The SoCalREN Public Agency Programs offer a suite of energy analysis services and tools to empower agencies to make informed decisions about their energy management. These tools compare agency-owned assets such as buildings and streetlights to highlight energy-intensive infrastructure with opportunities for cost-saving energy efficiency projects. To inform portfolio-wide energy analysis, our services and tools include a Comparative Energy Analysis Report and ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager® assistance.

Our Comparative Energy Analysis (CEA) report provides an agency-wide snapshot of building, streetlight, pumping and exterior lighting energy consumption and costs. It helps to flag issues and identify opportunities for energy efficiency improvements by highlighting the highest energy users.

ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager is an online energy management tool developed by the EPA that allows building managers to track and assess energy use across their portfolio of buildings (learn more here). Although this tool can provide valuable insights, it can be challenging to set up an account and begin using it. SoCalREN can help your agency fulfill AB802 benchmarking requirements, monitor building energy performance, and establish a record of agency facilities for ENERGY STAR building certification.

SoCalREN provides an experienced energy engineering team to work with your staff and provide technical assistance for your project. We develop an energy audit to produce a detailed list of recommended energy efficiency measures, along with a detailed financial analysis of the energy savings and costs of the recommendations to help guide your decision-making. We work with you to select the final package of measures to be installed by a quality mechanical or electrical contractor. SoCalREN Project Manager and engineer prepare performance-based technical specifications and a scope of work for the selected measures.

Projects supported by SoCalREN include:

• Lighting, including interior and exterior LEDs, occupancy sensors, controls, and daylighting
• Mechanical, including performance improvements such as heat pumps, variable frequency drives, energy monitoring and control systems, and retrocommissioning, for mechanical equipment such as heating,ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) and pool pumps
• Street lighting, including inventory analysis, photometric analysis, and technical oversight
• Water, including pump optimization, well rehabilitation, load shift measures, and retrocommissioning
• Wastewater, including plant improvements like blower replacement and optimization, mixer replacement, aeration/diffuser, sensor-based control systems, and chemical treatment systems

Whether your agency is considering a whole building retrofit or a single measure such as street lighting, SoCalREN is your one stop solution. Each enrolled agency is matched with a SoCalREN Project Manager, who serves as your point person to access our suite of programs and services. Many agencies think of their SoCalREN Project Managers as “one of our energy partners” and “part of the team.”

Our Project Managers provide start-to-finish support to guide you from facility audits all the way through construction completion. Our job is to make your job easier—we can assist with staff reports, documentation for project approval, and more to complete projects and accomplish your goals.

Energy retrofits save money and resources in the long run, but financing them can be a big challenge for public agencies. SoCalREN offers a suite of free services to overcome this challenge and move projects to completion, including:

• Tailored solutions -  SoCalREN can help identify financing solutions that best fit your agency’s specific needs and circumstances.
• Paperwork made easy - once your agency decides how to finance your energy efficiency project, SoCalREN can assist your staff with completing financing and incentive applications for the project.
• Financial advisor - SoCalREN provides access to financial advisory services through PFM Financial Advisors (PFMFA). PFMFA is available on request, at no charge, to work directly with your agency to ensure proper communication of financial options, structures and obligations.
• Exclusive access to project funding and financing options - For on-bill financing or other options that pay out after construction completion, our energy efficiency Revolving Savings Fund can help bridge the gap while other funding is being secured. Agencies can also apply for our exclusive SoCalREN cash incentives. SoCalREN offers Energy Project Lease Financing with flexible terms and low interest rates for energy efficiency, water conservation and renewable energy projects.

SoCalREN is your objective third party resource for financing support—as a ratepayer funded program, we have no financial stake in your decisions. Our mission is to support public agencies to increase energy efficiency. Our success is your success!

The slow procurement process for construction services through the traditional RFP/bid approach is a common barrier for many agencies to get projects started. SoCalREN’s simplified procurement provides project support from start to finish, bringing speed and efficiency to the construction procurement process.

Our Simplified Procurement option through Sourcewell (formerly NJPA) helps public agencies get to construction faster since they can access a pool of pre-competitively bid contractors. Sourcewell’s ezIQC®️ is the smart, easy way to buy construction services at competitive prices. Take advantage of contracts that have already been competitively awarded and access local contractors for increased speed and efficiency. Becoming a Sourcewell member is easy and can be done online at no cost, no obligation, and no liability. Many agencies are already members!

Regardless of the procurement option your agency chooses, SoCalREN’s support on performance specifications will ensure communications with your contractor will be clear and that the project you’ve developed on paper is what gets implemented. We also provide recommendations for contract language specific to energy efficiency projects—nuances that may not be part of standard templates but are invaluable for smooth project implementation and securing utility incentives. SoCalREN’s technical performance specifications ensure that the design and performance intent of your project is not lost or derailed in construction and that upgrades are installed and commissioned for lasting performance.

SoCalREN is not only your agency’s guide through energy efficiency projects, but we are also here to help you tap into the SoCalREN network to learn from peers and build energy expertise. Our network services include:

• Development of project case studies
• Network-exclusive educational webinars on energy efficiency topics
• Peer-to-peer networking and best practice sharing with other SoCalREN-enrolled public agencies
• Support building internal buy-in for energy efficiency projects at your agency by communicating project benefits at council presentations and alleviating staff capacity