Resources for Federal Government Agencies

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Training

Pacific Energy Center (PEC)

Want to learn more about energy efficiency or find out what other federal government agencies are doing to be more green? Sign up for energy efficiency training. Most classes and services are free for PG&E customers and for those who serve them.

Customer Highlights

Want to see examples of how smart energy management can deliver significant improvements for your agency? Learn what other federal government customers are doing to save energy, reduce costs and increase the reliability of their systems:

United States General Services Administration (USGSA–Fresno)

USGSA–Fresno Initiates Facility-Targeted Audit

On June 11, 2009, USGSA–Fresno initiated a targeted audit of the Fresno Federal Building and Court House. Mark Levi, USGSA's Pacific Region–Energy Program Manager, led the effort with assistance from PG&E's Federal Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Solutions team. The facility was new and in good condition, so the targeted audit investigated key areas where there was known potential for energy savings and sustainable solutions.

Incentives and rebates will be provided for projects that are identified, evaluated, implemented and verified by PG&E. The facility will also be benchmarked to establish its overall level of performance.

United States General Services Administration–National Archives and Records Administration (USGSA–NARA)

USGSA–NARA Initiates Facility-Targeted Audit

On June 15, 2009, USGSA–NARA initiated a targeted energy audit of its facility in San Bruno. Mark Levi, Pacific Region–Energy Program Manager, led the effort with assistance from PG&E's Federal Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Solutions team. The audit investigated key areas of the facility that have known potential for energy savings and sustainable solutions. Prior to the audit, the NARA facility had been retrocommissioned to determine if its systems were functioning optimally. The results of the retrocommission indicated the systems were operating well and performing as designed.

United States General Services Administration (USGSA) – San Francisco

USGSA–San Francisco Completes Advanced Lighting Technology Upgrades

On July 21, 2009, USGSA–San Francisco completed an advanced lighting technology retrofit of the fourth and eighth floors of its facility in San Francisco. The system that was installed uses digital controls and addressable ballast technology, enabling fine-tuning of the lighting system so the proper amount of light is delivered to the area with minimal use of energy. The system can also be programmed to shed additional lighting load during demand response events when predetermined set points are reached. USGSA–San Francisco will receive a PG&E incentive payment once the performance of the new system is verified.

The scope of the project involved:

De-lamping
Adding occupancy sensors that are connected to the central Building Automation System
Installing manual local dimmable controls on all of the lighting systems
Installing automatic daylighting controls on the perimeter fixtures
Replacing all incandescent lamps with compact fluorescents lamps

This project is estimated to have the following results:

Annual electrical savings: 140,000 kilowatt-hours per year
Peak period demand savings: Approximately 39 kilowatts
Annual energy cost savings: $18,200 per year
One-time PG&E incentive: $9,835
Greenhouse gas reductions: 77 tons of CO2 per year

USGSA–San Francisco is also working with PG&E's Federal Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Solutions Team on developing several other projects at this facility.

United States General Services Administration (USGSA)–Oakland

USGSA–Oakland Federal Building Completes Installation of Variable Frequency Drives on Chillers

On July 14, 2009, USGSA–Oakland completed the installation of variable frequency drives (VFDs) on chillers used for primary cooling in the central plant. Mark Levi, Pacific Region–Energy Program Manager, led the effort with assistance from PG&E's Federal Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Solutions team. USGSA–Oakland will receive a PG&E incentive payment once the performance of the new system is verified.

The project is estimated to produce the following results:

Annual electrical savings: 315,163 kilowatt-hours per year
Annual energy cost savings: $40,971 per year
One-time PG&E incentive: $44,123
Greenhouse gas reductions: 173 tons of CO2 per year

USGSA-Oakland is working with PG&E to develop several other projects at this facility. Additional information will be made available as the projects develop.

United States Coast Guard (USCG)–Pacific Strike Team

USCG Completes Extensive Lighting Upgrade

On July 28, 2009, USCG completed a comprehensive lighting upgrade at its Pacific Strike Team Facility. USCG's Tim White led the effort with assistance from PG&E's Federal Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Solutions team. The project has substantially increased the energy efficiency and performance of the facility. USCG will receive a PG&E incentive payment once the performance of the new system is verified.

The project is estimated to have the following results:

Annual electrical savings: 36,015 kilowatt-hours per year
Peak period demand savings: Approximately 35 kilowatts
One-time PG&E incentive: $1,800
Greenhouse gas reductions: 20 tons of CO2 per year

USCG is also working on a much larger comprehensive project. Additional details on the initiative will become available as it develops.

United States Social Security Administration (SSA)–Richmond

SSA–Richmond Completes Lighting Efficiency Upgrade

On July 28, 2009, SSA–Richmond completed lighting upgrades to the building exterior and a large conference room. This small project was the first phase of a comprehensive energy-efficiency effort initiated with PG&E's Federal Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Solutions team and led by SSA's Frank Hagel Federal Building Energy Manager David Rouggly. SSA–Richmond will receive a PG&E incentive once the performance of the new system is verified.

The project is estimated to produce the following results:

Annual electrical savings: 102,331 kilowatt-hours per year
Peak period demand savings: Approximately 20 kilowatts
Annual energy cost savings: $13,303
One-time PG&E incentive: $4,765
Greenhouse gas reductions: 56 tons of CO2 per year

Details on the comprehensive project will be released once they are fully developed.

Shedding Load During Demand Response Events

Turn off non-essential indoor/outdoor lighting, signage, window displays and office equipment not in use (i.e., printers, copiers, shredders, coffee makers).
Turn off decorative features, such as fountains, lighting and ambient audio and video displays.
Pre-cool work areas, then cycle constant air volume heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) units or temporarily re-set static pressure in variable air volume HVAC, turn off ceiling fans and room fans, and raise temperature settings.
Some facilities with package air conditioning units can do load cycling, temperature reset, and possibly pre-cooling.
Turn off beverage vending machines and shift use of icemakers before or after an event.
Conduct meetings during events to minimize use of equipment.
Charge batteries and battery-operated equipment prior to an event, then unplug battery chargers and use only pre-charged equipment during an event.
Adjust employee schedules and shifts so that times of increased production or energy use occur before or after planned events.
Complete dishwashing and housekeeping activities before or after an event.
Turn off or turn down boilers, pumps, fans and equipment not in use, especially in printing facilities.
Turn off excess elevator banks and escalators (as permitted).
Turn off or turn down chillers, and reset chilled water temperature.
Adjust variable speed drive controls to reduce load from fans, pumps and chillers.
Apply ventilation control – temporarily reducing outside airflow can help reduce cooling demand.

More Services for Federal Government Agencies

Because our government customers operate a diverse set of facilities and enterprises, we have developed an extensive array of programs and tools to give our customers wide flexibility to meet their business needs.

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Energy-Efficiency Retrofit Loan Program

PG&E provides 0% interest loans of up to $250,000 to government agency customers to construct energy-efficiency retrofit projects. For more information, email PG&E's Federal Government Program Office.