by Shane Henson — February 6, 2013—The City of Solana Beach has partnered with Chevron Energy Solutions to kick its energy program into hyper drive.
According to Chevron Energy Solutions, the $1.4 million project the company is overseeing is expected to trim the city’s annual energy consumption by more than 350,000 kilowatt-hours by upgrading more than 500 streetlights to highly efficient light-emitting diode (LED) technology; adding a new “cool roof” and more efficient heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) to City Hall; and installing new efficient lighting fixtures at City Hall, the Fire Station, and the Marine Safety building.
These improvements are expected to reduce the city’s annual energy consumption, improve lighting quality and aesthetics, reduce maintenance costs, and provide consistent indoor climate quality, says Chevron Energy Solutions, which designed, engineered and installed the energy efficiency upgrades and new roof. Through the project, the city is expected to save more than $40,000 in its first year alone, all with minimal impact to the city’s general fund.
The project builds on Solana Beach’s commitment to operating more sustainably. According to city officials, it was one of first cities in San Diego County to pilot LED street lights, and is now the county’s first city to complete a retrofit of all city-owned street lights to LEDs.
“We appreciate the opportunity to make these much-needed streetlight and building improvements with minimal impact to the General Fund,” said Lesa Heebner, City of Solana Beach councilmember and member of the Council Ad-Hoc for Environmental Sustainability. “We are grateful to all the teams involved, including Chevron Energy Solutions, for their assistance in securing project financing and incentive programs that will help Solana Beach save money through energy efficiency.”
