County Recognized for Energy Savings and Sustainability

The photovoltaic system at Guajome Regional Park includes a weather station, Data Acquisition System, and self-cleaning system mounted over carports.
Over six years, the County has installed various energy-reducing systems across its municipal facilities which span the region. The result: a more than 10 percent energy savings that earned the County statewide recognition for energy reduction and sustainability.

The California State Association of Counties (CSAC) awarded the County with two Gold Beacon Spotlight Awards at its annual conference recently. The first award was for “Sustainability Best Practices Activities” after the County implemented 20 best practices in 10 different areas. The second was for “Energy Savings at Facilities” for reducing electricity and natural gas use in County buildings.

The Beacon Award is a statewide program recognizing cities and counties that are working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, save energy and adopt policies and programs that promote sustainability. The awards are sponsored by the Institute for Local Government and the Statewide Energy Efficiency Collaborative.

The energy savings were achieved in San Diego County through retrofits, direct install projects and by participating in SDG&E incentive programs to lower energy consumption at facilities such as the East County Regional Center and the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department in Borrego Springs.

Among some of the retrofits, the County has invested in new meters in the County’s larger buildings that can be programmed by facility managers to monitor and automate demand responses and pinpoint the causes of “unreasonable” spikes in energy usage.

Other ways the County is conserving is by using recycled water at facilities and parks, including hybrid and compressed natural gas vehicles in its fleet, and using recycled products in the workplace.

The County also offers promotes and encourages the public to do the same by providing information and resources related to environmental practices in planning, air quality, waste and recycling, water, energy and gardening. The County offers incentives to builders for using residential graywater systems and other green building practices for new building projects. Businesses are also encouraged to participate in a Green Business Project and implement green practices to conserve.