SCHOOLS EDITION: Your guide to energy efficiency and water conservation news and trainings in San Mateo County  
Welcome, New Readers!
SMC Energy Watch logo For the school board members, superintendents, chief business officers, and facilities directors receiving this newsletter for the first time, welcome to the new  San Mateo County Energy Watch newsletter for schools! SMC Energy Watch is a partnership between PG&E and the City/County Association of Governments of San Mateo County (C/CAG) to provide energy efficiency services for schools and other customers. (You may have heard of C/CAG because they provide the funding for Safe Routes to Schools programs in San Mateo County.) 
 
How is SMC Energy Watch helping schools in the county save energy? Since 2013, we've been partnering with the San Mateo County Office of Education to assist public K-12 schools (click here for more details). We're currently helping districts navigate the process of preparing expenditure plans for Prop. 39 funding to implement energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. We've also helped public and private K-12 schools and preschools improve their lighting quality and slash their utility bills through our turnkey lighting program.
 
What can you expect from our monthly newsletter? We plan to keep you up-to-date on Prop. 39, changes from the California Energy Commission, opportunities to learn more about resource conservation strategies, and ways SMC Energy Watch can assist you. Our goal is to help you access the wide variety of energy- and water-saving programs and resources that are available, share best practices and case studies, and help schools learn from each other.
 
SMC Energy Watch would love to hear your feedback on what you'd like to see in our newsletter. Please contact SMC Energy Watch Coordinator Susan Wright at (650-599-1403) with any questions or feedback.  
Need help gaining momentum with Prop. 39? 
solar_panels_3.jpg Think you have plenty of time to plan how you'll spend your Prop. 39 funding? Think again: By the end of 2015, we'll be halfway through the Prop. 39 program. The time to start planning your Prop. 39 projects is now!
 
If you need help getting momentum, contact SMC Energy Watch at (650) 599-1403. We have many new programs and resources to help you, including support with Expenditure Plan development and no-cost retro-commissioning driven by analysis of PG&E smart meter data.  
 
Update: Water Audit & Retrofit Pilot Program
SMC Energy Watch and the Bay Area Water Supply & Conservation Agency (BAWSCA) are collaborating on a pilot program to provide water audits to schools and find resources to fund retrofits.

So far, we have conducted our first water audit at Ralston Middle School in Belmont, and are compiling a report for the Belmont Redwood Shores School District. We are looking for an elementary school and high school to take part in the pilot. Please contact Susan Wright at 650-599-1403 if you think a school in your district has good opportunity for water savings.

The data generated from the pilot will be used to refine a full-scale water audit and retrofit program for San Mateo County's school districts and their corresponding water agencies.
Get Your Classrooms Green Certified
Do you have teachers who incorporate environmental themes and project based learning into their classroom curriculum? If so, they may have an opportunity to certify their classrooms as being "green" through the Green Star Schools program. 

San Mateo County RecycleWorks and Alameda County's StopWaste have created an interactive website for showcasing what students and teachers are doing to "green" their schools. 

Click here for more information about this program, or sign up for RecycleWorks' email listserve for periodic updates to this program. 
How You Can Support Safe Routes to Schools 
Want to reduce traffic congestion during drop-off and pickup and help your students walk or bike to school safely? Here's how to get your school's very own "Safe Routes to School" program started: 
  • Safe Walk Route Maps: Schools can provide up-to-date recommended safe walking routes for parents and children within one mile of the school. School officials can work with their safety council and city engineers to define these routes and identify needs for sidewalks or crosswalks.
  • Encourage Champions: Parents and community members can take the lead on championing Walk to School Day events in October. Check out these resources and recommendations from the Safe Routes to School National Partnership.
  • Safe Drop-Off Areas: Clearly define areas where children are safe to walk from road to school, and encourage drivers to model yielding at crosswalks. Older students trained as valet helpers can help.
  • Nearby Drop-Off: Partner with a nearby location, such as a church parking lot, where parents can park and walk children the rest of the way to school. These walk-sites can be a way to reduce traffic at the school, and a little walking eases tension.  
Find more tips and resources here and here, or contact San Mateo County's Active Transportation Coordinator Ellen Barton at (650) 599-1420.
Contest: Save Energy to Win Prizes
Reduce your school's energy costs, while teaching students about saving energy! PG&E's Energize Schools program is hosting an energy conservation competition this fall that can earn money for your school.

Energize Schools will give you everything you need to succeed in the three-week contest: energy-saving tips and strategies, team support and data to track your energy usage. Prizes are available for top energy savers and best conservation work.

The Energize Schools Energy Conservation Competition is open to schools and districts served by PG&E, but space is limited to 100 schools. Sign up to compete by Oct. 1.
 

Events, Conferences and Seminars

Wed. 11am-2pm  |  San Francisco  |  Pacific Energy Center
Building operators are invited to a free lunch from PG&E's Step Up and Power Down program to share best practices for efficient building operations and network with other industry professionals.
 
Wed. 12-6:30pm  |  Palo Alto |  PARC
Aimed government and business leaders, this workshop from Sustainable Silicon Valley will showcase technologies for capturing and reusing water at commercial, multifamily and public buildings. Cost: $35-95.  
 
Mon. 8:30am-4:30pm  |  San Francisco |  Pacific Energy Center
In this PG&E workshop, participants will learn to identify water use and water waste, collect water use data and perform water use calculations.
 
8:30am-4:30pm  |  San Francisco  |  Pacific Energy Center
Building Building Operator Certification (BOC) is a nationally-recognized training and certification program for building operators offering improved job skills and more comfortable energy-efficient facilities. BOC level II is intended for operators who have been BOC I certified and those who desire advanced trainingCost: $1,495.
  
Mon-Th  |  San Jose  |  Fairmount Hotel
GreenBiz Group's fifth annual VERGE conference will focus on radical efficiency and resilience for companies and cities: technologies, strategies and systems-thinking that are enabling a low-carbon world. The event is aimed at a diverse group of professionals from facilities, fleets, real estate, IT, energy, sustainability, government and more. Cost: $895-$2,075.
    
Visit our online calendar for more classes, events and conferences.
Webinars

Tues. 11am  |  Eneref Institute
Learn how the Berkeley Public Library reinvigorated its neighborhood and increased foot traffic with skylights and windows, while creating a healthier work environment for the librarians. 
 
Thurs. 10-11:30am  |  EPA 
This webinar will show K-12 schools how to improve their bottom line, feed hungry people and reduce wasted food by learning from schools engaged in surplus food donation from school cafeterias.  Also, the USDA will clarify its food donation policy and the legal implications of surplus food donation.
 
Wed. 10-11am  |  Energy Star
SMC Energy Watch benchmarked the energy use of all K-12 schools in San Mateo County using the EPA's Portfolio Manager tool. This webinar will introduce and demonstrate the core functionality of Portfolio Manager, including how to enter a property's energy and water consumption data and generate progress reports. Contact Andrea Pappajohn with SMC Energy Watch if you need help accessing your Portfolio Manager account. 
 
Tues. 10-11am  |  Energy Star
This webinar will take a deeper dive into the EPA's Energy Star Portfolio Manager tool, covering advanced functionalities such as correcting and updating property use details and using the data quality checker.
September 15 Edition
Help with Prop 39
Water Audits
Green Star Schools
Safe Routes to School
Energy-Saving Contest
Events & Conferences
Webinars
New Resources
Drought Response for Schools: Best practices & resources to help schools conserve water.
Recommended Resources 
SMC Energy Watch -
Ideas, resources, and financing options for saving energy in San Mateo County.

 

Air Care Plus - PG&E HVAC diagnostic tune-up program 

Cool California Funding Wizard
- Find grants, rebates and incentives for sustainability projects

 

PG&E Energy Efficiency Classes - Learn energy efficiency skills at no-cost
 
Announcements, documents, and information
 
 
Kyoto USA - Free solar master plans for school districts
 
Certification program for energy, water, waste, and transportation pathways.

County Office of Sustainability - Information about the County's climate action efforts plus resources for sea level rise, energy, water, waste, and more.   
  

San Mateo County Recycle Works - A waste diversion resource 

 

Bay Area Water Supply and Conservation Agency - Rebates and info about water conservation

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About San Mateo County Energy Watch
SMC Energy Watch can help you save energy, money, and reduce your carbon footprint. We provide energy efficiency services and incentives to qualifying public agencies, non-profits, residents, businesses, schools, and farms in San Mateo County. 

SMC Energy Watch Partners:
C/CAG Logo
 
Other program partners include Ecology Action and El Concilio.

SMC Energy Watch is funded by California utility customers and administered by PG&E under the auspices of the California Public Utilities Commission.

For more info, visit www.smcenergywatch.com, call (650) 599-1403, or email [email protected].