The city of Palmdale is continuing its quest to become one of the nation’s most energy-efficient municipalities by virtue of its Energy Action Plan (PEAP) which in four years has resulted in a significant reduction in energy costs for residents and businesses. Carbon emissions are reportedly as low as any city on the West Coast, thanks in part to a series of policies and programs put in place to reduce the output of greenhouse gasses (GHG).
Among the ongoing programs are the implementation of energy efficiency plans such as retrofitting indoor fluorescent lights with more efficient LED lights at the Palmdale Transportation Center and, at Palmdale City Hall, supplementing air conditioning units with high-tech “load shifting” Ice Bear Air Conditioning units. Solar shade structure arrays are being constructed around town—via a Power Purchase Agreement—which will allow the city to retain all renewable energy credits.
A traffic signal synchronization project is continuing with high hopes of keeping rush-hour traffic moving at a swifter pace; and the power plant is expected to significantly lower the amount of GHG emissions. As well, the all-electric California High Speed Rail is scheduled to pass through Palmdale and, by 2030, the electric commuter train could help eliminate between 4.5 and 8.4 million metric tons of GHG emissions. City officials are also touting a “buy local” campaign to help cut down on about 40 percent of the city’s GHG.
Palmdale presented its innovative energy efficiency program last month in San Diego at the fifth annual Statewide Energy Efficiency Best Practices Forum. The PEAP plan was instituted to help the city meet the state mandated greenhouse gas emission goals (based on 1990 levels) within the next six years, as prescribed by Assembly Bill 32.
“I was excited to present our programs as an example of how a city can effectively have a positive impact on the environment through efficient energy practices,” said Ben Lucha, Palmdale administrative analyst. Palmdale Director of Public Works Mike Mischel was also present at the conference and said the city remains at the forefront of “best practices” in terms of energy efficiency and new technology which can result in better energy production and delivery to customers. “We received some very nice feedback about what Palmdale is doing in terms of reducing GHG emissions, while saving money and not creating a negative impact on local residents or businesses,” Mischel said.
Reducing ‘carbon footprint’
There are tangible benefits for Palmdale in its move to “green” energy production/consumption. The new LED lights reportedly last 20 percent longer and use 90 percent less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs. Although businesses and homeowners often point to the higher cost of switching to LED bulbs, the cost over an extended period of time can be offset, because the lights need not be replaced as often. This energy-saving effort is said to reduce the “carbon footprint” which serves as a measure of the CO2 emissions that result from electricity produced by coal-fired plants. Secondarily, replacing the lights can help reduce the “indirect” CO2 emissions created across the entire lifecycle of a product. These two measures of CO2 emissions can include everything from the extraction of raw materials and manufacturing, through the product’s use and reuse and on through recycling and disposal. At every phase of existence, such energy-producing products contribute to an “indirect” carbon footprint.
Retrofitting streetlights is ongoing in many cities within Los Angeles County. In 2009, the city of Los Angeles began to retrofit its streetlights in an attempt to save about 40 percent in energy costs and to reduce carbon emissions by 40 tons per year. The plan is expected to save Los Angeles about $48 million and reduce carbon emissions by 197,000 tons by 2016. It’s estimated that there are upwards of 35 million streetlights in the United States and they use a full one percent of all electricity generated each day nationwide.
“Solar shades,” which could technically be called panels, are appearing more often in parking lots in large cities. Such systems often use a semi-transparent type of solar panel that consists of photovoltaic cells enclosed by two sheets of glass. One unique environmental benefit of solar shade structures is a reduction in the urban heat “islanding” effect associated with metropolitan areas and large open asphalt parking areas. Adding solar shade structures to parking lots is reported to help mitigate heat buildup while providing an added measure of energy independence thanks to onsite electricity generation that automatically turns on the structure lights at dusk.
Organizing traffic signal timing may be the most efficient way to reduce congestion, save at the gas pump and to reduce smog levels. Signal timing strategies can minimize stops, delays, fuel consumption and air pollution emissions. The most welcome benefit of traffic light-synchronization is reducing delay among motorists. Also, better coordination along major thoroughfares can minimize the diversion of traffic to local and residential streets and result in improved pedestrian safety.
“Our PEAP really sets a standard for how we can effectively have a positive impact on the environment through efficient energy practices,” said Palmdale Mayor Jim Ledford. “We’re looking at everything from using highly efficient LED lights and installing shade structure solar arrays, to synchronizing traffic lights and embracing mass transportation projects such as the California High Speed Rail, to collectively reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. Based on our PEAP, Palmdale will be able to meet its GHG reduction goals as established by the state, save taxpayer dollars and provide a cleaner environment for the future.”
The PEAP was funded in 2010 by virtue of a $1.3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Conservation Block Grant Program to tackle fossil fuel emissions, to reduce the total energy use by the city, to improve energy efficiency in the transportation and building sectors, and to create and sustain new jobs. The PEAP will help identify how the city will use energy and develop strategies to achieve its GHG emission reduction target of 15 percent by the year 2020. This goal is consistent with the state’s overall target to reduce emissions statewide to 1990 levels over the next six years.
In 2005, Palmdale reportedly emitted about 948,258 metric tons of carbon dioxide within city limits. The transportation sector was the largest contributor to that (40 percent), spewing about 382,013 metric tons in 2005. The commercial and industrial sectors were the next two largest contributors, accounting for 30 percent of total emissions or some 282,624 metric tons. The residential sector accounted for 27 percent of total emissions (256,213 metric tons), while emissions from solid waste comprised three percent or 27,408 metric tons.
Officials tout ‘Buy Local’ campaign
If Palmdale is to achieve a reduction target of 15 percent below baseline levels by 2020, officials feel it will need to implement a variety of measures ranging from energy efficiency and conservation, to renewable energy, more efficient use of city vehicles, more effective land use, disposal of solid waste and the aforementioned “buy local” campaign. Enhanced conservation/efficiency within the PEAP is expected to reduce emissions by 57,000 metric tons by 2020 and by more than 127,000 metric tons 20 years from now. By reducing water consumption for energy conservation, about 1,750 metric tons of GHG emissions can be cut by 2020 and by nearly 2,450 metric tons by 2035.
By promoting local renewable energy generation, emissions can be reduced by 72,500 metric tons in 2020 (113,100 by 2035). A reduction in transportation emissions via alternative vehicles (i.e. high speed rail, electric busses) can cut GHG by 13,240 metric tons by 2020 (19,990 by 2035), and reducing cars on the road or “smart land use” could cut GHG by 26,000 metric tons over the next six years (36,600 by 2035). A reduction in residential waste and the “buy local” campaign may each contribute to the ultimate goal of reducing emissions by 192,200 metric tons by 2020 and upwards of 329,500 metric tons by 2035.
The desire to “go green” has caught on in practically every developed nation around the world. From new government regulations, to manufacturing standards and to increased costs to the homeowner and private citizen, concern about climate change has brought about rapid changes in how people work, consume and go about their daily lives.
The Earth’s climate is changing because GHGs are trapping energy that is warming the climate. This is a normal occurrence in the atmosphere spanning millions of years. Since the dawn of the industrial age, however, this naturally-occuring process has been sped up significantly. As well, the increase in GHGs has damaged the ozone layer which filters out harmful ultraviolet rays before they can reach the Earth’s surface. The shrinking Arctic ice sheets can be construed as evidence that the planet is getting warmer; sea levels are rising and wild weather patterns have become much more unpredictable, all resulting in higher costs for food, water and shelter worldwide.
According to a 2011 report by the U.S. Global Change Research Program, the average temperature in the United States has gone up by two degrees during the past 50 years. Extreme weather events (i.e. the state drought) have become more frequent and intense. For instance, food prices are rising because climate change has made it more difficult to maintain the specific conditions crops need to thrive.
A Stanford University report from 2012 revealed that global wheat production—particularly from the American Midwest—has decreased by 5.5 percent as a result of an unstable climate, and world corn production was down by nearly four percent.
Expect less water, more fires?
Californians already know that fresh water is becoming more scarce each day. The snowpack in the Sierra Nevada Mountains is at an all-time low and the dry weather, combined with an increase in GHGs, has resulted in more early melting of the snow. Severe droughts, increased evaporation and changes in precipitation patterns are impacting water levels in the nation’s streams, rivers and lakes, according to the Global Change report. The Great Lakes, for instance, contain about 18 percent of the world’s fresh water and as the climate continues to warm, Lake Superior has become 4.5 degrees warmer than it was in 1980.
Increased GHG may also be responsible for the rising ocean levels. The National Wildlife Federation in 2010 found that sea ice is melting at an accelerated rate because Arctic Sea ice has shrunk by 30 percent since 1979. As it melts and ocean levels rise, coastlines and low-lying areas like Huntington Beach; New Orleans, La.; Miami, Fla.; and New York City are threatened. The organization found that if the Earth’s climate warms by another two or three degrees by 2100, global sea levels will rise by three feet, possibly displacing some 56 million people around the world.
Fire season in Southern California is now a year-long battle. Fires that erupt in drought-srticken land spread more quickly, burn longer, destroy more watershed and wreak havoc on already-threatened wildlife. The University of Arizona reported that from 1987 to 2003, “seven times” more forested land has burned in the Western United States than during the preceding 17 years, and large fires were four times more frequent. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) warned in 2009 that if the Earth warms another 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit, wildfires from the Midwest to the West Coast will burn four times more land than they ordinarily would.
The EPA in 2011 also reported that a changing climate can have both negative and positive effects. For example, the northern parts of the United States have generally cool temperatures, so warmer weather could help certain crops grow. But in southern areas where temperatures are already hot, increased heat could hurt crop growth. Higher temperatures, they reported, could cause certain types of weeds and pests to spread to new areas. If the global temperature rises an additional 3.6 degrees, U.S. corn production, the EPA reported, is expected to decrease by 10 to 30 percent over the next two decades. Farmers in the California’s Central Valley are preparing for climate change by planting crops during different times of the year, or by planting crops that can survive better in hot and dry conditions.
