Service City Spotlight: Houston, TX
XOOM Energy’s Service City Spotlight for September is Houston, TX. The City of Houston Office of Sustainability, A Division of the Administration and Regulatory Affairs Department, plays a key role in Houston’s energy efficiency.
LED Traffic Lights and Streetlight Pilot Project
· 2000 intersections completed
· Average 90% cost savings
· Saves the City $10,000 per day or $3.6 million a year
· Average 65% energy savings
· Last longer (7 years vs. 1 year)
· Upgrading heads from 8 inch to 12 inch as part of the process
· Remaining 400 streetlights complete 2010
· Failure/damage of one light does not impact others
· Up to 50% more energy efficient Instant on/instant off performance unlike current High Pressure Sodium (HPS) lights Long life—15-20 years vs. 4-5 years
LEED Certification and Building Retrofit Program:
Since 2004, the City has required all new buildings to be LEED Certified. We currently have 37 LEED buildings with plans to add more through 2020. To date, the City has invested $70 million in energy efficiency retrofits: 6 million square feet of retrofitted City facilities are expected to achieve guaranteed energy use reductions of 30%, saving over 22 million kWh of electricity every year. The City’s most recent retrofitting projects were in the Parks and Recreation Department and in the Library Department where we retrofitted 18 libraries.
LED Lighting Conversion Program:
In 2014, at the City’s request, CenterPoint began converting ~175,000 streetlights to LED technology. This project is intended to reduce the City’s streetlight energy usage by approximately 50 percent, while reducing the City’s greenhouse gas emissions by 5 percent. Although the project was supposed to take several years, thanks to overwhelming support from residents asking for lighting to be installed in their neighborhoods and a push to light up the city in time for the Super Bowl, CenterPoint is ahead of schedule.
The Public Works Department also finished replacing the incandescent bulbs at all 2,450 signalized intersections with LEDs and the City is now realizing over $3.6 million a year in savings.
To report streetlight or traffic light outage, please call 311.
Performance Contracting at Wastewater Treatment Plants
· Approved December 16, 2009
· Active participation by Clinton Climate Initiative
· Contract(s) with ESCo(s) to obtain guaranteed energy savings at some or all of the City’s 39 wastewater treatment plants
· Costs to be paid for with saving from reductions in energy usage
· Lifetime of project: 15-20 years
Performance Contracting for COH Buildings
· 297 facilities
· Office buildings, libraries, multi-service centers, police stations, fire stations, health centers, recreation facilities
· Utilize two ESCOs-Siemens Building Industries and Schneider Electric
· 5.3 million square feet under assessment
· 4.5 million square feet receiving energy conservation measures
Houston also has the Energy Efficiency Incentive Program (EEIP) – The EEIP will provide a financial incentive to help motivate office building owners, property managers, and tenants located in the City of Houston to reduce energy consumption and increase the economic performance of their building.
Green Office Challenge – This friendly competition for commercial property managers and office tenants acknowledges participants for their achievements in greening their operations through Mayoral and media recognition.
Residential Energy Efficiency Program (REEP) – Funded by CenterPoint Energy, the City of Houston created the REEP to provide income-qualified Houstonians the opportunity to receive the implementation of weatherization measures for their homes for free. These funds allow for Houstonians to reduce their energy consumption by installing energy efficiency upgrades such as CFL light bulbs, door weather-stripping, caulking, wall and attic insulation, air conditioners, HVAC system upgrades, refrigerators, solar screens and more.
Houston is a community partner in the Department of Energy’s Better Buildings Challenge (BBC) offered by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). According to the DOE, “the BBC is a voluntary leadership initiative that asks leading CEOs and executives of U.S. companies, universities, school districts, multifamily residential organizations, and state and local government to make a public commitment to energy efficiency. Through the Better Buildings Challenge, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is highlighting leaders that have committed to upgrading buildings and plants across their portfolio, and providing their energy savings data and strategies as models for others to follow.” Through this challenge, Houston committed 30 million square feet to achieve a 20% energy reduction goal by 2020.
Houston has received many awards and honors for their green initiatives.
Green Power Leadership Award
The City of Houston has received the Green Power Leadership Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2017, 2014, and 2008. The annual awards recognize the country’s leading green power purchasers for their commitment and contribution in helping advance the development of the nation’s green power market. With this program, EPA recognizes Green Power Partners who distinguish themselves through their leadership, overall strategy, and impact on the green power market. Houston is currently using nearly 1.1 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of green power annually, which is equivalent to the electricity use of more than 100,000 average American homes annually. By choosing green power, Houston is accelerating the transition to a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable energy future.
Climate Protection Award
In 2008, former Mayor Bill White was honored at this year's U.S. Conference of Mayors by receiving their prestigious Climate Protection Award. Mayor White and the City were recognized for being a national leader purchasing green energy. The City of Houston has purchased over 350 million kWh of wind energy making the City the largest municipal purchaser of renewable power in the United States.
The conference was held in Miami, FL and Jedediah Greenfield – Environmental Communications Manager – accepted the award on behalf of Mayor White. Those interested in view the ceremony can follow the link to awards video.
Gas-to-Liquid Study Grant Award
The City of Houston was awarded a grant by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for $60,000 to conduct emission tests on Gas-to-Liquid (GTL) fuel. GTL fuel can reduce criteria pollutants from new and existing diesel vehicles, particularly for NOx.
EPA DIAL Grant Award
The City of Houston was awarded a grant by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for $650,000 to conduct its own testing and get the most accurate numbers on the amount of toxic chemicals being released by large refineries and chemical plants along the Ship Channel. The City will use a remote sensing instrument called differential absorption lidar, or DIAL. Its accuracy for emission auditing uses infrared and ultraviolet lasers to capture hard to measure emissions.
Solar America City
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has named the City of Houston as one of 25 U.S. cities as Solar America Cities. DOE recognizes Solar America Cities as partners highly committed to solar technology adoption at the local level. The awards are intended to accelerate solar adoption in cities-our nation's electricity load centers-by supporting cities' innovative efforts with financial and technical assistance. The cities selected are prepared to take a comprehensive, city-wide approach to solar technology that facilitates its mainstream adoption.
Government Synergy Award
Former Mayor White was presented with the Synergy Government Award yesterday at the Citizens Environmental Coalition’s tenth annual Synergy Award Luncheon.
Mayor White has grabbed the attention of the community with his practical approach to making Houston “greener.”
He has demonstrated that he knows what it takes to make Houston an environmental city. He’s been putting his know-how of sustainability to work, and in the process, he’s putting Houston on the map for becoming the energy efficiency capital of the world, and a model environmental city.
Phoenix Award
The Phoenix Awards were created in 1997 to honor and to recognize innovative yet practical brownfields remediation projects, which bring blighted, old commercial and industrial sites back to productive use. While these projects serve as models for other communities, the awards also provide a forum to showcase and publicize successful solutions to a nationwide concern. One winner from each EPA Region is selected each year, and the award presentation is made at the EPA's National Brownfields Conference held in a different U.S. city each fall. Minute Maid Park (formerly Enron Field) was presented a regional Phoenix Award at the National Brownfields Conference in Atlantic City, New Jersey in October 2000.
Best Workplaces for Commuters Award
On September 9, 2003, the City of Houston was recognized as one of Houston's Best Workplaces for Commuters for its commitment to provide outstanding transportation benefits for employees and achieving the Best Workplaces for Commuters National Standard of Excellence awarded by the Houston-Galveston Area Council, in partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Clean Air Leader Award
On November 18, 2003, the City of Houston was recognized by the Houston-Galveston Area Council as a Clean Air Leader in the Houston-Galveston Area as part of The Clean Cities/Clean Vehicles Program.
