Saving Energy and Money through City-owned Building
| City of Chula Vista Energy Improvement Timeline What is an Energy Audit? An energy audit is a way to assess a building’s energy needs and efficiency. The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers® (ASHRAE) develops best practices for conducting energy audits, which have become the U.S. gold standard. ASHRAE specifies three levels of audits. Level 1: Walk-throughLevel 2: Energy survey and analysis Level 3: Detailed survey and analysis |
Benchmarking against a 2010 baseline, Chula Vista has improved energy performance by 18% across its portfolio. Approximately 8% of the savings resulted from lighting retrofits, while the remaining 10% came from HVAC repairs and retrofits at several facilities. Additionally, the city has further reduced its demand for grid electricity by 11% through the installation of 1.7 megawatts of solar panels. The city reinvested the money saved by these energy efficiency projects into their general fund.
“There’s always a way to save money and energy. If you look for it, you can find it.”
– Alejandro Ruiz Velasco, Conservation Specialist, City of Chula Vista
Control system for new HVAC unit installed at the South Chula Vista Library | South Chula Vista LibraryThe South Chula Vista Library is a great example of the importance of pursuing energy efficiency retrofits. The city achieved a 10% reduction in energy consumption through the installation of a new HVAC unit. The old unit ran at a fraction of its capacity and required constant maintenance. Overall, the city has seen an almost 17% reduction in electric usage at the library when comparing Q1-Q2 2015 to the same period in 2016. |
Civic Center Library |
Replaced accent lighting with LEDs at the Civic Center Library | In 2015, the city replaced area accent lighting with LEDs at the Civic Center Library through SDG&E’s Direct Install program. A highlight is the Chula Vista Heritage Museum exhibit housed in the library that features 100% LED lighting. The Civic Center Library auditorium received enhancing upgrades and updates to the mechanical and lighting systems. | Upgraded lighting systems in the Civic Center Library auditorium |
Retrofitted accent lighting, spotlights and recessed lighting at the Living Coast Discovery Center | Living Coast Discovery CenterIn spring 2016, the city retrofitted accent lighting, spotlights and recessed lighting at the Living Coast Discovery Center. Since, the city has seen more than a 14% reduction in electric usage in comparison to Q1-Q2 2015 in 2016 |
Future ImprovementsChula Vista is currently performing a citywide lighting retrofit in 28 city-owned buildings, funded by utility rebates and on-bill financing. The city also is looking toward future energy projects, including battery storage, solar and wind, with the overall goal of reaching zero net energy. To learn more about the city's efforts to save energy please visit chulavistaca.gov/clean. Learn more about the Center for Sustainable Energy’s Zero Net Energy Roadmap for Local Governments. | What is Zero Net Energy (ZNE)? While there are many definitions for zero net energy buildings, a broadly used definition is that a zero net energy building produces as much energy as it consumes over the course of a year. Learn more about the Center for Sustainable Energy’s Zero Net Energy Roadmap for Local Governments. |
[1] U.S. Department of Energy. (n.d.) Better Buildings Challenge. Retrieved July 18, 2016, from http://betterbuildingssolutioncenter.energy.gov/challenge.
Last Updated September 2016.