Oakland, Calif.— Oakland Housing Authority was awarded the East Bay Municipal Utility District Water Conservation Project Award for 2000 for a job designed and implemented by performance contractor Citizens Conservation Services.
Citizens installed 1,300 low-flush toilets at no cost to the agency or to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. By installing faucet aerators and low-flow showerheads, as well as 1.6-gpf toilets, Citizens expects the Oakland Housing Authority will save more than 22% of its current water and sewer bill.
EBMUD recognized the housing authority and Citizens for its energy savings improvements, which included new boilers, furnaces, controls, hot water systems, chiller improvements, lighting and energy-saving refrigerators.
The project cost, including the water improvements, totals $2.1 million, with annual savings expected to surpass $345,000. Pacific Gas & Electric is providing almost $200,000 in financial incentives for lighting and other measures provided under the energy performance contracting program.
The lighting and water conservation improvements, which offer paybacks at most developments of less than four years, are helping to pay for the measures with longer paybacks, such as the boiler and furnace replacements.
Oakland is the first public housing agency in the country to win permission from hud to undertake an energy performance contract for its resident-paid utilities.
EBMUD General Manager David Diemer also recognized oha Project Manager Judy Monnier and Citizens Conservation Services for their work in improving the quality of life for oha’s residents.
Citizens Conservation Services, a wholly owned subsidiary of Ameresco, develops and implements utility-saving projects in large public housing and multifamily residential properties. The company specializes in developing and financing energy retrofits that guarantee a level of utility savings. George P. Sakellaris founded Ameresco, which is headquartered in Framingham, Mass.