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Save Water, Energy, Money and the Environment

Volume 9, Number 11

November 2013 

IN THIS ISSUE...
Calling Volunteers!
SCG
West Basin
Tax Credits for Energy-Efficient Upgrades to Expire
SCE
SBCCOG in the South Bay
L.A. Metro
10 Uses for Milk Cartons
Sanitation Districts
10 Tips to Save Energy Consumers Money this Winter
Building Efficiency
City of Torrance
Legislation Corner
November / December 2013 Events & Workshops
A Worthy Read
Interesting Domestic and International Articles Discussing the Environment, Energy Efficiency and Water Conservation




 

 

Upcoming HHW/E-Waste Collection Events


City of Lomita - 12/14/13

City of Hermosa Beach - 1/25/14

City of Gardena - 2/8/14

CALLING VOLUNTEERS!

There has never been a better time to help out and be recognized.
  

Complete our volunteer application and submit it by email or mail.   
You can make a huge difference! 
 

 Visit Our Cities


Carson
El Segundo
Gardena
Hawthorne
Hermosa Beach
Inglewood
Lawndale  
Lomita

Manhattan Beach
Palos Verdes Estates
Rancho Palos Verdes
Redondo Beach
Rolling Hills
Rolling Hills Estates
Torrance

SCE Customers in
San Pedro, Harbor City
 / Harbor Gateway & Wilmington

County Unincorporated Areas in South Bay 

2013 REBATE FORMS 

  

Southern California Gas Company  

 

Southern California Edison

 

West Basin Municipal Water District  

 

 En Espaņol

 

Southern California Gas Company
Southern California Edison Sanitation Districts of LA County
Metro

  County of Los Angeles 

 

 

Find us on FacebookFollow us on TwitterView our profile on LinkedIn

 

 

www.sbesc.com 

  
  
To read the South Bay Cities Council of Governments' latest edition of its newsletter,
South Bay Watch,
click here

Where Does Your City Rank in the 

SCE Energy Leader Partnership Program?

 

Platinum Tier
20% Energy Reduction 
City of Lomita

 

Gold Tier
10% Energy Reduction 
City of El Segundo
City of Hawthorne
City of Manhattan Beach

City of Rancho Palos Verdes

 

Silver Tier
5% Energy Reduction 
City of Carson
City of Hermosa Beach
City of Inglewood
City of Redondo Beach
City of Torrance 
 
Valued Level
City of Gardena
City of Lawndale
City of Palos Verdes Estates
City of Rolling Hills
City of Rolling Hills Estates

Did You Know?

In 1882, Thomas Edison launched Pearl Street Station in New York City -- the first modern electric utility. Within a year of its opening, Pearl Street served more than 500 customers -- including The New York Times. Offering both reliable power generation (there was only one single three-hour interruption throughout its existence) and efficient and safe distribution, Pearl Street served as the catalyst for cost-competitive incandescent lighting.

Message From the Executive Director of SBCCOG

 

As we enter the holiday season, family, friends, gifts and parties are on our minds.  This year, before you get completely into the planning and preparation, take a fast trip to the internet and look up  "Energy Efficiency During the Holidays" and you will find a lot of tips to reduce your utility costs while reducing the impacts on the environment. Review some of the articles below for additional tips on how to save energy and other valuable resources during this holiday season. 


Jacki Bacharach

 

Southern California Gas Company 

The Gas Company

 

Benchmarking When you Sell Your Commercial Real Estate

Property


Did you know that you may be required to disclose your building's energy performance benchmark rating before it can be sold, leased or refinanced?

 

A new law (AB1103*) requires this disclosure for many commercial buildings beginning January 1, 2014.

 

Many owners and managers of commercial buildings are benchmarking their buildings voluntarily. Benchmarking helps them increase energy efficiency and reduce operating costs, which can also help raise property values.

  

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West Basin Municipal Water DWest Basinistrict 
Worry Free Watering with a New Sprinkler System

 

Exchange your old sprinkler for a new Weather-Based Irrigation Controller that will:

  • Reduce outdoor water use by up to 30%
  • Improve the health and beauty of your landscape
  • Reduce ocean run-off
  • Save up to 40 gallons per day

When: Saturdays - 11/23, 1/25, 2/8 and 2/22 (All exchange events start at 10 a.m.)

 

Pre-registration is required. For more info and to register, call (310) 371-4633 today! Eligibility requirements apply, please click here for full details.

 

Tax Credits for Energy-Efficient Upgrades to Expire
Projects Completed in the Next Month are Eligible

A $500 tax credit for energy-efficient upgrades expires at the end of the year so now's a good time to tighten your home's envelope by replacing drafty windows or entry doors or insulating your attic. Some heating and cooling equipment also qualify for the tax credit, which was extended last year as part of the American Taxpayer Relief Act. Here are the details.

Read More

 

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Southern California EdisonSCE  

Bright Lights, Big Savings: Just a Click Away!

 

For a limited time, SCE is offering discounts of up to $15 each on select light-emitting diode (LED) and compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs. If you live in a qualifying ZIP code, you can save at participating online retailers now, and see energy savings for years to come.

  

Upgrading your lighting is one of the easiest and least expensive ways to reduce your energy use. Learn more about LEDs, CFLs, and other ways to save on lighting. 

 

Ready to start saving? Visit Bulbs.com or EFI.org

 

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SBCCOG in the South Bay
SBCCOG Lends Library Collection to Katy Geissert Civic Center Library 
 
The South Bay Cities Council of Governments (SBCCOG) today announced the launch of a pilot Lending Library Program with the City of Torrance. The SBCCOG will lend a collection of reference books and resource materials on energy efficiency practices, water conservation, transportation options, climate action planning, and recycling measures, which have been housed at the South Bay Environmental Services Center (SBESC). The one year pilot program allows the collection to be integrated into the current collection at the Katy Geissert Civic Center Library in Torrance.

L.A. Metro

Is ExpressLanes on Social Media?

 

Yes, follow ExpressLanes on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. Keep abreast with the latest changes and updates with the program as well as other interesting transportation-related news. Feel free to ask questions as well, Metro is eager to engage with the community and respond to feedback from ExpressLanes' account holders. 

More FAQs Here

 

Vanpool

 

Overview

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) administers the Metro Vanpool Program to provide alternative transportation choices to commuters, improve air quality, and reduce traffic congestion in Los Angeles County. The Metro Vanpool Program offers up to a $400 monthly lease subsidy - not to exceed 50% of the lease costs- for commuter vanpools of 7-15 passengers that have a destination to a Los Angeles County worksite for which a completed Program application and agreement has been submitted and approved by Metro. (See Application and Enrollment). Private transit, private shuttles, private vanpools and owner-operated vanpools are not eligible to enroll in the Metro Vanpool Program. 

 

Where to Begin

Get started with at least five (5) commuters ready to share the ride and save. Whether just starting a vanpool or a vanpool group already on the road -both new and existing vanpool groups with a valid vanpool leasing agency agreement are eligible to participate in the Metro Vanpool Program. Program requirements are detailed in the Metro Vanpool Program Participation Guidelines (pdf) and Metro Vanpool Participation Agreement (pdf). Individuals or groups under 5 can still participate. 

 

Application Process

To apply for the Metro Vanpool Program lease subsidy, a vanpool agreement holder with a valid vanpool agreement with any Metro vanpool partner leasing agency must read and agree to the Terms and Conditions of the Participation Agreement complete the Metro Vanpool Program Participation Application (pdf) and submit the completed application to their leasing agent of choice. Applications received by Metro from an authorized leasing agent by the 15th of each month will be considered for enrollment on the first day of the following month. 

 

Enrollment Evaluation

Metro will review each application received for eligibility and completeness based on the following rules: (1) Vanpools must end at a work site located within Los Angeles County, (2) Vanpools must begin service with at least 70% of vehicle seats occupied, (3) Open seats must be advertised as available and open to the public, (4) Vanpool agreement holder agrees to all terms and conditions of the Metro Vanpool Program.

 

Enrollment Notice

All applicants will be notified by the leasing agency to which the application was submitted regarding enrollment approval. 

 

Maintaining Enrollment

Requirements for maintaining enrollment include: (a) Responding to Metro and leasing agent requests for information, (b) Maintain a minimum 70% vehicle occupancy rate, (c) Follow program guidelines and terms of agreement is detailed in the Metro Vanpool Program Participation Application and Agreement. 


Call SBESC for further information about how to get a vanpool started at your place of employment: (310) 371-7222. 

  

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10 Uses for Milk Cartons
Before You Relegate Them to the Recycling Bin or Trash Can, Check Out the Neat Things You Can Do with Old Milk Cartons

Maybe you don't go through milk by the jug like some people do, but chances are that you've got a steady supply of milk (or Lactaid, or Silk ... you get the idea) cartons streaming out of your house every month. You absolutely can recycle them, but did you know that there are also tons of other things you can do with them?

Read More

 

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Sanitation Districts of LA County

Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County

Board of Directors Unanimously Certify Chloride Compliance Final EIR and Approve Alternative No. 2

 

The Santa Clarita Valley Sanitation District Board of Directors certified the Final Environmental Impact Report and adopted the Final Chloride Compliance Facilities Plan. The Board approved Alternative No. 2, a project consisting of UV disinfection, advanced treatment using reverse osmosis, and deep well injection for brine disposal, that complies with the Santa Clarita River Chloride TMDL Order issued by the Regional Water Quality Control Board. 

Read More

 

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10 Tips to Save Energy Consumers Money this Winter
US Households Heated with Natural Gas, Propane and Electricity Face Higher Heating Bills this Winter.

Projected changes in residential expenditures from last winter are:

  • 13% higher for homes that heat primarily with natural gas
  • 9% higher for propane
  • 2% higher for electricity
  • 2% lower for heating oil

Higher heating costs can hit families on fixed budgets hard, so the Consumer Energy Alliance compiled a list of winter energy-saving tips that can soften the increased heating cost burden anticipated this season.

See Tips Here

 

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Building Efficiency
Cut Energy Waste By Running Buildings Better

Most people know that new light fixtures can reduce energy waste in office buildings, but even the experts may be surprised to learn just how much energy can be saved by running office buildings better.

 

NRDC's new report on Real Time Energy Management shows how one company reduced electricity expenses by about $220,000 in one year simply by catching "operational stray." The Report provides a roadmap for owners and tenants to improve their buildings and save money with similar projects.

Large office buildings are complicated systems. Building equipment often will "stray" from optimum settings. For example:

  • Thermostats are adjusted for an evening meeting and not re-set to normal schedules, so the chiller runs at night for weeks.
  • A sensor breaks, causing fans or pumps to run full-speed when not needed.
  • A "bug" in software code causes an automated systems to start in the middle of the night.
Read More

 

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City of Torrance 
City of Torrance

FREE Eco Gardener Class Series Hosted at

Madrona Marsh Preserve & Nature Center 
 
 
Learn about sustainable gardening practices that can be applied at home by attending a variety of classes (each one tackling a different subject) throughout November and December.

Legislation Corner 

Brown, Governors of Seven Other States Join to Spur Growth of Zero-Emission Vehicles

Gov. Jerry Brown and governors of seven other states today announced an initiative that aims to put 3.3 million zero-emission vehicles on the roadways within a dozen years.
 

The multi-state effort dovetails with California's previously stated goal of putting 1.5 million zero-emission vehicles on the road by 2025.

November / December 2013 Events & Workshops 
Click Here to See a List of Upcoming Workshops & Trainings
Click Here to See a List of Upcoming Events
 
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