School Resource Program

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The School Resource Program (SRP) is an innovative program that combines available resources from the California Energy Commissions Bright Schools Program, the U.S. Department of Energy's Rebuild America Program, and Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) to provide energy efficiency services to participating public school districts.

The SRP was created to help K-12 school districts save energy and money and to improve the physical quality of the learning environment. By providing energy audits, technical assistance with retrofit plans, information about financing methods, staff training and educational programs, the School Resource Program helps schools identify many ways to save energy and free up money for what schools do best — educating students.

School Districts can work with the SRP to obtain:

• Benchmarking studies.
• Audits of schools to pinpoint areas for energy savings.
• Suggestions on no-cost and low-cost ways to save energy.
• Best practices training on maintenance and operations procedures that help save energy.
• Project management advice when implementing energy efficiency project.

Working with a Resource Conservation Manager

When a school district joins the SRP, PG&E will assign a Resource Conservation Manager (RCM) to guide your district through developing your energy efficiency project. PG&E's RCM are experts in energy efficiency methods and applications and can provide district personnel with professional technical assistance. Your RCM will stick with you every step of the way from establishing an energy usage baseline by performing a benchmarking study of district facilities, to identifying the most cost effective energy savings opportunities, to helping your district formulate an implementation plan for your retrofitting project.

Learning More About Energy Efficiency

The SRP offers a series of workshops aimed at every type of employee in your school district:

• Financial officers and primary decision makers can learn about financial programs, techniques and strategies to help fund energy-efficiency projects.
• Facility managers will learn about ways to use new and existing technologies to run and maintain an energy optimizing physical plant.
• Custodial staffs are trained on best practices to enable them to make energy-wise decisions when working at your school site.
• Teachers are trained on how to be efficient energy consumers in their classrooms and how to be role models for their students. They can attend workshops on how to incorporate California K-8 educational standards into energy efficiency lessons and curriculum.

Relocatable Classroom Retrofit Pilot

The Relocatable Classroom Retrofit Pilot is a demonstration and direct installation pilot program to retrofit both portable and tilt-up RCs with higher efficiency lighting, HVAC systems, daylighting systems, controls, and envelope improvements to significantly reduce electricity and gas consumption and utility bills. This work will also contribute to student and teacher safety, health, and productivity.

This innovative project will contribute significantly to understanding the energy saving potential in RCs of skylights, control strategies, and other energy efficiency measures. The SRP is currently coordinating with the statewide Emerging Technologies program, the Public Interest Energy Research Program (PIER) and Rebuild America on RC retrofit demonstration projects in school districts.

PG&E Rebate Programs

PG&E offers statewide rebate programs, which are funded by California utility customers and administered by Californias four investor-owned utilities under the auspices of the California Public Utilities Commission:

Express Efficiency Rebate Program

The Express Efficiency Program offers cash incentive payments rebates for installing select qualifying energy-efficient lighting, air conditioning, refrigeration, food service, agricultural, gas and motor equipment.

Standard Performance Contract Program

The Standard Performance Contract Program offers cash incentive payments for the replacement of existing equipment with new, high-efficiency equipment. This program is open to schools looking to invest in energy efficient new technologies.

Savings by Design

The Savings By Design program is directed toward new construction for schools as well as commercial, industrial and agricultural customers. Savings by Design provides design tools, resources and incentives to promote energy efficient building design and construction. The program offers building owners and their design teams assistance, analysis and information to enhance energy-efficient facility design.

Resources for School Districts

Collaborative for High Performing Schools (CHPS)

The Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS, often referred to as "chips") aspires to increase the energy efficiency of schools in California by bringing information, services, and incentive programs directly at school districts and designers.

Bright Schools

The California Energy Commission's Bright Schools Program provides free technical assistance services, design consultation and energy audits.

Rebuild America

Created by the U.S. Department of Energy in 1994, Rebuild America a network of community-based partnerships across the nation. Rebuild America's goals are to save energy, improve building performance, cut air pollution through reduced energy demand, and enhance the quality of life through energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies.

Resources for Teachers

Energenius_® Program

The Energenius_® Educational Program provides lesson plans for elementary and middle school teachers to teach students how to reduce their energy use through energy efficiency, and how to stay safe around electricity and natural gas. The K-8 curriculum features teachers’ kits with lesson plans, video activities, classroom activities, energy use analysis classroom tools and energy-related games.

California Energy Commission Energy Quest

The Energy Quest has a wide variety of interactive energy games and puzzles, resources, projects and homework help. The site includes background material, recommended books and links to K-12 energy education lesson plans.