SAN DIEGO, Oct. 23, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) has signed contracts totaling $42.9 million that expand opportunities for its residential and business customers to save money and help the environment through energy efficiency.
The new programs are administered under contracts awarded by SDG&E through a competitive bidding process. The contracts provide funding through 2008 for the following innovative energy-efficiency programs:
-- Advanced Home Renovations Program: Conducts an "Extreme Energy
Makeover" of an older home that will help educate customers on
energy impacts of cost-effective renovations.
-- San Diego Energy-Efficiency Education Program (E3): Provides an
energy-efficiency education program for all schools within the
SDG&E service territory.
-- Time-of-Sale Energy-Efficiency Check-up: Educates realtors on the
benefits of an energy-efficient home and trains home inspectors to
perform the energy audit at the time of sale.
-- Appliance Recycling: Makes available rebates to customers who
recycle inefficient refrigerators, freezers and room air
conditioners.
-- Mobile Home Program: Provides a comprehensive set of
energy-efficient measures to customers in manufactured and mobile
homes.
-- Business Energy Assessment Program: Offers business customers an
interactive, online assessment to develop practical
energy-efficiency recommendations.
-- Industrial Energy-Efficiency Acceleration Program: Increases
efficient use of large commercial and industrial customers by
driving continuous improvement in energy efficiency.
-- Sweetwater Schools Demonstration Program: Showcases and
demonstrates innovative indirect/direct evaporative cooling systems
and lighting systems.
-- California Preschool Energy-Efficiency Program: Provides technical
audits and implementation of comprehensive lighting, heating,
ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) and refrigeration retrofits
at preschools.
-- Domestic Hot Water Control Program: Offers the installation of
monitored hot water controls to hotels and motels.
-- Mobile Energy Clinic Program: Focuses on improving energy
efficiency for small-business customers by providing diagnostics
and maintenance of HVAC equipment and small boiler tube cleaning
and other improvements through energy audits.
-- RCx Retrocommissioning Program: Recruits large customers to
identify operational improvements, achieve energy savings and
improve occupant comfort.
-- Laundry Coin-Op Program: Offers an install/rebate program to
replace inefficient gas and electric coin-operated washers in
Laundromats, as well as offer hot- and cold-water pipe wrap,
lighting and other measures.
-- VeSM Advantage Plus: Provides energy-efficiency measures for large
and mid-sized manufacturing companies through the improvement of
production processes.
-- HVAC Training, Installation and Maintenance: Provides training and
incentives for contractors to install energy-efficiency HVAC units
in grocery stores, restaurants, large single-story and small retail
businesses, and homes.
-- SUREFAST Program: Deploys, tests and commercializes the SUREFAST
energy management system to monitor energy usage and conserve
energy.
-- Upstream HVAC/Motors Program: Increases the supply and stocking of
HVAC units and motors for residential customers by providing
incentives to manufacturers and distributors and suppliers.
-- CHEERS New Construction Advanced Rating Program: Enhances the
state-approved Title 24 compliance software to accurately
demonstrate energy savings in SDG&E's new construction programs.
"We want everyone to reap the benefits of energy efficiency, and our new energy-efficiency contracts will help our campaign reach a broader range of customers," said Mark Gaines, SDG&E's director of customer programs.
SDG&E's energy-efficiency campaign has a three-year goal of saving about 121.1 million kilowatt hours equivalent to the energy consumed by 242,2000 residential customers for one month or 20,183 residential customers for one year.
For a description of SDG&E's energy-efficiency programs, visit sdge.com/thirdparty or contact SDG&E's Energy Information Center at (800) 644-6133.
San Diego Gas & Electric is a regulated public utility that provides safe and reliable energy service to 3.4 million consumers through 1.3 million electric meters and more than 825,000 natural gas meters. Exceptional customer service is a priority of SDG&E as it seeks to enhance the region's quality of life. SDG&E is a regulated subsidiary of Sempra Energy (NYSE:SRE). Sempra Energy, based in San Diego, is a Fortune 500 energy services holding company. To learn more, go to www.sdge.com.