With the approval of two new energy saving projects, the city of Carlsbad is on track to meet the state's target of 30 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions 10 years ahead of schedule. One project conserves energy, the other generates new energy.
New streetlights
The Carlsbad City Council recently approved a project to replace more than 7,000 high-pressure sodium streetlights throughout Carlsbad with high-efficiency induction lights. The project will save nearly $400,000 a year in energy and maintenance costs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from city operations by 20 percent.
Once the new lights are in place, a process that will take 14 to 16 months, the city will see a reduction of 1,240 tons per year of greenhouse gas emissions, which is the equivalent of taking 170 cars off of the road for a year or planting 124,046 trees.
The changeover to induction lights will cost just more than $3 million. About half of the money will come from a combination of federal grants and incentives from San Diego Gas & Electric.
The city will apply for a low-interest loan from the California Energy Commission to pay for the rest of the project. The loan will be repaid through savings in annual maintenance and electricity costs.
City staff has estimated that once the high-pressure sodium lights are replaced with energy efficient induction lights, the city's annual $600,000 bill for street lighting will be reduced by $290,000. The city expects to save an additional $100,000 per year in maintenance costs because the new lights have longer warranties.
The vast majority of the new lights will use fixtures approved by the International Dark Sky Association. The fixtures direct light downward. The new lights also have half of the wattage of existing lights and produce less reflective glare.
In addition, the new lights offer a public safety benefit. Their illumination appears white, rather than the yellow light of the high-pressure sodium lamps, which allows witnesses and victims of crimes to more accurately describe colors, facial features and other visual details to law enforcement.
Renewable energy
The city also is developing a hydroelectric power project at Maerkle Reservoir. The project will generate enough power to offset more than the entire energy consumption of the Carlsbad Municipal Water District, and will pay for itself in seven years.
The city's long-term goal is to provide all of the energy needed for city-owned facilities through renewable sources.
The water district, a subsidiary of the city, authorized staff to solicit bids for the design of the hydroelectric project. The project would include installing a series of turbines along a pipeline that delivers water from the San Diego County Water Authority aqueduct to the Maerkle Reservoir, located in northeastern Carlsbad. High-pressure water from the pipeline will be routed through the turbines, generating electricity.
The city began identifying potential renewable energy projects in response to new state legislation calling for reductions in greenhouse gases. Over the past year, city staff has worked with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, University of San Diego's Energy Policy Initiatives Center and the California Center for Sustainable Energy in developing the hydroelectric project.
Installing turbines at three locations along the pipeline will cost $1.25 million. The hydroelectric turbines will generate about 2 million kilowatt hours of electricity per year, or 125 percent of the water district's annual consumption of electricity. The project will generate $240,000 worth of electricity a year, along with potential renewable energy and carbon credits.
In six to seven years, the project will be paid off. The anticipated life of the equipment is 20 years, meaning it could generate approximately $3 million for the city over its lifespan. In addition, clean energy will be provided to taxpayers at no direct cost.
The project is anticipated to be complete in 2011, following the design, bid and building process.
New streetlights
The Carlsbad City Council recently approved a project to replace more than 7,000 high-pressure sodium streetlights throughout Carlsbad with high-efficiency induction lights. The project will save nearly $400,000 a year in energy and maintenance costs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from city operations by 20 percent.
Once the new lights are in place, a process that will take 14 to 16 months, the city will see a reduction of 1,240 tons per year of greenhouse gas emissions, which is the equivalent of taking 170 cars off of the road for a year or planting 124,046 trees.
The changeover to induction lights will cost just more than $3 million. About half of the money will come from a combination of federal grants and incentives from San Diego Gas & Electric.
The city will apply for a low-interest loan from the California Energy Commission to pay for the rest of the project. The loan will be repaid through savings in annual maintenance and electricity costs.
City staff has estimated that once the high-pressure sodium lights are replaced with energy efficient induction lights, the city's annual $600,000 bill for street lighting will be reduced by $290,000. The city expects to save an additional $100,000 per year in maintenance costs because the new lights have longer warranties.
The vast majority of the new lights will use fixtures approved by the International Dark Sky Association. The fixtures direct light downward. The new lights also have half of the wattage of existing lights and produce less reflective glare.
In addition, the new lights offer a public safety benefit. Their illumination appears white, rather than the yellow light of the high-pressure sodium lamps, which allows witnesses and victims of crimes to more accurately describe colors, facial features and other visual details to law enforcement.
Renewable energy
The city also is developing a hydroelectric power project at Maerkle Reservoir. The project will generate enough power to offset more than the entire energy consumption of the Carlsbad Municipal Water District, and will pay for itself in seven years.
The city's long-term goal is to provide all of the energy needed for city-owned facilities through renewable sources.
The water district, a subsidiary of the city, authorized staff to solicit bids for the design of the hydroelectric project. The project would include installing a series of turbines along a pipeline that delivers water from the San Diego County Water Authority aqueduct to the Maerkle Reservoir, located in northeastern Carlsbad. High-pressure water from the pipeline will be routed through the turbines, generating electricity.
The city began identifying potential renewable energy projects in response to new state legislation calling for reductions in greenhouse gases. Over the past year, city staff has worked with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, University of San Diego's Energy Policy Initiatives Center and the California Center for Sustainable Energy in developing the hydroelectric project.
Installing turbines at three locations along the pipeline will cost $1.25 million. The hydroelectric turbines will generate about 2 million kilowatt hours of electricity per year, or 125 percent of the water district's annual consumption of electricity. The project will generate $240,000 worth of electricity a year, along with potential renewable energy and carbon credits.
In six to seven years, the project will be paid off. The anticipated life of the equipment is 20 years, meaning it could generate approximately $3 million for the city over its lifespan. In addition, clean energy will be provided to taxpayers at no direct cost.
The project is anticipated to be complete in 2011, following the design, bid and building process.