Energy Efficient Buildings
CEC’s Vision: Our homes and offices create as much energy as they use
CEC uses the phrase “zero net energy” buildings. It’s a simple concept. In 20 years, we want all the buildings in our region to be super efficient, generating as much energy as they use. At CEC, we focus our efforts on creating a community where homes and buildings are as energy efficient as possible.
What CEC is Doing
Empowering People to Save Energy — Through our community outreach programs, we make it possible for you — the individual — to learn from experts and success stories, get empowered, and make changes to your home or business.
Raising the Bar on Energy Efficiency for New Buildings — We’re helping local governments create some of the strongest building energy codes in the nation. Why? By setting local “reach codes” that go beyond statewide standards, our community saves energy and demonstrates to other regions what can be accomplished on a local level. Thanks to support and guidance from CEC and the South County Energy Efficiency Partnership (SCEEP), the City of Goleta now requires all buildings within city limits to exceed California’s Title 24 — which is already the most aggressive state energy standard in the U.S. We’re working to get similar “reach codes” adopted in the City of Santa Barbara and City of Carpinteria in the near future.
Helping Businesses Save Energy —CEC connects local business owners with energy efficient products and rebates, free energy audits, and free programs for businesses, such as a free lighting retrofit from Southern California Edison. We regularly conduct energy evaluations for businesses working toward the Santa Barbara county-wide Green Business Program.
Keeping Contractors Cutting Edge — CEC reaches out to contractors and building energy professionals to educate them about the latest energy efficiency rebate programs so they can help their clients save money. We also connect them with training opportunities so they can stay on top of the latest improvements in efficient building practices.
Can You Imagine? No Utility Bills
This 1960’s tract home in Goleta, owned by a mother and daughter, was retrofitted to be a zero net energy home. There was nothing special about this home aside from the commitment of the owners. The retrofit was cost effective and the owners no longer have utility bills. Every home in the community has this potential.
How You Can Help
Make “Zero Net Energy” your personal green building goal.
Get Educated with CEC’s “Get Started” Guides — Check out our free Get Started guide for how-to’s and resources for saving energy and money at home. Our Get Started guides help you figure out the best options for improving home performance, upgrading appliances, efficient lighting, and where to find rebates and incentives.
Track Your Energy Use — Get started by tracking your energy use, and finding out where energy is being wasted. Test your home’s performance to identify the weakest links and improve your overall health and comfort, not to mention your monthly utility bill.
Support Santa Barbara Green Businesses — Support the certified Green Businesses in the county of Santa Barbara, which include restaurants, hotels, spas, retail stores, and other local businesses. Use your purchasing power to support a sustainable business.
Build the Movement in Your Neighborhood — We believe Santa Barbara has the potential for a Zero Net Energy home on every block, and we need your help to get that traction in the community. Our goal for 2011 is that 100 homes undergo deep energy retrofits while improving comfort and convenience. > Find a home performance contractor
Share Your Story —Inspire people with the story of how you saved energy in your home, performed an energy audit or a conducted a whole-home energy retrofit. If your family or someone in your social network has a compelling story about how they saved energy, share it with us.