Palo Alto, CA -- The City of Palo Alto Utilities (CPAU) was awarded a "2003 Energy Innovator Award" by the American Public Power Association (APPA), last week at APPA's National Conference. APPA, a national consortium of over 2,000 municipal utilities, recognizes programs that provide better service to electric customers or projects that increase the efficiency of utility operations. CPAU's winning entry detailed the genesis, development and ultimate energy-saving success of a water, energy and environmental management plan (WEEMP) for city-owned buildings and facilities.

"The creation and implementation of WEEMP was the culmination of superb inter-departmental efforts and resulted in great financial savings for Palo Alto," CPAU Director John Ulrich said. "We thank our municipal utility colleagues for this recognition. The City of Palo Alto Utilities, with other City departments, will continue to seek out innovative solutions to improve the environment and streamline Palo Alto's operating expenses."

About WEEMP

The City of Palo Alto's long-term goal for city facilities is to reduce energy consumption to sustainable levels, using renewable or alternative technologies, while fulfilling performance levels required by the users of the facilities. The combined resources of CPAU, Public Works, Planning, Administrative Services, and the City Manager's Office resulted in a multi-year effort to identify short-term improvements to generate the positive cash flow required to move towards the long-term goal.

The City has achieved a number of successes by pursuing plan objectives in synch with the plan's four guiding principles:

• To implement the City's Comprehensive Plan and Sustainability Policy by being a responsible steward;
  
  
• To educate staff and citizens on the wise and efficient use of natural resources;
  
  
• To offset current and future environmental impacts by making resource-efficient investments guided by prudent business practices; and,
  
  
• To maintain a healthy and safe environment for both residents and staff.

Since implementation of the plan in fiscal year 2001-2002, the following milestones have been achieved:

• Lighting audits and retrofits of 60 municipal building replaced almost 11,000 lamps and reduced annual electric consumption by 1.5 million kilowatt hours of energy and overall electric demand by 400 kilowatts. A further gain came from reduced maintenance on the lights: city workers were redirected to the buildings' HVAC systems, greatly increasing comfort and productivity for city employees.
  
  
• Replacement of 3,646 incandescent traffic-signal bulbs with LED replacements at 89 intersections, covering not only all three traffic signal colors (many such projects replace only the red lamps), but pedestrian signals as well. Saved another 1.4 million kilowatt hours and reduced demand by 161 kilowatts. Maintenance costs associated with the signals was cut dramatically.
  
  
• Installation of an open-architecture energy management system capable of controlling lighting, HVAC and process systems in several large municipal facilities. Load control capabilities approach 150 kW. A side benefit of this demonstration project had a large industrial customer purchasing the same technology for a project resulting in the optimization of 3,200 tons of chiller capacity.
  
  
• Sufficient documentation of achieved savings for the City of Palo Alto to be recognized as the first governmental organization designated as a "Green Business" by Santa Clara County (Silicon Valley).
  
  
• City Council adoption of a "Green Building Policy" which provides for Life Cycle Costing analysis on major component replacement projects.
  
  
• Draft boilerplate language requiring Life Cycle Costing Analysis by bidders in "Request for Proposals (RFP's)" in appropriate construction and purchasing projects.

City of Palo Alto Utilities Director John Ulrich (right) accepts one of two 2003 APPA Energy Innovator Awards from Mark Crisson, Immediate Past Chair of APPA's Board of Directors.

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