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| August 2005 | Home · Event Calendar · Getting Here · Contact Us | ||||
 Upcoming EventsRefrigerant Charge and Airflow Verification Program for Commercial Air Conditioners Building Commissioning WI$E ENERGY Conservation Series Date: 8/16/2005 Time: 11:00am Location: Ramona Senior Center Date: 8/17/2005 Date: 8/18/2005 Date: 8/18/2005 View a complete calendar of upcoming events. News BitsCalling for Nominations! Flex Your Power, California's statewide energy efficiency campaign, is seeking to identify, reward and publicize your exemplary success stories. Nominate companies, organizations or community leaders, including yours, that have saved energy and helped preserve our environment for the 2005 Flex Your Power Awards or Congratulatory Ads! Download an application form and apply today. Prominent newspaper ad space has already been reserved to highlight those leaders making a difference in achieving savings in energy efficiency, conservation, demand response and water efficiency. Build Green San Diego 2005 Don't miss the 2nd Build Green San Diego Conference on Sept. 13-14. This year's conference focuses on "Smart Building and Sustainable Development". Event highlights include over three dozen highly-esteemed speakers, 16 breakout sessions, moderated panel discussions, project case histories, workshops and more. The Build Green conference will be held at the Price Center, University of California, San Diego. To register or for more information, visit the conference website! Record Number of Trees Planted in July The Cool Communities Shade Tree Program planted a record-breaking 1,317 trees in July -- the most trees planted in a month since its inception in 2002. That translates into 164,362 kWh of annual energy savings. The program still has 10,000 trees to give away to single and multi-family homes, and K-12 schools. Visit the program website for more information. SDREO Staff News Congrats to Adrienne McCrumb, promoted to Program Manager of the Cool Communities Shade Tree Program. Job Opportunity People for Trees, the Shade Tree Program's subcontractor, is looking for a Program Administrator with a degree in forestry or arboriculture (or equivalent). The position will work work closely with SDREO. Tech TipWater-use efficiency creates energy savings because less energy is used to pump water. How are water and electricity connected in the San Diego region? Both are precious, vital and limited resources that are primarily supplied from outside San Diego County. Electricity is used to supply water, which are subject to periods of supply or delivery shortages. - Use low-flow plumbing fixtures and appliances
Quotables“When it comes to winning the battle to provide total comfort for our customers, we have plenty of weapons in our arsenals.
They’re called testing and measurement instruments. They allow us to design, install and verify high performance systems for our customers. Used properly, these instruments will ensure a great HVAC system and a great relationship between you and your customers. You’ve heard of these instruments; it may be that you already have some. You just have to remember to use as many as necessary on every job.” -- - Kevin O’Neill, Co-Owner, O’Neill-Bagwell Cooling & Heating Note from the Editor: The San Diego Energy Resource Center loans out a wide variety of professional diagnostic instruments for temporary use – inquire today!
Speak OutEnergy Connection is a monthly publication of the San Diego Regional Energy Office. We welcome your feedback and would like to hear from you. To submit comments, questions or suggestions, please This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
| Renewable Energy Potential in San Diego RegionNew study finds large potential for wind, solar and geothermal
The study examined the potential for development of wind power, solar energy, geothermal, biogas and biomass resources, and hydroelectric power in San Diego and Imperial counties and in the Baja California region of Mexico. It did not consider cost or policy issues, which will ultimately determine how much of these resources are developed. How Much Energy Do You Use?Home Energy Calculator Now Ready for UseTo help you save time and reduce energy costs, the San Diego Energy Resource Center has added another resource -- the Home Energy Calculator. Accurate and easy to use, the calculator allows homeowners to experiment with "what if" scenarios. What if the thermostat settings were raised or lowered? How much energy would that save? What if I use double-pane windows? Would that lower energy costs? You can conduct your own "online home energy audit" to determine the impacts of various energy measures against a baseline home that you can also modify. Program Spotlight: Rebuild a Greener San DiegoSolar power now more affordable for San Diego area fire victims
Renewable Energy Potential (cont.)"This report provides a starting point for the next logical steps in renewable energy development for the San Diego region, including policy formulation and implementation of renewable development," said Dr. Alan Sweedler, director of the Center for Energy Studies at San Diego State University (SDSU). Members of the study group include SDSU, Rohy Consulting Associates, San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E), San Diego Regional Energy Office ( SDREO), the Universidad Autonoma de Baja California (UABC), Resley Consulting and Tanaka Research and Consulting. The Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory also participated in the study. Among their findings:
"Developing renewable energy is crucial to providing our customers with the resources they’ll need in the 21st Century, though we recognize that they cannot be counted on to meet the region’s total needs because they are not always available," said David Geier, vice president of transmission and distribution for SDG&E. According to Scott Anders, director of policy and planning for SDREO, "This landmark study puts a solid stake in the ground for renewables potential. This should help move our community beyond discussing "what’s possible" toward actually delivering these resources to the region." "We found significant renewable energy resources in Baja California, which is a good thing for residents of Baja California and California. We now need to put in place the financing and regulatory mechanisms to develop these clean sources of energy to the benefit of people on both sides of the border", said Dr. Margarito Quintero, professor of engineering at the UABC. For more information, visit www.renewablesg.org. - TOP - Home Energy Calculator (cont.)This Home Energy Calculator is one of the best in the industry and has been custom designed to address the four microclimate regions of San Diego County. This means the weather data, utility rates and the baseline home characteristics unique to each of the four zones are programmed into the calculator, giving more accurate results. The homeowner can easily change inputs, including square footage of heated/cooled space, types of fuels and windows used. The calculator provides a fast, ballpark estimate of how much you can save by raising the cooling thermostat setting from 76 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit, by converting from a electric to gas clothes dryer, or what the utility cost impact would be for a room addition. It is recommended that users adjust the baseline home inputs as necessary to approximate their current annual gas and electric utility costs before scenarios are run. To start, select your Climate Zone, then click on the "Calculate" button to see your monthly and annual energy costs. The results can be displayed as a chart, in detailed report format, and even e-mailed, if desired. Besides being fun to use, homeowners (and renters) will enjoy how easy it is to evaluate various operational or equipment options. Check out this powerful yet easy calculator, and do your own online-based home energy audit. - TOP - Program Spotlight: Rebuild a Greener San Diego(cont.)Rebuild offers rebates to fire victims rebuilding homes with greener and more energy efficient technologies. While some homeowners have taken advantage of the program’s financial incentives, more than $4 million in rebate funds remain. Residents can get up to $20,000 toward the purchase of a solar power system. Citing overall high system costs as one of the hurdles to Rebuild program participation, SDREO issued a request for special pricing proposals from major PV suppliers nationwide. Kyocera, with North American headquarters in San Diego, was the winning bidder. "We are deeply committed to the San Diego community and this discount will make residential solar systems a reality to those San Diegans rebuilding on a tight budget," said Tom Dyer, Kyocera Solar’s VP of marketing and government affairs. "Rebuild program participants can purchase Kyocera''s MyGen(TM) Complete Solar PV Systems at a special discounted price through the program." SDREO's Director of Policy and Planning, Scott Anders, who lost his own home in the October 2003 fires, gives an example. "Kyocera's special pricing reduces total costs, including on-site installation, from $21,800 to $17,600 on a typical 2.5 kilowatt system. After a $10,000 rebate from Rebuild, the final cost to the homeowner is only $7,600. At that price, the system can pay for itself in lowered utility bills much faster.” Since the deadline for solar rebates is November 30, 2005, Anders cautions, “Time is running out on the program. If you are rebuilding your home, get your application in as soon as possible. And, if you know someone rebuilding, let them know about this special deal right away." For more information, visit the Rebuild website or call the Rebuild hotline toll-free at 1-877-284-5373. - TOP -
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