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Energy Conservation

Energy consumption in our homes, businesses, public buildings, and schools is the second largest contributor of greenhouse gas pollution in Sonoma accounting for 23% of overall GHG emissions.

The more fossil-fuel based electricity and natural gas we consume, the greater the environmental impact. Reducing the amount of energy we consume through energy efficiency and energy conservation can significantly reduce our GHG emissions while also saving us money. Thus, we need to focus on clean production (e.g., solar), clean consumption (switching from gas to electricity), and efficient consumption (consuming less).

Below are various resources to help you save energy including Energy Conservation Tools, Energy Conservation Actions, and free Energy Conservation Assistance in addition to Energy Conservation FAQs.

Energy Conservation Actions

checkSign-up for Clean Energy: Sonoma’s electricity provider, Sonoma Clean Power, offers CleanStart (49% renewable and 91% carbon-free) and EverGreen (100% local renewable).

checkUpgrade to Energy Efficient Lighting: LED bulbs can cut lighting energy use by 85% compared to incandescent bulbs and by 40% compared to fluorescent lights.

checkConduct an Energy Audit: Energy audits are the first step to assess how much energy your home or businesses consumes and evaluates measures that can reduce energy costs.

checkInstall a Heat Pump Water Heater: Receive a rebate and monthly bill credit when you install an energy-efficient heat pump water heater.

checkUpgrade to Energy Efficient Appliances: There are 75 categories of Energy Star rated appliances, which meet energy efficiency standards saving money.

checkConduct a Solar Energy Assessment: Unbiased solar consultations are crucial to help you sort out and assess solar power options.

checkSwitch to a Smart Thermostat: These allow you to create automatic and programmable temperature settings based on daily schedules, weather conditions, and heating and cooling needs,  saving you money.

checkInstall Solar Energy: Solar energy to produce electricity or hot water is a truly renewable source of energy especially here in sunny Sonoma.

 

Energy Conservation FAQs

Does the City offer expedited permitting to install solar power?

Yes, the City’s Building Department offers expedited permitting (1 to 3 days) for Solar Power Projects.

What is Sonoma Clean Power?

Sonoma Clean Power (SCP) is a community-owned electricity provider for Sonoma County. SCP sources renewable and local low-carbon electricity at competitive rates and PG&E delivers it through its existing utility lines. PG&E continues to do billing, maintain the power lines, and handle new service requests and emergencies.

Is there a list of tips to conserve energy?

This PG&E website contains tips to conserve energy.

What is the difference between energy efficiency and energy conservation?

Energy efficiency means to use less energy to perform the same task. Basically to eliminate energy waste. Energy conservation is to not use energy. For example, turning lights off in an unused room is energy conservation while switching to more energy efficient lights such as LEDs is energy efficiency.

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