Cities
“EcoMotion has provided my City with cutting-edge energy efficiency and solar services for several years. The EcoMotion team is top-notch, friendly, and effective.” Richard Bloom, Mayor, City of Santa Monica
Overview
EcoMotion has worked for years for cities on energy and environmental initiatives. It’s been a privilege to do so, to roll our sleeves with our City colleagues, and to get things done.
We’ve designed and implemented programs. We’ve developed greenhouse gas inventories and worked closely in communities developing climate action plans. We’ve forged energy master plans for cities to show leadership and to save energy and money, and to cut carbon.
Recently, we’ve been working for clients on cutting-edge programs – developing microgrids for energy resilience. EcoMotion is working with municipal facilities to develop carbon-free microgrids using solar and storage and controls.
GHG Inventories
Cities across the United States are measuring their greenhouse gasses to assess their carbon footprints. For cities, EcoMotion provides greenhouse gas inventories. We’ve done so since 1991 when Ted Flanigan worked for ICLEI on the first inventories in Europe and North America.
A first step is data collection for a select baseline year. We collect data from dozens of sources, gathering data for both municipal use as well as community use. While we primarily focus on Scope 1 and 2 emissions, EcoMotion also analyzes Scope 3 transportation emissions.
Municipal inventories make clear the relative emissions value between municipal operations and community use, and breakdown sources of emissions – be they from electricity, natural gas, water treatment, waste management, vehicular travel, etc. The inventories set the stage for climate action planning.
Climate Action Plans
EcoMotion provides climate action planning services for cities and other jurisdictions. We study the community. Then we facilitate internal and community processes, to craft detailed plans that serve as plausible road maps for cost-effective emissions reductions. Quantified phase one activities are developed that are potent and pragmatic, setting the foundation for phase two and three measures.
Climate planning services are essential for cities and local governments fulfilling commitments and taking strides to measure and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. During climate planning processes conducted by EcoMotion, hundreds of carbon mitigation measures are considered, energy and water efficiency programs and initiatives are emphasized, and portfolios of measures are crafted in phases, customized for the community, and measurable.
Throughout the process, EcoMotion bundles technology and financing. This helps cities, working in collaboration with residents and businesses, to reduce their footprints while harvesting cost-effective investments that benefit the community. We’re at the forefront of net-zero initiatives, financing, regional collaborations, and preparations for cap and trade.
Energy Action Plans
EcoMotion prepares Energy Action Plans for cities. These plans provide detailed information at both the overall community and municipal government levels. They include existing conditions, and roadmaps for future savings.
The plans detail current use of electricity (energy and demand), natural gas, and transportation fuels — for fleets and employee commuting — creating baseline conditions from which efficiency gains can be measured.
EcoMotion’s team provides facility assessments – and ASHRAE Level 1 and 2 audits as requested – to determine specific measures for retrofits. Each measure’s retrofit cost, equipment and installation, is valued in relation to its net present value savings. Renewable energy options – solar in particular -- are also considered and evaluated for specific buildings and sites. Analysis of measures’ costs and benefits are then present as options to accomplish stated energy and dollar-saving goals.
Microgrids for Resilience
EcoMotion is focused on microgrids, specifically solar-powered microgrids that do not rely on fossil fuels. While many municipal facilities have generators, cities are looking for carbon-free solutions. And by using the sun, the fuel supply and duration is infinite.
EcoMotion developed microgrids for the Santa Rita Union School District in 2015. The goal was to develop 7.5-hour resilience to keep students in school all day. This was achieved through full-scale solar on all six campuses and batteries with significant duration, financed at parity through a power purchase agreement.
In 2020, EcoMotion began working for Clean Power Alliance and its 32 member agencies. Our job has been multifaceted, from “Power Ready” program design, to recruiting suitable facilities, analyzing them extensively, and spearheading putting a viable portfolio of facility microgrids out in a competitive solicitation.
In 2021, EcoMotion began to work for East Bay Community Energy. EBCE identified over 300 facilities in its service territory to be “hardened” through energy resilience. For EBCE, EcoMotion conducts detailed assessments of municipal facilities and supports procurement processes and the selection of a developer to build microgrid systems.
Please call if energy resilience is on your mind. You know the benefits. We’re advocates and… we’ll be happy to give you the straight scoop on costs and limitations!