Whether switching off office lights and closing windows after the workday or installing state-of-the-art ventilation systems in new buildings, every little bit counts in the effort to save energy, according to the San Diego Regional Energy Office (SDREO).
To honor individuals, organizations and businesses that incorporate energy efficiency and conservation into their business practices and private lives, SDREO recognizes outstanding efforts each year by handing out San Diego Energy Efficiency, or SANDEE, awards.
The third annual awards ceremony took place earlier this year in order to elevate the awareness of energy-conserving activities being practiced in the community, SDREO marketing director Tom Geldner said.
During the past two years, awards were presented to individuals and organizations for technological advancements. But this year’s honors focus on energy-saving behaviors and achievements that contribute to a “sustainable energy future,” Geldner said.
“We don’t really care what people [in general] are doing, as long as they’re doing something that’s working toward these goals,” Geldner said.
Sun Harbor Marina, 5000 North Harbor Drive, was honored for Special Achievement in Energy by a Small Business. The marina was nominated by San Diego Gas & Electric for purchasing energy produced by wind, said Sun Harbor general manager Kathy O’Brien.
Known for its environmentally friendly practices, Sun Harbor was declared a Clean Marina in 2005 by the Clean Marinas California Program, a partnership of yacht clubs and marina owners and operators dedicated to protecting California waterways from pollution.
Sun Harbor Marina was also the first marina in the world to become Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified by the U.S. Green Building Council, a 7,500-member organization dedicated to constructing buildings in accordance with sustainability standards.
“If we want to be here in the future, the only way we’re really going to accomplish that is by conserving [resources] in our surroundings for everyone else,” O’Brien said.
Another SANDEE award winner, WilderHill Clean Energy Index manager Rob Wilder, was honored for Outstanding Individual Achievement. Wilder teaches marine policy and conservation at The University of California, San Diego and has been a featured speaker at Point Loma Nazarene University, spreading the message that clean energy technologies can “make sense ecologically and economically.”
Wilder has been working with students from the San Diego Community College District to build an electric hybrid vehicle that can run on gasoline, biofuels or an electric charge. Currently, Wilder uses solar energy to power his home, pool and vehicle.
He even drives a Tesla, an electric sports car that can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in about four seconds and runs for 250 miles on one charge, Wilder said.
Additionally, he and colleague Joshua Landess founded the WilderHill index to track businesses’ improvements in energy conservation.
“I’ve committed quite a bit of my family and my own lifestyle to this renewable energy, and we haven’t given up a thing,” Wilder said. “I can take my son on a very fast little two-seater Tesla, and my home is solar-powered. Renewable [energy], to me, makes sense.”
All SANDEE awardees are nominated through an application process and reviewed by an independent selection committee comprising public and private energy experts for energy savings, environmental benefits, overall effectiveness, community benefits and cost savings.
The San Diego Regional Energy Office is an independent, nonprofit corporation that promotes, educates and helps provide energy conservation programs and clean energy rebates to residents and businesses in San Diego County.
For more information, visit www.sdenergy.org.