Energy efficiency and conservation grant recipients all across the country are preparing for the challenge of maintaining a continuity of service once the 2009 Recovery Act stimulus funding stream expires. To meet its aspirations of long-term energy independence, the city of San Diego wanted to apply its $3.3 million grant for building retrofits in a manner that would pave the way for continued improvements in years to come. To promote this goal, the city’s Environmental Services Department requested support from the Technical Assistance Program (TAP).

In contrast to the summary research that the city of Philadelphia requested, San Diego asked for support in designing and implementing a residential energy upgrade initiative focused on the low-income demographic. To help with this request, the TAP worked with city officials to lay the foundation for a long-term program aimed at upgrading buildings to save 15-25% on energy costs. Partner experts from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the Vermont Energy Investment Corporation helped coordinate the program’s design, and integrate it into existing San Diego Gas & Electric utility programs. This step was important in applying and investing resources across different communities. TAP partners also provided a range of technical support, from showing sample documentation to making detailed energy savings calculations. The overall collaboration addressed numerous obstacles in tackling a principled, but difficult, undertaking.

With the support of TAP, San Diego’s foresight is ensuring that it is directing its grant award to comply with the best intentions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, while promoting lasting economic improvement that targets the most critical population sector.

For more information on San Diego’s energy programs and projects, please visit the city’s Energy Conservation and Management Division website.

Content for this Blog post courtesy of Nick Lange, Vermont Energy Investment Corporation