Services: Local Energy Assistance Program (LEAP)

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Local Energy Assistance Program

This Project is Closed

Saving Money for Cities, Developers & Homeowners

Funded by public goods funds overseen by the California Public Utilities Commission, the Local Government Commission provided FREE energy planning assistance to California cities and counties through the Local Energy Assistance Program (LEAP).

LEAP included both direct assistance on specific development projects and information collection, production, and distribution.

Direct Assistance

Development Plan Analysis and Recommendations

We reviewed plans for new residential development and identified cost effective site- and building-level design changes attempting to lower the future community's energy consumption and make use of on-site energy generation opportunities. Factors considered for determining energy efficiency and renewable energy options included:

Land Use and Site Level

lot layout/circulation pattern
solar orientation
mix of commercial and residential uses
lot sizes and density
attached units
pavement reduction
street trees
street lighting
natural drainage

Building Level

shade trees
window sun screens
use of high efficiency equipment
solar water heating systems
solar pool heating systems
solar photovoltaic systems

Everyone Wins...

Many of the land use and site planning improvements for energy efficiency reduce development costs and/or increase the developer's profit. For example, narrowing streets and adding street trees in a proposed subdivision can lower summer neighborhood temperatures by as much as 10 degrees. Cooler ambient temperatures in turn reduce home cooling energy needs.

Meanwhile, reducing the amount of pavement saves the developer installation costs and may allow for a few more building lots. A portion of these savings and increased profits can be used to pay for building upgrades to exceed Title 24 energy efficiency requirements, such as window sun screens and high efficiency cooling and heating systems. In the end, residents get lower energy bills and a cooler neighborhood at no additional cost. The developer gets a subdivision that is cheaper to build and is more marketable to buyers. And the city or county has less street to maintain.

General Plan Update

Through LEAP, LGC provided technical assistance to communities during the General Plan update process to add or improve energy efficiency and renewable energy provisions. Recommendations were drawn from the California Energy Commission's Energy Aware Planning Guide, pertinent excerpts compiled from other municipal and county energy policy documents, and other supporting information gathered from our energy library and through our numerous contacts with key local government energy experts developed during our 20 year history.

Information Collection, Production and Distribution

LGC's Energy Information Clearinghouse provides cities and counties with a wealth of resources on energy efficiency and renewable energy, including:

Resource guidebooks (past topics include improving energy efficiency in buildings, and utilizing solar energy through passive design methods and solar water heating systems).
Tree guidelines for cooling neighborhoods and buildings, absorbing air pollutants, reducing storm runoff and improving water quality, including cost/benefit estimates, siting recommendations and informational resources for instituting community tree programs.
LGC's bimonthly energy newsletter, Currents, which features energy news from California and throughout the country, articles on exemplary programs, LEAP updates, and easy-to-implement steps to improve building energy efficiency, cut energy costs and reduce CO2 emissions.

Who Benefited and How?

Cities and Counties by receiving practical guidance in how to create energy-efficient communities that lower infrastructure costs and keep more money circulating in local economies;
Developers by working with LEAP and the City or County to develop trade-offs for building more energy-efficient subdivisions, such as reduced infrastructure construction costs, expedited approvals, lower fees, or increased lot size or density.
Residents by qualifying for higher mortgage amounts for energy-efficient homes that are more comfortable, have lower utility bills, and which will appreciate faster than conventional homes.