Success Stories
Sonoma County's Los Guilicos Campus
By summer's end Sonoma County will be able to call its Los Guilicos campus the first municipal Zero Net Electricity campus in the State of California. On Tuesday, April 24 the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors approved construction of a 706 kW ground-mounted photovoltaic system on the property – the final piece in a years-long effort to take the campus off the grid.
Once completed, the 706 kW system combined with the existing 750 kW system will meet all the electricity needs of the Los Guilicos campus, which is home to the Juvenile Justice Center, the Valley of the Moon Children's Home, and the Sierra Youth Center. The system will be built, owned and operated by SPG Solar through a power purchase agreement, and is expected to save the County an estimated $1.4 million and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 324 metric tons CO2e over its 25-year lifespan.
This important milestone would not have been achieved without significant efficiency upgrades to campus buildings that began in 2009. Following the mantra of "reduce before you produce," the Sonoma County Energy Watch (S.C.E.W.) program facilitated upgrades to all interior lighting, several water heaters and boilers. Rebates and incentives available through S.C.E.W. , along with PG&E's 0% interest on-bill financing program helped to pay for the projects. Energy efficiency upgrades will culminate this July with the retrofitting of all exterior lighting to L.E.D.s and compact fluorescents.
Faith Presbyterian Church
| Savings Snapshot | |
|---|---|
| Total Project Cost | $2,900 |
| Program Incentive | $2,660 |
| Customer Cost | $239 |
| Annual Savings | $3,192* |
| Annual kWh Saved | Up to 17,737 |
| Avoided CO2 emissions | 4.5 metric tons |
| Payback period | under 1 year |
*Annual savings based on roughly $0.18 per kWh
The lighting project at Faith Presbyterian Church in Rohnert Park was completed in July of 2011. The church includes a preschool.
“We realized we could do a lot more than we thought we could [with SCEW]. It was smart. It was simple. All I had to do was say yes.”
- Pastor Jim Robie
| Savings Snapshot | |
|---|---|
| Total Project Cost | $3,762 |
| Program Incentive | $1,805 |
| Customer Cost | $1,956 |
| Annual Savings | $2,083* |
| Annual kWh Saved | Up to 13,889 |
| Avoided CO2 emissions | 3.6 metric tons |
| Payback period | 1 year |
North Bay Martial Arts
North Bay Martial Arts in Santa Rosa teaches contemporary Martial Arts while keeping to traditional values. Sensei Ben Brown’s unique system incorporates Muay Thai Kickboxing, Jujitsu, Judo, Karate, Boxing, Wrestling and Mixed Martial Arts.
*Annual savings based on roughly $0.15 per kWh
| Savings Snapshot | |
|---|---|
| Total Project Cost | $1,500 |
| Program Incentive | $830 |
| Customer Cost | $669 |
| Annual Savings | $830* |
| Annual kWh Saved | Up to 5,535 |
| Avoided CO2 emissions | 1.44 metric tons |
| Payback period | Under 1 year |
Goodwill Industries - Yolanda Avenue
Goodwill Industries of the Redwood Empire was founded in 1974 and is now one of the largest non-profit organizations in the North Bay Region. Goodwill provides a wide range of job training, placement, and support programs for people with disabilities and other special needs.
*Annual savings based on roughly $0.15 per kWh
| Savings Snapshot | |
|---|---|
| Total Project Cost | $4,280 |
| Program Incentive | $2,595 |
| Customer Cost | $1,684 |
| Annual Savings | $2,596* |
| Annual kWh Saved | Up to 17,306 |
| Avoided CO2 emissions | 4.5 metric tons |
| Payback period | Under 1 year |
Santa Rosa Alliance Church
The Santa Rosa Alliance Church characterizes itself as a community of interconnectedness. Here people connect to one another, to God and to serving the world. There are several groups available for people of all different ages, interests and backgrounds.
*Annual savings based on roughly $0.15 per kWh
Youth Build Santa Rosa
| Savings Snapshot | |
|---|---|
| Total Project Cost | $7,160 |
| Program Incentive | $3,599 |
| Customer Cost | $3,561 |
| Annual Savings | $4,387* |
| Annual kWh Saved | Up to 24,000 |
| Avoided CO2 emissions | 5.4 metric tons |
| Payback period | 0.81 years |
*Annual savings based on roughly $0.18 per kWh
YouthBuild Santa Rosa, a program of Community Action Partnership of Sonoma County, is a nonprofit public benefit corporation that provides education, job skills training, and leadership development for youth ages 16-24 who do not have a high school diploma. With partner John Muir Charter School, they are able to assist youth earn a high school diploma.
Central Library
| Savings Snapshot | |
|---|---|
| Total Project Cost | $120,251 |
| Program Incentive | $10,622 |
| Customer Cost | $100,629 |
| Annual Savings | $13,806* |
| Annual kWh Saved | Up to 98,615 |
| Avoided CO2 emissions | 24.9 metric tons |
| Payback period | 7.94 years |
*Annual savings based on roughly $0.14 per kWh
“This is an ongoing project that we’re doing with the County
of Sonoma to re-lamp all of our lights in our central facilities first
and eventually about six of our branches. We’re actually increasing
the light in the library by using […] less energy.”
– Tom Popenuck, Sonoma County Libraries
Occidental Community Center
| Savings Snapshot | |
|---|---|
| Total Project Cost | $5,957 |
| Program Incentive | $1,510 |
| Customer Cost | $4,447 |
| Annual Savings | $1,972* |
| Annual kWh Saved | Up to 12,327 |
| Avoided CO2 emissions | 3.22 metric tons |
| Payback period | 2.26 years |
*Annual savings based on roughly $0.14 per kWh
The Occidental Community Center is one of eight public halls located throughout scenic Sonoma County that can be rented for meetings or events.
Wilmar Fire Department
| Savings Snapshot | |
|---|---|
| Total Project Cost | $8,705 |
| Program Incentive | $3,750 |
| Customer Cost | $4,955 |
| Annual Savings | $4,500* |
| Annual kWh Saved | Up to 25,000 |
| Avoided CO2 emissions | 6.3 metric tons |
| Payback period | 1.1 years |
*Annual savings based on roughly $0.14 per kWh
SCEW “added reflectors
on all the fixtures and reduced it from two bulbs to one bulb in each of
the fixtures and put in new ballasts. So now the light reflects down instead
of up on the ceiling.”
– Chief Al Mello
