Statewide LG EE Best Practices: Weekly Update

For those of you who know who Joseph Oldham is you likely are on his email distribution list and receive this update each week.  We are grateful that Joseph has agreed to allow our little blog to re-post his weekly update.  If you have an interest in the happenings of energy efficiency and local government throughout California this is the update for you! 

1.  Ruling Noticing Joint Agency Symposium on the Governor’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Goals - July 9, 2015

On July 9, 2015, from 9: 00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), California Energy Commission (CEC), the California Air Resources Board (ARB), and the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) will conduct a symposium to discuss the development of strategies to achieve Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr’s 2030 greenhouse gas reduction goals. 

The Symposium will be held at Byron Sher Auditorium, Cal/EPA Headquarters, 10001 I St., Sacramento, CA 95814.  Further information on the Symposium, including the Agenda, may be found in the CPUC Daily Calendar.

The Symposium will discuss electricity sector policies to achieve greenhouse gas reductions of 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030. Topics will include integrated long-term planning to achieve greenhouse gas reduction goals, procurement to achieve greenhouse gas reduction goals, and western regional cooperation.  It is reasonably foreseeable that this Symposium will include discussion of issues before the Commission in this proceeding.  Further, one or more Commissioners or advisors (but not a quorum of Commissioners) may attend the Symposium.

For your general information, Rule 8.1(c) states that an ex parte communication means a written or oral communication that “does not occur in a public hearing, workshop, or other public forum noticed by ruling or order in the proceeding, or in the record of the proceeding.”  The July 9 Symposium is a public forum that has been noticed by the CEC, ARB, and CAISO.  This Ruling now provides notice in this proceeding as well.  As a result of this Ruling, any discussions regarding this proceeding at the July 9, 2015 Symposium are not subject to ex parte reporting requirements. Per Decision (D.) 14-11-041, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) is subject to certain special restrictions and requirements regarding ex parte communications and contacts with certain Commission staff until November 20, 2015.  By providing notice of this workshop through a Ruling in this proceeding, PG&E is not subject to the ex parte restrictions and requirements of D.14-11-041 for the Symposium with regard to issues in this proceeding.

Other related proceedings will receive this notice.

IT IS RULED that the July 9, 2015 Joint Agency Symposium on the Governor’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Goals is noticed in this proceeding.

Thank you.

Regina M. DeAngelis
Administrative Law Judge
California Public Utilities Commission


2.  SunShot Systems Integration team hiring now

The SunShot Initiative is hiring! Our office seeks a program manager and several technology managers in the area of systems integration of solar energy technologies into the electric power grid. SunShot’s Systems Integration team develops technologies and solutions for cost-effective, reliable, and safe integration of hundreds of gigawatts of solar energy into the U.S. electricity grid.

The program manager will serve as part of the leadership team within SunShot and provide visionary leadership of the Systems Integration program, establish strategic direction and goals, provide technical, budgetary and market stewardship, and supervise a team of technical, financial, and support professionals within the program. Apply for the program manager position.

Technology managers help guide the Systems Integration vision and provide direct input into solar energy research and development efforts. Apply for a technology manager position.

3.  HVAC1 Upstream Draft Research Plan

Commission staff is seeking comments on the plan listed  below by Wednesday, July 15 at 5pm

HVAC1 Upstream Draft Research Plan

To help inform comments Commission staff and its consultant DNV-GL will be hosting a webinar to present the draft plans and address questions on Thursday July 9th between 11:00am and 1:00pm. 

HVAC1 Upstream Draft Research Plan:  The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has engaged DNV GL under the CPUC 2013-14 HVAC Research Roadmap to evaluate California investor-owned utility (IOU) heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) program activity. As part of this work, this study will investigate the energy impact of 2013-2014 IOU Upstream HVAC programs in California. DNV GL’s research will include onsite surveys and engineering analysis of chillers and packaged HVAC/ heat pump systems. The evaluation team will also characterize the commercial use of ductless mini-split systems. In addition, the study will look at the efficacy of remotely-monitored metering equipment with an eye on increasing data collection efficiency and reducing costs for future evaluations.  DNV will also investigate market shares to compare the quantity of high efficiency units that were sold without program influence versus the quantity of those attributed to the upstream program. The primary goal of this research is to determine the best estimate of actual energy and demand savings achieved by rebated upstream HVAC measures during the 2013–14 program cycle. 

How to file comments
The draft plan can be downloaded from  http://www.energydataweb.com/cpuc/ . Select the search tab and then select Portfolio Cycle 2013-2014 and search text ‘HVAC1’ (no quotes). Click the search button and you will see the files for downloading.

Comments should be uploaded to the website by clicking “comment” on the plan by 5pm on July 15, 2015.  In order to post comments, you will need to register on the site with an ID and password.

Details of the webinar: July 9th, 11:00am -1:00pm.

You are invited to a meeting using Unified Meeting 5. This webinar will be recorded.

To join the meeting, click herehttps://my.intercall.com/6254786853

Call in on your phone: United States Toll Free: (877) 715-1531

Standard International Dial-In: (706) 679-1947

Conference Code: 6254786853#

In the event of any problems or questions, contact Lola Odunlami at lod@cpuc.ca.gov telephone (415) 703-1893 and/or Jason Meyer at jason.meyer@dnvgl.com

4.  Register Now for the 2015/2016 CoolCalifornia Challenge!

Energy Upgrade California’s CoolCalifornia Challenge is a statewide competition engaging thousands of households in cities across California to save energy, conserve water, reduce their carbon footprints, and help build more vibrant and sustainable communities.  For more information about how your city can register and participate, go here:  http://www.energyupgradeca.org/en/see-whats-new-and-fun/campaigns/coolcalifornia-challenge



And that is all for this week!  


SJVCEO