Energy Upgrade California is your one-stop-shop for home improvement projects that lower your energy use, conserve water and natural resources, and make your home healthier and more comfortable. www.energyupgradeca.org Locate participating contractors and find rebates and incentives.

In August 2011, CIPL was named an Energy Champion for L.A. County with Energy Upgrade California.  That means that anyone living in L.A. County who signs up for an energy upgrade could designate CIPL to receive $100-$400 to be used for further energy efficiency efforts within the faith community! It’s a win-win situation. For more information on this program click here. For questions, call Allis Druffel at (310) 752-3436.

Energy Watch California – energy efficiency audits, rebates and incentives for commercial, non-residential buildings – including in many counties, faith communities and other non-profits.

San Francisco Energy Watch – check out their success stories of working with two congregations – Calvary Presbyterian and Glide Memorial – most congregations would likely fall into their “Small Business Direct Install Program” beginning with a free energy assessment and followed by full project management through completion of the installation by a contractor assigned by the program. Energy efficient upgrades include interior, exterior and high-bay lighting, LED exit signs, lighting controls, refrigeration controls, and strip curtain.

Marin and East Bay counties – SmartLights is the main program for non-profits hoping to reduce energy costs.

Smart Lights is specially designed to help small businesses become more energy-efficient. The program offers free start-to-finish technical assistance and instant rebates to help defray the cost of upgrading and/or repairing existing equipment. Smart Lights can help with comprehensive lighting retrofits, refrigeration tune-ups, controls, and seals replacement, replacing domestic hot water heaters, and referrals to appropriate HVAC programs.

San Mateo County Energy Watch Is your congregation stretching every dollar to keep programs operating?

San Mateo County Energy Watch can help. We identify energy efficiency projects that enable nonprofits to save money on utility bills. Those savings can go right back into programs.

Our Energy Watch service is free. Our auditor will do a free, no-obligation walk-through of your facility, and then present you with a free proposal that shows how much money you can save. Because the majority of the upgrade work is covered by special PG&E rebates, your organization’s out-of-pocket cost will be minimal (usually recouped in a matter of months).  Implementation is hassle-free: We handle the project management as well as the paperwork. Over 50 non-profits throughout San Mateo County are already saving an average of $4,500 each year on their energy bill, including Hillside Church of God in South San Francisco. As you’ll see in this video success story, at first Pastor Michael Coutts was skeptical of the program, but soon became an Energy Watch believer.  He explains how Energy Watch allows the church and its preschool to “literally pass the savings to the families we serve.”

It’s easy to get started – just give us a call to schedule your free energy assessment or find out more. Contact Susan Wright at 650-599-1403
or email smcenergywatch@co.sanmateo.ca.us Or visit us at www.smcenergywatch.com

Rebuilding Together has energy efficiency programs designed to help low-income homeowners reduce energy consumption and costs, while enhancing comfort in the home for its residents. There are affiliates nationwide including all over California.  They seek volunteers for rebuilding projects and have applications for residential repair programs.  Check out the Rebuilding Together San Francisco page and their national affiliates page to find the Rebuilding Together program near you.

Other opportunities exist through individual municipalities:

This is not an exhaustive list, but the sample below provides some insight on what is offered throughout the state.

You may also want to check out the most comprehensive database for both energy efficiency and solar rebates across the country: http://www.dsireusa.org/

Click below to find out more:

Southern California Edison (SCE) and Pacific Gas and Electric PGE – offers several free retrofit programs: California Preschool Energy Efficiency Program (CPEEP) for licensed pre-schools; MATRIX program for K-12 schools.

SCE also offers and Direct Install for commercial buildings, including houses of worship. If you are a CIPL member congregation, call Allis Druffel and she will be happy to help you get on the list for one or more of these programs.

SCE and PGE are also in the process of installing 5 million “Smart Meters” to their customers. These digital meters will be easier to read, remotely rather than on-site, and give customers current information about electrical use. The idea is that if customers can see real-time energy use data, they will be able to adjust and reduce their use, saving emissions and money.

San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) offers good rebate programs. Check out their cash rebate program when upgrading to energy-efficient items such as lighting, refrigeration and natural gas equipment. Earn a year-round discount when you decrease your energy usage on hot summer days. Click here for more ideas on how SDG&E can assist you in saving energy and lowering your utility bill.
Anaheim
Burbank – incentives on solar and energy-efficient measures
Davis
Glendale
Lodi
Lompoc
Palo Alto
Pasadena
Riverside
Santa Clara Water
San Francisco
Sonoma County Water