California Wins Two Rebuild America Awards
Oakland Housing Authority and Rebuild California, operated by the
California Energy Commission, have won Rebuild America's 2002 Energy
Champion Awards for their partnership works.
Oakland Housing Authority has been honored with Rebuild America's
2002 Energy Champion Award for Partnership of the Year for its progress
in saving energy and dollars by making energy efficiency improvements
in 242 of its 267 sites.
Thanks to the Oakland Housing Authority, more than 2,290 units
benefited from energy-efficiency improvements, including new fluorescent
lighting, reliable energy-efficient hot water and heating boilers,
and ENERGY STAR© washing machines and dryers in
common areas at 18 sites.
By using an energy savings performance contract, improvements were
paid for by using future utility savings. Total annual utility savings
under the performance contract are projected at about $362,000.
Residents have benefited by having more reliable hot water and
heating and brighter lights that use less energy. Four residents
were employed by a Rebuild America partner during the energy audit
stage and four residents were hired during construction.
OHA has reduced its water usage by 26% annually, thus saving water
and the power needed to pump it. The OHA partnership has benefited
the community by reducing its electricity consumption, which results
in fewer emissions from power plants burning fossil fuel. As a result
of the improvements, the Oakland Housing Authority uses 12% less
electricity. By saving more than 1.6 million kWh of electricity
per year, OHA has prevented the release of:
- 344,227 lbs. of carbon dioxide
- 1,265 lbs. of oxides of nitrogen
- 2,935 lbs. of oxides of sulfur
Rebuild California Honored
Rebuild California earned Rebuild America's 2002 Energy Champion
Award for State Partnership of the Year for its accomplishments
in creating a regional approach to delivering energy-efficiency
support services.
Formed in 1997, Rebuild California works to increase the energy
efficiency of commercial, institutional, multifamily and public
housing. Through Rebuild California, energy-efficiency improvements
have led to more than $20 million of annual energy costs savings.
Regions targeted by Rebuild California include the San Diego area,
San Francisco Bay area, Los Angeles County, Orange County and the
Sacramento area. Each of these regions is assigned program representatives
to provide outreach assistance. The target population centers represent
nearly two-thirds of the state's population.
By using a regional approach, Rebuild California can better meet
local energy-efficiency needs while making use of local resources.
Special Rebuild California projects include support to the Sacramento
Municipal Utility District for a Resource Conservation Manager Program
for K-12 school districts. Rebuild California also provided support
to the California Conservation Corps in their development of an
education and training program for teens and young adults.
The Alliance to Save Energy also received assistance with its Green
School Program, which brings together teachers, administrative staff
and facilities personnel to improve education through energy efficiency.
Rebuild America is a network of more than 465 partnerships that
are dedicated to saving energy, improving building performance,
reducing air pollution and enhancing the quality of life through
energy efficiency. Created by the U.S. Department of Energy in 1994,
Rebuild America serves as a tool for community revitalization and
job creation in many U.S. communities.
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