San Francisco, Calif.’s energy efficiency measures save approximately 60,000 tons of C02 (8/08)

August 2008

The Achievements

The City of San Francisco has implemented sweeping and innovative energy efficiency measures for both government operations and the San Francisco community.

• The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) has completed energy efficiency projects in City facilities, including lighting and HVAC retrofit projects at San Francisco General Hospital, public health clinics, Moscone West Convention Center, City-wide LED traffic signals, Library Administration Building, and Southeast Wastewater treatment plant. Projects completed between 2003-2008 projects are reducing energy consumption by 26,699 megawatt-hours per year of electricity, 10,303 therms per year of natural gas, and 8,897 tons of CO2 per year.
• At the San Francisco International Airport, SFPUC has identified lighting and HVAC savings of 37,000 megawatt-hours per year, 900,000 therms per year — equivalent to 17,525 tons CO2 per year reduction.
• To reduce community-wide energy use, the City implemented the following successful commercial and multi-family residential energy efficiency programs: Power Savers, SFPEP, and SF Energy Watch. These programs have helped to reduce electricity use in San Francisco by 18 megawatts – enough to power more than 20,000 residencies. Combined programs are on target to save businesses and residents $21 million annually. Programs completed between 2002-2008 are saving 32,945 tons CO2 per year.
• San Francisco led the way in 1999 when it adopted mandatory green building standards for municipal construction in the Resource Efficient Building Ordinance. The ordinance was amended in 2004 to require all new municipal construction to meet the standard of LEED Silver.
• The City recently established a Green Building Task Force to improve environmental performance of new construction projects in the City, and introduced an ordinance codifying Task Force recommendations — the strongest in the nation.
  
  

The Benefits

Because of these energy efficiency measures, the City has already achieved greenhouse gas reductions of 5 percent below 1990 levels, with a goal of 20 percent by 2012. City residents and businesses have also saved many millions through reduced electricity consumption.

Between 2008 and 2012, these continued (or expanded) energy efficiency/green building measures are expected to achieve the following results:

• Electricity savings: 220,000 megawatt-hours
• CO2 reduction: 60,000 tons
• Green Power Generation: 37,000 megawatt-hours

[Source: August 5, 2008 Summary Report: San Francisco Actions to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions]