Energy Connection Newsletter

From the Director's Desk
Sustainable Energy Beyond Passion

One of the books I am enjoying reading these days is What Got You Here Won’t Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful by Marshall Goldsmith, a leader in executive education who happens to live in Rancho Santa Fe. The book is full of wonderful advice for improving your work life by changing bad behaviors into good ones. Its title, however, got me thinking about other things, and when my mind wanders, it often turns to subject number one – how are we going to achieve a more sustainable energy future? Read more.

Solar Thermal Rebates Approved
CPUC allocates $350 million for solar water heating

SANDEE Awards

The California Public Utilities Commission ( CPUC) approved a new, eight-year program of incentives for solar water heating with funding of $350 million at its January 21 meeting. Part of the California Solar Initiative, the program, called CSI Thermal, has a goal of an additional 200,000 Solar Thermal systems in California by 2018. Read more.

CCSE Introduces Innovative Fuel Cells
New energy system for homes and businesses

SDSU Solar

One of the first commercially available clean-energy fuel cells for generating electricity and heat for homes and businesses will be featured at two workshops at CCSE on Monday, March 8. A workshop for business owners will be held at 1:00 p.m., and a workshop for homeowners will be held at 6:00 p.m. Read more.

Energy Efficiency for Big Players
Workshop promotes corporate and municipal programs

New federally mandated environmental regulations and financial disclosure rulings are changing the way industry and other large emitters of air pollution must account for their greenhouse gas emissions for the first time, according to Jennifer Kaminski of the Climate Registry, a nonprofit that registers emissions reporting. Read more.

Online Solar Rebate Processing
CSI now accepts paperless applications

Solar Design Contest

Applying for a California Solar Initiative ( CSI) rebate for a household or commercial photovoltaic ( PV) system became a little easier and a lot faster with the ability to now submit application attachments online via CSI’s PowerClerk website. Read more.

Closing the Green IT Gap
Data centers get environmental & economic benefits

There’s an area of business that’s never down regardless of economic conditions (short of bankruptcy) – information technology (IT). For businesses that own and manage their own data centers, the need to process, store, retrieve and share an ever-increasing amount of data places great demands on company resources, but with the right strategies, IT managers can successfully bridge the gaps between information needs, limited resources and environmental issues, according to Greg Schulz, an IT industry analyst and author. Read more.

Chinese delegation visits CCSE

Doug White (right), CCSE’s manager of public affairs, greets Heidi Zhang, manager of international training programs at Cal. State University, Long Beach, and a visiting delegation of Chinese industry leaders and government scientists at the Energy Resource Center in January.

Inside the ERC

CCSE’s Energy Resource Library now has its complete catalog of books, DVDs and tools online with advanced hold for items you want to check out. Simply search by subject, author, title, manufacturer, name or type, and if what you want is available, you can put a hold on it until you come by CCSE to complete the check out process. Go to the library website.

Display
American Institute of Architects Traveling Display Tour

Each year, The American Institute of Architects, San Diego chapter honors good local designers with a Design Awards Program. From this program comes the 2009/2010 Architectural Traveling Display Tour. The tour displays all of the winners and the submitters from the 2009 Design Awards, the best of the architecture firms and designs around town. Come to the Energy Resource Center and check them out before it moves on to the next location!

Tool
Extech EM 100
Energy Monitor

The Extech EM100 Energy Monitor monitors and records real-time power usage of motors, pumps and appliances. The monitor is a helpful instrument for energy conservation and cost-reduction programs. At one-minute sample intervals, the internal memory stores up to six months of data. Data can be transferred to a PC using an SD card (not included).
Read more.

Book
No Impact Man

Look at one man’s decision to put his money where his mouth is and go off the grid for one year – while still living in New York City – to see if it's possible to make no net impact on the environment. In other words, no trash, no toxins in the water, no elevators, no subway, no products in packaging, no air conditioning, no television . . . no impact.
Read more.

DVD
“Building Analyst Field Training”

This 90-minute training video takes you through an existing home energy audit. It will prepare you to take the Building Performance Institute ( BPI) Building Analyst and Envelope field examinations. To pass the BPI field exams, you need to score a minimum of 70 percent on the overall exam and 85 percent on the combustion safety and carbon monoxide testing modules.
Read more.

Policy and Planning

	Renewable Energy This rulemaking continues the work of R.06-03-004, developing and refining policies, rules and programs for the California Solar Initiative ( CSI) and the Self-Generation Incentive Program ( SGIP) and considering policies for the development of cost-effective, clean and reliable distributed generation ( DG). Read updates.

	Energy Efficiency This is the forum for initiating the next planning cycle for 2009-2011 energy efficiency ( EE) program plans, funding levels and related issues. Read updates.

	Sunrise Powerlink San Diego Gas & Electric ( SDG&E) seeks authority from the CPUC to construct a 500 kV transmission line in conjunction with several 230 kV transmission lines, expected to run 150 miles between the Imperial Valley to San Diego. Read updates.

	Greenhouse Gas Initiated out of Assembly Bill ( AB) 32, this will design and implement a greenhouse gas ( GHG) cap for the regulated electric utilities, including consideration of a GHG performance standard. Read updates

Inside This Issue:

From the Director's Desk

Solar Thermal Rebates Approved

CCSE Introduces Innovative Fuel Cells

Energy Efficiency for Big Players

Online Solar Rebate Processing

Closing the Green IT Gap

Event Calendar

Did you know CCSE offers free, ongoing workshops on energy efficiency, solar energy, green building, transportation and climate change? Register now! Click on the links below or call (866) SDENERGY.

Green Value - The Economics of Green Building s
Date: Thursday, Feb. 18, 2010

CSI Application Process
Date: Friday, Feb. 19, 2010

MASH Workshop: Track 2 Grant Proposal
Date: Thursday, Feb. 25, 2010

Solar Water Heating Basics for Home Owners
Date: Thursday, Feb. 25, 2010

Special March Event:

Stationary Fuel Cells for Business – A Detailed Overview @ 1:00 p.m.
Date: Monday, March. 8, 2010

Stationary Fuel Cells for Residential – A Detailed Overview @ 6:00 p.m.
Date: Monday, March. 8, 2010

Other Events

AAAS Family Science Days -
Date: Saturday, Feb. 20-21, 2010

GREENOVATION FORUM: Nature and Sustainability
Date: Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2010

Cleantech Open’s 2010 National Competition Launch
Date: Friday, Feb. 26, 2010

Green California Summit
Date: Tuesday, Mar. 16-18, 2010

Employee Spotlight

Mike Ferry
Transportation Program Manager

Mike Ferry manages CCSE’s transportation initiatives including administration of the California Air Resources Board’s statewide incentive program, the Clean Vehicle Rebate Project ( CVRP).

Prior to joining CCSE, Mike developed and managed the San Francisco Fire Department’s fleet biodiesel program. He also played a key role in expanding the use of biodiesel to all San Francisco city and county diesel fleets, establishing the region as the nation’s leader in municipal biodiesel fuel use.

His experience includes being an alternative transportation fuels consultant for Cytoculture International, Inc. and an environmental planner for Impact Sciences, Inc.

Mike holds an M.S. degree from the Energy and Resource Group at UC Berkeley, where he focused on policy options to promote renewable energy in conjunction with deployment of plug-in electric vehicles.

Federal Recovery Dollars Help Grow Your Business!

Businesses can tap into the federal government’s On-the-Job Training Subsidy Program and save money on hiring and training new employees. Managed locally by the San Diego Workforce Partnership and Manpower, the program reimburses employers for 50% of wage costs for new hires recruited through the OneStop career center network. There is absolutely no cost to participate, and additional funding is available for associated expenses such as tools, uniforms and training certificates. The program is open any company and covers most industries. For information, contact Trevor Blair, Manpower business development manager, at (760) 889-2707 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Greening Your World^® Monthly Tip

You’re probably well aware of the energy savings available with ENERGY STAR kitchen appliances and household lighting, but did you know you can get the same trusted, government-backed stamp of energy efficiency on a wide range of products? Check out the variety of items, from DVD players and air purifiers to roofing products and windows, at the ENERGY STAR website.

CCSE Is Hiring