Relationship to Water.
 
To learn more, access the MGBCE press release here or contact 1-855-700-NETWORK or email us at info@theenergynetwork.com.
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.

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. 


 
 
Featured Project:
 Customized Services for Special Districts



"Without the support of The Energy Network, The Port of Hueneme, Oxnard District would not have had the staff time or the technical resources to implement the 3 projects currently underway"

-Kristin Decas, CEO & Port Director
The Port of Hueneme, Oxnard Harbor District

The Port of Hueneme, Oxnard Harbor District (Port) is a public agency and niche market port by design and function, providing specialized services that support global commerce. The Port supports the transport of over $7 billion in cargo, generates $1.1 billion in economic impact -- providing more than 10,200 direct, indirect, induced and influenced jobs regionally.

As a special district enrolled in The Energy Network, the Port represents an agency which typically does not benefit from enhanced services since local utilities classify the Port as a commercial customer. This classification reduces the amount of incentives available and does not recognize that as a public agency, the Port has a very different process for approving and funding projects of any kind. To get support that is tailored to the needs of a special district, The Port of Hueneme joined The Energy Network in 2014 to rely on the program to identify, develop, and implement energy efficiency projects at their facilities.

The Energy Network worked alongside the Port to complete an agency-wide audit of all interior and exterior lights and mechanical systems. Moreover, because of The Energy Network's activities, the Port recognized the need to have several of their main facilities (leased to commercial interests) audited as well.

After The Energy Network completed the audit, the Port moved forward with three of the recommended projects -- two lighting and one mechanical. The lighting projects focused on retrofitting fixtures from current technologies (linear fluorescent, incandescent, Metal Halide and High Pressure Sodium) to LED, resulting in improved lighting quality in most of the primary work areas -- areas that are frequently utilized during nighttime hours. The mechanical project focused on replacing HVAC systems that were identified as long overdue.

To date, one lighting project is complete and is in the final stages of utility review. Captured savings for this project will result in approximately 300,000 kWh in energy savings and approximately $50,000 of annual cost savings from energy and maintenance combined. The second lighting project is still in the development stage while the mechanical project is scheduled to be completed by June and will provide an energy savings of approximately 10,000 kWh with a cost savings of approximately $2,000 annually.

To find learn more about the projects at The Port of Hueneme or to find out how your agency can save energy and save money, or to enroll in The Energy Network's Public Agency Program, please contact 1-855-700-NETWORK or email us at