Updates: Office of Energy and Sustainable Development
Subscribe to this page for update notifications on Berkeley FIRST, Berkeley's Climate Action Plan and other City Sustainability programs.
****************************************************************************************************************************************************Please Take our Energy Survey, and Enter to Win a Prize! (updated 2/4/2010)
As a way to find more ways to help you save energy and money and meet our Greenhouse Gas Emissions goal of 80% by 2050, the City is interested in your household’s energy use, the changes you have made, and what improvements you may be planning that could be paired with other energy improvements.
Below are links to surveys asking brief questions about your home or apartment’s plumbing, water and space heating, lighting, and other energy uses. There are two separate surveys for either homeowners or renters. Please choose the appropriate link.
Additionally, all completed surveys will be entered into a drawing. At least one survey respondent from both homeowner and apartment renter surveys will be selected to receive a prize through a random drawing.
Thank you for your time, and we look forward to your responses!
Click here for: Homeowner Survey
Click here for: Renter Survey
For additional information, please contact the survey manager at Energy@CityofBerkeley.info or call 981-7435.
****************************************************************************************************************************************************
Reduce Your Footprint in 2010: a Free Community Workshop (updated 1/7/2010)
Are you part of a congregation, neighborhood association, workplace, PTA or other community group?
Are you a concerned citizen?
Come discover resources right here in Berkeley to help you reduce your personal and collective carbon footprint.
The City of Berkeley, the Berkeley Energy Commission, the Ecology Center, and the Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists invite you to a fun and informative workshop to help you and your community group reduce global warming emissions.
At this workshop you will:
- Find out how your lifestyle practices and the choices you make as community groups impact greenhouse gas emissions;
- Discover how you can significantly reduce your personal and community emissions though an exciting and no-cost 4-session program;
- Be given the opportunity to participate in, form, or have the Ecology Center facilitate a free Climate Change Action workshop series in your community;
Receive information for implementing energy efficient and renewable energy options in your home, workplace, congregation, school, and other shared spaces.
Come join us!
Date: Thursday, February 25, 2010
Time: 7 pm
Location: Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists, 1924 Cedar St (at Bonita), Berkeley
Cost: Free, including free bike parking and childcare. Please RSVP to debra@ecologycenter.org for childcare
Info: 510-981-7473; mschwartz@cityofberkley.info
******************************************************************************************************************************************************
BERKELEY, GET OFF YOUR GAS!
Berkeley Announces Natural Gas Energy Saving Contest for Berkeley Residents (updated 12/7/09)
Natural gas customers who reduce their gas bills in January and February 2010 by at least 10% from their 2009 usage will be eligible to enter the City of Berkeley’s second annual "Berkeley, Get Off Your Gas!" natural gas efficiency contest. All eligible participants will also benefit from a 20% bill credit from PG&E.
The Berkeley, Get Off Your Gas! contest is aimed at rewarding Berkeley residents who reduce their natural gas energy consumption between January and February 2010. Download a contest application here or visit Get Off Your Gas Contest for more information about the contest and on how to reduce natural gas usage in your home.
***************************************************************************************************************************************************
START AT HOME WORKSHOPS
City of Berkeley Hosted Three Neighborhood Workshops on Energy Efficiency in the Home (updated 12/7/09)
The City of Berkeley prepared its residents for the chill of winter by hosting three neighborhood workshops on how to protect and insulate their homes. Workshops took place in September and October of 2009 and educated residents on how to save energy, money and improve the overall health, comfort and performance of their homes.
Do you live in a drafty Berkeley home? Not only is your leaky home letting all your warm air out, it may also be letting dust and contaminants in! In case you missed the workshops, click on the Start At Home Presentation to view the information from the workshops and learn how to:
* Improve Comfort
* Save Energy & Money
* Improve Indoor Air Quality
* Finance Energy Efficiency Retrofits
* Take Advantage of Incentives and Rebates
The City of Berkeley is planning to hold more workshops on energy efficiency, home performance improvements and on other green building topics in 2010. If you group or organization would like a presentation on energy efficiency and home performance, please contact mschwartz@cityofberkeley.info
To learn about upcoming workshops, make sure to subscribe to this updates email notification (see top of page).
***************************************************************************************************************************************************
STIMULUS FUNDING FLIPS THE SOLAR SWITCH ON
City of Berkeley receives over 100k from the U.S. Department of Energy to encourage solar locally (updated 11/5/09)
The City of Berkeley is one of sixteen cities nationwide to be granted the Solar America Cities Special Project Award for the purpose of spurring the adoption of solar installations. The economic stimulus funding from the United States Department of Energy (DOE) allows the City of Berkeley to support and enhance two existing programs--SmartSolar and the online Berkeley Solar Map-- to provide education and technical assistance directly to residents interested in implementing solar at their homes and businesses. Through this award, the City of Berkeley is recognized for its innovative response to addressing the specific barriers to solar adoption and for its leadership in increasing the use of renewable energy. The City of Berkeley will split the $108,500 award between the SmartSolar and Berkeley Solar Map projects.
- Smart Solar: is a program of the nonprofit Community Energy Services Corporation.
- Berkeley SolarMap: is a City of Berkeley online map that analyzes the solar potential of building in Berkeley.
Each of these programs builds upon Berkeley’s commitment to educating and engaging local residents in how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by focusing on efficiency measures and solar energy. Both the SmartSolar and Berkeley Solar Map are programs of Berkeley Climate Action Plan which can be viewed at www.berkeleyclimateaction.org.
City residents and businesses interested in learning more about resources and services offered through SmartSolar (www.ebenergy.org/smartsolar) should contact Community Energy Services Corporation at 510-981-7750 or smartsolar@ebenergy.org.
Press contact: Neal De Snoo (ndesnoo@cityofberkeley.info), Energy Program Manger, 510-981-7439
*************************************************************************************************************************************************
BERKELEY’S GREEN POLICIES HIGHLIGHTED ON NEW BEST PRACTICES WEBSITE
Launch of Green Cities Website Designed to Expedite the Greening of America (Updated 11/5/09)
City of Berkeley efforts to reduce global warming emissions and save energy are highlighted and available for residents to review on an innovative environmental policy best practices website launched today.
The website (www.greencitiescalifornia.org) was launched by Green Cities California (GCC), a collaborative of ten of California’s most environmentally progressive jurisdictions. In addition to the City of Berkeley, members of GCC include Los Angeles, Marin County, Pasadena, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, Santa Barbara, and Santa Monica.
The purpose of this website is to help cities across the U.S. design effective, cutting-edge environmental policy by learning from the experience of leading green cities like Berkeley. The site includes case studies of environmental legislation that will help policymakers across the nation avoid pitfalls and save time when working to increase energy efficiency, reduce solid waste, and promote sustainable transportation modes in the community.
***************************************************************************************************************************************************
Back to Office of Energy and Sustainable Development Homepage