December 3, 2004

County reduces electrical consumption since 2001

More than 10 percent drop

By Supervisor Pete McHugh
Special to the Times

The state’s energy crisis of 2001 prompted Santa Clara County to implement a number of important measures to reduce its electrical energy consumption.

Since 2001, the county has invested a total of $5.5 million in energy-saving measures and completed more than 500 individual conservation projects.

These efforts have reduced the county’s electrical consumption from 132.2 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) in Fiscal Year (FY) 2001 to 115.3 million kWh in FY 2004, or by nearly 13 percent. At today’s prices, this reduction represents an ongoing savings of more than $2 million annually.

Major energy conservation efforts
One of the county’s major energy conservation efforts consists of a two-phase project to help measure and manage power quality and consumption at specific sites.

The first phase, completed in December 2002, involved the installation of 69 power meters to readily track energy demand and usage in certain buildings.

The project’s second phase, the Enterprise Energy Management System, is currently underway. This system will enable the county to properly manage building power usage from one location and to participate in any load-shedding energy rebate incentive programs.

The county also performed comprehensive facility energy audits on nearly 150 county-owned buildings covering over 3.6 million square feet of space. The audits identified a number of projects that had sufficient potential savings but required more evaluation.

The projects involved heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system modifications, lighting retrofits, co-generation and water conservation measures. At a cost of $1 million, the county has implemented five of them, with the sixth scheduled for completion sometime in FY 2005.

To increase the efficiency of its HVAC systems, the county installed 23 cool roof systems, 116 programmable timers and thermostats and attic fans. It added reflective film to building windows, boiler controls for more efficient gas usage and automatic cleaning systems for chillers. It modified air intake systems to take advantage of cool outside air, thus reducing the need for mechanically cooled air.

The county’s lighting retrofit projects have included the installation of 6,800 task lighting motion sensors, 1,500 room lighting motion sensors and new lighting control systems in eight buildings. The county rewired lighting circuits and replaced 139 incandescent exit signs with energy-efficient LED exit signs. It also retrofitted 716 lighting fixtures with energy-efficient fluorescent lamps.

Other opportunities for lower energy consumption
In addition to completing many conservation projects, the county explored other opportunities to achieve lower energy consumption in its buildings.

For example, it analyzed building occupancy patterns at the County Government Center on 70 West Hedding, and recommended alternatives for reducing peak and gross electrical consumption. It shifted the center’s former HVAC operating hours of 5 a.m. to 2 a.m. to new operating hours of 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. This action saves the county almost 2,500 kWh per day. Another reduction effort involved keeping temperature set points for heating and air conditioning the same throughout the year instead of changing them seasonally.

The county also studied the feasibility of installing co-generation power plants at its Main and Elmwood correctional facilities. Both locations had a higher potential for savings through co-generation than other county buildings due to their 24 hours-per-day operations. Although the county ultimately determined that neither project was economically viable, it obtained valuable information about alternative energy resources for future consideration.

How the county designs new facilities creates opportunities for ongoing energy savings. PG&E’s “Savings by Design” program enables utility users to receive financial rebates by designing buildings that exceed California Title 24 standards for energy conservation.

Architects have designed the county’s proposed Valley Specialty Center to consume 18 percent less energy than the Title 24 requirements, and it is the first facility to be recognized by the program. Through “Savings by Design,” the county estimates it will save around $254,000 per year and will be eligible for a $150,000 rebate upon the project’s completion.

The successful implementation of these measures has required the commitment and participation of each and every county agency, department head and employee. Without the ongoing $2 million in energy savings the county has realized, the projected $127.3 million deficit for next year would be that much worse.

Improving energy efficiency also has a positive impact on the environment by reducing carbon dioxide emissions. For these reasons, I will continue to support the county’s investment in energy conservation and efficiency efforts.