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State & Local Government Services

Energy Solutions helps local and state governments reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions in their internal facilities and throughout their communities. We support communities along every step of the way; providing scaled solutions for governments large and small and for those just starting their journey towards sustainability and those who are well on their way.

Energy Solutions' comprehensive government services include:

  • Benchmarking building energy use
  • Energy efficiency project identification and ranking
  • Conducting energy audits and third party solar photovoltaic feasibility studies
  • Preparing GHG Reduction Plans, Energy Plans, and Climate Action Plans
  • Developing Energy Conservation Ordinances
  • Acting as an owner’s representative to manage project implementation from scoping and bidding to post-installation inspection
  • Providing guidance and project documentation for financing options including power purchase agreements, grants, low-interest loans, and utility rebates
  • Providing bid and RFP support for energy efficiency and renewable energy procurement efforts
  • Designing, marketing, and implementing local government energy conservation and incentive programs
  • Developing trainings for local government staff in the areas of sustainability, technology, and policy
  • Organizing public meetings

PROJECT: Energy Technology Assistance Program

In fall 2010, Energy Solutions launched the Energy Technology Assistance Program (ETAP) with State Energy Program funding awarded by the California Energy Commission. The program’s goals include specifying and implementing advanced energy efficiency technologies in local government facilities statewide, developing project case studies, and providing energy efficiency workforce development. The targeted technologies include wireless lighting controls, wireless HVAC controls, and occupancy-sensor controlled bi-level lighting. Twenty-one local government agencies participated in the ETAP proposal and limited funding is available to include additional local government agencies.

For more details, see the Energy Technology Assistance Program website.

PROJECT: ABAG Energy Efficiency Programs

Energy Solutions was the lead program developer and technical implementer for the Association of Bay Area Governments’ (ABAG) five year local government energy efficiency program.  The program offered a broad range of energy efficiency technical assistance to local governments in the San Francisco Bay Area.  Services included: utility energy assessments, lighting and HVAC audits, mechanical controls audits, computer power management support, direct lighting retrofit installation services, energy policy expertise, educational workshops, and rebate assistance.

Over the course of the 2006-08 ABAG Energy Watch program, Energy Solutions installed energy efficiency projects representing over 25 million kWh and 583,000 therms of annual savings, serving over 70 local government agencies. These projects will reduce the affected local government agencies’ utility expenditures by about $4.3 million annually over the lifetime of the implemented measures.  Further, they are projected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 8,830 metric tons of CO2e annually, equivalent to the emissions avoided by not driving 1,900 passenger cars each year.

For more details, see the ABAG Energy Watch Case Study.

PROJECT: Comprehensive Municipal Energy Strategy

Energy Solutions assisted the City of Santa Cruz in the development of a comprehensive Energy Efficiency Conservation Strategy (EECS). As part of the project, Energy Solutions identified and prioritized potential energy saving projects, developed scopes of work, estimated budgets, provided technical analysis of impacts, and assembled and completed all required documents for a block grant funding opportunity. Our technical assistance included estimating project impacts on energy savings, employment, and greenhouse gas emissions. Santa Cruz’s EECS provided analyses for projects representing energy savings of over 38,600 million BTUs of source energy and GHG reductions of 300 MT of CO2e. Projects included: parking garage lighting retrofits, energy finance district, IT server virtualization project, City energy office, and LED streetlights.