Sonoma County Guidebook for Public Agencies

Prepared for: Sonoma County, CA March 2009 Sustainable Energy Practices Guidebook for Public Agencies Sonoma County Guidebook for Public Agencies About this guidebook We created this Sustainable Energy Practices Guidebook to help public agencies benchmark their greenhouse gas emissions and devise workable, achievable plans for reducing them. During the course of this project, we talked with staff in our county and technical experts across the country to uncover case studies and proven best practices that are relevant to the needs of government agencies and applicable to utility-based programs. The result is a struc tured set of sustainable practices and suggested policies, quantitative and financial analysis tools, and step-by-step “how-to” guidance for establishing and implementing an effective greenhouse gas reduction program. This guidebook was funded by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, whose staff validated our vision of leveraging the county’s progress by sharing our sustainability story and the best practices we’ve learned from many innovative organizations. Our sincere thanks to our Brown and Caldwell team of consultants—Don Trueblood, Jim Schettler, Sally Mills, Jason Grant, Kenny Klittich and Soumya Srinivasan—who embraced our concept and helped make it a reality. And to County of Sonoma employees Tamra Pinoris (General Services), Gene Clark (Purchasing) and David Worthington (Fleet Management), we are grateful for your help in ensuring the guide’s accuracy and relevance to its users across our county, state and beyond. Historian Lewis Mumford once said: “Nothing is unthinkable, nothing impossible to the balanced person, provided it arises out of the needs of life and is dedicated to life’s further developments.” Similarly, it is our goal that this guide engenders discussion among its users about the efficacy of our approach and leads jurisdictions to develop plans, establish baselines, set ambitious targets and achieve them all, despite the challenges. Above all, this book can’t simply sit on a shelf or in a hard drive. It should be a living document, amended and improved as appropriate, and used to engage us all in the ever-changing and evolving global conversation on sustainability. John D. Haig, Jr. Energy and Sustainability Manager The County of Sonoma 1 Sonoma County Guidebook for Public Agencies Contents Sustainable Energy Practices Guidebook for Public Agencies Framework for developing and implementing best practices . .5 . Compendium: topics for innovative best practices . 9. 1 Climate change . .11 . 2 Greenhouse gas emissions . 15. 3 Energy management . .23 . 4 Water supply and distribution . 33. 5 Waste stream management . .43 . 6 Financial considerations . .49 . 7 Additional considerations . 61. Resources . .65 . Limitations . 69. This document printed on 100% post-consumer waste recycled paper. 3 Sonoma County Guidebook for Public Agencies Framework for developing and implementing best practices This introduction discusses the framework for selecting and developing best practices. The same practices will not apply to every situation, and a consistent method of making this evaluation is needed. When developing such an evaluation method, it is important to consider as many applicable variables as possible to arrive at a good decision. By creating an evaluation framework and organizing a sustainability initiative, a longer-term sustainable program can be created and maintained. Once a commitment to sustainability is established, the agency needs to implement its strategy through appropriate organizational structures, systems, performance measures, rewards, culture and people. This strategy of organizing and managing the system is essential for agencies to coordinate activities and motivate employees (Epstein, 2008). Implementation A best practices framework defines a method by which potential projects are evaluated to determine whether they constitute best practices or whether other, more sustainable, practices would be better. Each framework for eval uating energy and water conservation best practices has several elements that include baseline identification, evaluation techniques and a method for measuring important considerations and verifying the evaluation after implementation. As shown in Figure 1, the elements in the best practices framework being described here sometimes form a continuous loop that enable agencies to evaluate implementation performance and assess potential impacts due to a change in one or more elements. This section will help agencies develop a best practices framework for their 5 Sustainable Energy Practices Baseline Identification Issues Assessment Identification of Alternatives/Selection Criteria Simplicity, Reliability and Efficiency Financing Total Cost Technical of Ownership Feasibility Verification and Measurement Regulatory Considerations Figure 1. Key elements often used in the Best Practices Framework specific needs, and provide metrics to evaluate the the potential changes are desirable, acceptable or best practices after they are implemented. The frame unacceptable. The goal of developing a best practices work discussed here may be reduced, expanded or framework is similar. Sometimes value judgments are modified to fit each specific application. necessary when comparing desirable changes to unde sirable changes, both of which may occur. Baseline Identification Issues Assessment Baseline identification is usually, but not always, the first step toward developing the best practices evalu After a baseline has been identified, an agency must ation. It is important because the purpose of any best determine improvement opportunities in the realm of practice is to improve upon the status quo. Without sustainability. The goal of issues assessment is to clearly identifying components of the status quo, it is enable an agency to compare its current operations impossible to determine whether or not a change, and with its potential future performance. This helps provide the magnitude of that change, should be expected the agency an insight into areas that could be improved from implementing a new practice. The method used or best practices that could be implemented to be more to define the baseline will depend on the conditions sustainable. being considered. For instance, defining a greenhouse Identification of Alternatives/ gas baseline would use very different methods than defining an energy use baseline. In some instances, Selection Criteria the methods are inherently obvious and easy to imple Sometimes there are multiple practices that would ment. In others, some research or technical assistance achieve a desirable outcome, and it is necessary to may be needed. choose among them. For this, there is no universal The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) set of selection criteria that is equally applicable to all provides a model for evaluating the projected changes cases; however a small set of well-chosen criteria tend from proposed projects. It requires agencies to define to be the most effective approach for developing a existing conditions, identify potential changes that may best practices framework (see Figure 1). The following occur due to a proposed action, and determine whether briefly describes the selection criteria that can be used: 6 Sonoma County Guidebook for Public Agencies • Technical feasibility/logistics. The goal of evaluating • Readiness for future environmental compliance technical feasibility and logistics is determining requirements whether implementing best practices would allow • Better public, community and government relations the agency to attain a desired level of outcome within the proposed timeframe. Management commitment is usually essential for implementing new and innovative best practices. • Regulatory Considerations. See Regulatory Frame Management should provide both visible support and work section below for a detailed discussion on the resources needed to implement and control the reglatory considerations for selecting alternatives. best practices framework. The needed resources may • Total Cost of Ownership/Life-cycle Costing. Life- include staff resources, specialized skills, technology cycle assessment (LCA) is a technique used and financial resources. to minimize the environmental impacts of prod ucts, technologies, materials, processes, indus Finally, improved management performance rests on trial systems, activities or services. Life-cycle an organization’s ability to promote ownership and Costing (LCC) is an extension of the basic LCA and accountability for operations to its employees. Agen attempts to identify all costs – internal and external cies should focus on evaluating choices for best prac – associated with a product, process or activity tice implementation through stakeholder participation. throughout all stages of its life. Obtaining stakeholder “buy-in” for an agency’s priori ties and goals for sustainable development will improve Financing overall performance. One of the most common constraints on implementing best practices is initial investment. Even though a Regulatory Framework project may accrue financial benefits, it may not be implemented because of the initial costs that must be One set of standards, for which conformance is absorbed before financial benefits would occur. required, are those defined by federal, state and local law; regulations; ordinances; and permits. These regu Many financing mechanisms may be available for these latory requirements are boundaries around

Load more