HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 12182001 - C.124 S P.',
TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS 2. CONTRA
COSTA
COUNTY
FROM: John Sweeten, County Administrator
�
C'UVK'�
DATE: December 18, 2001
SUBJECT: Review of Energy Policy
SPECIFIC REQUEST(S) OR RECOMMENDATION(S) & BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION
RECOMMENDATION(S):
1. ACCEPT the report on the overview of County policies designed to increase the energy
efficiency of County operations; to increase the use of cost effective alternative power
sources; and to minimize the County's cost for electricity and natural gas.
2. EXPRESS appreciation to County employees and departments for their successful efforts
to reduce the County's energy use.
3. AMEND the County's Energy Reduction Plan to increase winter thermostat settings to 67°
in recognition of temperature variances in many buildings.
4. ACKNOWLEDGE that some County facilities may be required by state or federal law or
regulation to adjust their thermostat settings above the 67° standard for County facilities
and to AMEND the policy as needed for compliance with federal and state law and
regulation.
5. ACCEPT the guidelines on use of generators for County faci 'ties.
CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: AYES SIGNATURE: �� j
RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR_RECOMMENDATION OF A OMMITTEE
—APPROVE _OTHER
SIGNATURE(S):
ACTION OF BOARD ON December IS- 2001 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDEDyX OTHER
VOTE OF SUPERVISORS
I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A
X_UNANIMOUS(ABSENT None I TRUE AND CORRECT COPY OF AN
AYES: NOES: ACTION TAKEN AND ENTERED
ABSENT: ABSTAIN: ON MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF
SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN.
Contact:Sara Hoffman,335-1090
ATTESTED December 18, 2001
JOHN SWEETEN,CLERK OF
THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR
cc: CAO IM, 4(
Mickey Davis,General Services
Laura Lockwood,CAO B DEPUTY
Davida Amenta,CAO
Department Heads _
BACKGROUND/REASON(S) FOR RECOMMENDATION(S):
On June 19, 2001, the Board of Supervisors accepted a report on implementation of the County's
Energy Reduction Plan. At that time, the Board also requested a summation and consolidation of all
energy policy adopted by the Board for review in December 2001. This report responds to that
request and includes:
➢ Energy Reduction Plan and plan implementation;
Alternative power suppliers;
➢ Alternate power production;
Sustainable building policy
➢ Energy reliability - generators and UPS back-up systems; and
➢ Blackout/power loss preparedness.
Energy Reduction Plan
On March 6, 2001, the Board of Supervisors approved the County's Energy Reduction Plan,
designed to implement the Board of Supervisors' policy of reducing electrical use by at least 10%
with an overall minimum energy use reduction of 8%. The Energy Reduction Plan (see Attachment
1) provides a framework for a coordinated countywide effort to achieve the Board's policy,
addressing:
operational standards;
facility standards;
equipment standards;
➢ responsibilities;
communication; and
➢ tracking and monitoring.
As part of the Energy Reduction Plan, departments identified two levels of energy contacts: 1) Site
Contacts who act as a central point of dissemination for information about energy savings as well as
documenting energy saving actions at their sites and 2) Department Contacts for receiving and
distributing notices of blackouts and for ensuring coordinated departmental efforts.
Contra Costa County's Energy Reduction Plan was among the first developed by a California County
and has been viewed as a model for other counties. CSAC has the plan posted on their website.
Currently, the Energy Reduction Plan standard for heating County facilities in the winter is 66° for
thermostat settings. However, it has come to staffs attention that, in some cases, state or federal
law or regulation may require thermostat settings above 660. For example, Head Start regulations
require temperatures of 68°. In addition, General Services has received complaints from some
departments that the offices are "too cold." Many of the complaints are from departments that
occupy smaller buildings where internal temperatures are more influenced by the external
temperature. Consequently, staff recommends that the standard be modified to allow for thermostat
settings of 670
.
13% Reduction in Electrical Use
Overall County use of electricity has declined significantly due to implementation of the Energy
Reduction Plan. For the period of January through April 2001, usage decreased by 13 %. Annually,
this equates to a reduction of 4,885,000 kilowatt hours. At the budgeted energy cost of 22.8¢ per
kilowatt-hour,' the County can expect a savings of over $1.1 million for the calendar year.
With the conversion of service from ABAG Power to PG&E, new meters needed to be installed in
many buildings. This process is not yet complete. Monthly usage data since April is still suspect
and often not timely. Staff is continuing to work with PG&E to resolve this difficulty. In analyzing
I The contract with ABAG Power electricity was billed at a flat rate. In May, the County was forced to convert back to
PG&E, which charges both flat and time-of-use rates. Time-of-use rates have different charges for peak, partial-peak
and off-peak periods, which results in lower average costs per kilowatt-hour than the budgeted figure for 24-hour, seven-
day facilities such as the Regional Medical Center and the Martinez Detention Facility. For example, electricity costs
averaged 15.3¢ per kilowatt hour for the Martinez Detention Facility for the period of July 4 -August 2, 2001, while they
averaged 14¢ per kilowatt hour for the Regional Medical Center for the period September 3 - October 2, 2001. These
variances affect the estimated annual savings.
2
usage data over several months, however, it is clear that energy usage is down and that the January
to April figures are indicative of a sustained downward trend.
Departments and Employees Responsible for Savings
Much of the credit for the County's significant reduction in energy use is due to the commitment of
County employees and departments. Special thanks go to the departments and staff in buildings
who have demonstrated sustained and significant decreases in the electrical use:
31% reduction - 4333 Pacheco Building, Health Services Hazardous Materials
26% reduction - 2425 Bisso Lane, multiple County departments
23% reduction - 1220 Morello Ave., General Services Department
20% reduction - 20 Allen St., Health Services Administration
On a department-wide basis, kudos go to Superior Court, with an overall 15% electrical use
reduction in four facilities and the Library with reductions ranging from 22% to 50% in eight of the
libraries.
In addition to reducing electrical use in their own facilities, the General Services Department has
acted as the central coordinator and facilitator for much of the County's energy reduction effort. The
commitment and dedication of General Services staff in supporting the departments in their efforts
and facilitating/making the changes necessary to achieve the 13% electrical use reduction deserves
special recognition. For example, General Services electricians, in partnership with Public Works,
replaced red and green incandescent traffic light bulbs with LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes), which
save an average of 134 watts per lamp. This has resulted in a 30% decrease in electricity use from
January through August 2001, an overall savings of 220,927 kwh.
Energy Retrofit in County Facilities
Consistent with the Energy Reduction Plan, the County initiated 19 energy retrofit projects in FY
2001-02. The projects vary and include digital control systems, lighting retrofits and new HVAC
systems and components.
Digital Control Systems - Major County facilities have been, and are being, upgraded with digital
control systems. These systems reduce energy usage by improving the coordination of HVAC
components (fans, cooling units, boilers, etc.) and by reducing temperature swings. Some of the
projects also include installation of variable frequency drive (VFD) fans, which modulate airflow from
the fans, reducing overall energy requirements. Two projects are completed, another eight will be
done by the end of this fiscal year. Cost of the digital controlNFD projects run over $2 million,
funded through a combination of 3% loans from California Energy Commission, bond funds and the
General Fund. Return on investment (ROI) of these projects is very favorable. For example,
installation of digital controls and VFDs at the Martinez Detention Facility reduced electricity demand
by 20% in June 2001 compared with the prior year. Even projecting a more conservative year round
savings of 15%, the ROI on the Detention Facility retrofit is 33%.
Lighting Retrofits - Lighting retrofits replace older fluorescent fixtures and bulbs with newer versions,
which use at least 30% less energy. In FY 01-02, all lighting at the Los Medanos Health Center was
replaced, an ROI of 15% (Note: lighting retrofits have already been completed on all other major
County facilities).
HVAC Systems - Eight HVAC system projects are slated for completion in FY 01-02. While the
County will reap significant energy savings benefits from the projects, they were necessitated by the
condition of the systems. All are more than 15 years old, some more than 30 years old. All are
either failing or expected to fail imminently. These projects are expected to reduce energy use by
10-25% due to advances in energy efficiency in HVAC equipment over the past 20 years.
Alternative Power Suppliers
The Board also requested staff to investigate the feasibility of receiving power from a supplier other
than PG&E. Staff looked into several alternatives, including direct access, publicimunicipal utility
districts and energy production by the County itself.
3
Direct Access - Until May 2001, the County participated in ABAG Power, a direct access consortium.
However, earlier this year a state bill was enacted that prohibits direct access in California.
Apparently, the state felt it needed to be able to assure perspective buyers of California State Energy
Bonds that jurisdictions would not be able to "escape" from paying their portion of the bond
repayments.
Public/Municipal Utility Districts - Based upon a review of case law and statutory authorities, County
Counsel has advised that they do not believe that the County currently has the ability to enter the
power business, either as a member of a public/municipal utility district or by establishing its own
public/municipal utility.
County Counsel's opinion did not address the issue of whether or not the County would have the
legal authority to purchase power from a public/municipal utility district. Currently, the County does
not have any facilities within the boundaries of a public/municipal electrical utility district; however,
the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) is currently evaluating the feasibility of an expanded
EBMUD role in public power. The ramifications of that for Contra Costa County are not clear at this
time.
Energy Production - The County appears to have limited authority to produce electricity for use in its
own facilities. Hydroelectric power and wind power are clearly authorized under Sections 25730 and
25731 of the Government Code. In addition, Sections 2801 and 2802 of the Public Utility Code
authorize the County to produce energy from alternative sources for its own use, such as solar water
heating and photovoltaics. More research would be necessary if the Board wishes to pursue the
possibility of producing electricity from natural gas or other conventional fuels.
Alternative Power Production
Evaluation of alternative power production is an integral component of the County's Capital Facilities
program. As with other projects, cost effectiveness is a major criterion. Recently, the Capital
Facilities Committee reviewed proposals to install photovoltaic cells at 50 Douglas Drive and the
Martinez Detention Facility. Those projects are listed separately on the Board's agenda for its
consideration.
In addition, as part of the building maintenance program, Capital Facilities staff is continuing to
evaluate the cost benefit of solar water heaters, as conventional water heaters need replacement.
Sustainable Building Policy
On August 7, 2001, the Board of Supervisors approved a report from the Internal Operations
Committee on sustainable building policy. The goals of the policy are to ensure that County facilities
are models of energy, water use and materials efficiency, at the same time providing healthy,
productive and comfortable indoor environments for employees, customers and clients. The policy
further states that emerging building technologies should be incorporated into the design of future
major remodels and new building projects whenever it is practical, cost effective and affordable (see
Attachment 2).
Energy Reliability
When it appeared that summer blackouts were imminent, the Board of Supervisors requested an
assessment of back-up generation capacity in County facilities. At the same time, General Services
began receiving inquiries on the feasibility of generator installations. In response, General Services
inventoried generators by location and capacity and developed guidelines for evaluating the
advisability of installing generators in County facilities.
In total, 30 generators provide back-up capacity for 26 County facilities. Some of these facilities
have generators with sufficient capacity to continue facility operations, including the Regional
Medical Center, Martinez Detention Facility, West County Justice Center, the Dispatch Center, the
Forensics Science Building, the Sheriffs Administration (seventh floor, 651 Pine Street) and DoIT's
Computer Room (30 Douglas Drive). Generators at the other facilities typically operate just
emergency lights and an elevator (see Attachment 3).
General Services also developed guidelines on the use of generators for County facilities (also see
Attachment 3). The purpose of the guidelines is to provide information to departments on generator
costs, appropriate uses and alternatives. The guidelines point out that generator installation in
4
existing buildings is usually very costly, because of the need to rewire the building to connect the
sub-panels to the generator. Consequently, it is usually not cost effective to use generators to power
normal continuation of services, such as during an extended period of electrical loss, except in 24-
hour institutions and/or essential life saving operations.
Most of the departments identified a need for continued electrical supply for phones and/or
computers during a blackout. The most cost effective means of ensuring electrical reliability for this
equipment is usually UPS (uninterrupted power supply) devices.
Preparing for Blackout/Power Losses.
To be prepared for potential blackouts/power losses, the County Administrator convened a
committee of departmental representatives to identify issues related to electrical blackouts and to
recommend appropriate policies and procedures to help the County both plan for and manage
blackouts safely and effectively while maintaining work activities to the extent possible. The
committee's work resulted in the issuance of the Contra Costa County Blackout Policy and
Procedural Guidelines, which addressed the issues of communication, facility readiness/safety, work
practices and timekeeping and personnel (see Attachment 4).
As part of that effort, the County Administrator amended Administrative Bulletin 316 on timekeeping
in emergency situations (see Attachment 5) and Administrative Bulletin 115.8, Emergency
Management Plan (see Attachment 6) to include the loss of electrical power. Also, in recognition of
the need for each department to be ready for potential blackouts and power losses, departments
were advised to develop policies, plans and procedures consistent with the Administrative Bulletins
and the Blackout Policy and Procedural Guidelines to prepare their department for receiving
communications on anticipated blackouts; internally communicating such notices throughout the
department; ensuring the readiness of each facility in case of blackout; and managing and
maintaining work and service delivery activities in the event of a blackout.
In addition, the County Administrator worked with Agency and Adult Services to identify and publicize
the location of sites where frail seniors and others could be sheltered from excessive summer heat
during blackouts (see Attachment 7).
5