Feature
by Kate Merrill & Chandra Lawrence Johnson
Energy and water prices are on the rise, but well-informed property owners and managers are keeping their utility prices down by taking advantage of free conservation programs, which run the gamut from water-efficiency audits to generous rebates on gas-fired water heaters. Upgrades to your building's energy- and water-consuming systems can make sense for long-term utility savings, adds to the value of the building and your tenants will enjoy the improved performance of state-of-the-art systems. The LightWash Program and the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) offer many conservation programs that reduce up-front costs and make it easier to save water, energy and money.
Generous Rebates
Due to rising utility costs, your property's old, inefficient laundry equipment could be costing more and more to operate. To help lighten your load, the LightWash Rebate Program is available to customers of Pacific Gas and Electric Company and Northern California's participating water districts. Currently, multifamily properties can apply for LightWash and SFPUC rebates for a combined total of up to $300 per qualifying high-efficiency clothes washer installed in common-area laundry rooms, and up to $600 for a 100,000-input BTUH (British thermal units per hour), or $1,200 on a 200,000 BTUH water heater on qualifying high-efficiency water heaters serving laundry systems.
The new generation of clothes washers is extremely efficient compared to older machines. New high-performance clothes washers use about 50 % less water and energy than old inefficient washers, mostly due to a reduced need for hot water. To achieve this, many manufacturers have changed the washer design from a top-loading, agitator-type design to a front-loading design in which the drum only partly fills with water during the wash and rinse cycles. A relevant article in the January 2001 issue of Consumer Reports states, "Front-loaders, which tumble clothes much like dryers do, have generally outshone top-loaders by combining excellent cleaning ability with unmatched gentleness and efficiency in both water and energy usage." As an added benefit, many such machines also extract more water from clothes at the end of their cycle, requiring less drying time.
Ultrahigh-efficiency water heaters can also make a big dent in your natural-gas bill. The efficiency of a natural-gas-fired commercial water heater can be expressed as its “thermal efficiency”—the higher the rating, the more efficient the unit. The thermal efficiency of a new, standard gas-fired unit is about 80%; older standard units operate at efficiencies in the 70% range. New ultrahigh-efficiency units, such as those that are gas condensing, can exceed 95%. Using gas-condensing water heaters may lead to energy savings of up to 20% over a new standard unit, depending upon the usage pattern.
California consumers are not obligated to purchase any full-fee services or other service not funded by this program. The LightWash Program is funded by California energy-utility ratepayers under the auspices of the California Public Utilities Commission.
Rebates are subject to availability and will be paid on a first-come, first-served basis. For more details on applying for washer rebates in San Francisco or for information about rebates in other counties, contact Kate Merrill at LightWash, toll-free at 866-307-WASH (9274) or on the Web at www.lightwash.com or contact the SFPUC Water Conservation Section at 415-551-4730 or at www.sfwater.org.
High-Efficiency Toilet Rebates
SFPUC residential customers are eligible for cash rebates when they replace their high-flow toilets with new, more efficient models. Toilets with a flush volume of 3.5 gallons or greater are considered high-flow models. Rebates vary from $25 for an approved, ultralow-flush toilet up to $125 for an approved high-efficiency toilet.
For more than a decade, federal laws have mandated that the toilet-flush volume for models sold in the United States could not exceed 1.6 gallons per flush. These models are called ultralow-flush toilets and they are the highest flow models available on the market today.
High-efficiency toilets (HET) are fairly new to the American market but have long been used overseas. HETs flush at least 20% below standard models. With toilets accounting for nearly one-third of indoor water consumption, HET models present significant cost-savings potential.
Only SFPUC Water Conservation Program-approved toilets qualify for rebates. To obtain a current list of qualifying models and their rebate amounts, please call 415-551-3000.
Water-Wise House Call Program
SFPUC residential customers and property managers are eligible for a free Water-Wise House Call. This service provides a comprehensive review of your property's water usage and is the first step toward conserving water and saving money on water and wastewater bills.
SFPUC technicians will visit your property to review past water-use patterns, show you how to read your water meters, measure showerhead and faucet-flow rates, install free showerheads and faucet aerators if needed, check toilets for leaking flapper valves, and evaluate your irrigation systems and landscape watering schedules. Implementing SFPUC water-wise recommendations will help you become more efficient; benefiting the environment and saving you money.
For more information or to schedule your appointment for a free Water-Wise House Call, contact 415-551-4730.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the viewpoints of SFAA or the San Francisco Apartment Magazine. Kate Merrill is with the LightWash Program, 866-307-9274 or info@lightwash.com. Chandra Lawrence Johnson is with the SFPUC, cajohnson@sfwater.org or 415-554-0704. Copyright © 2005 by San Francisco Apartment Magazine. All rights reserved.