What is the Brea Energy Efficiency and Solar Power Project?

The Brea Energy Efficiency and Solar Power Project is a key component of Brea’s proactive approach to be a responsible steward of the environment. This project encompasses comprehensive heating, ventilating, air-conditioning and lighting upgrades at fourteen different city facilities, plus the replacement of all outdoor city street lighting. These integrated upgrades and retrofits were complemented by construction of a brand new 1.8 megawatt capacity solar power system that was installed using three city sites: the Brea Community Center, The Brea Civic & Cultural Center and atop a large water reservoir located at the maintenance yard. This project was dedicated in July of 2011.



Who are the Partners?

The partners are The Energy Coalition, Chevorn Energy Solutions and The City of Brea.



What are the Outcomes?

A guaranteed $13.2 million in net energy cost savings will be realized over
25 years of operation. This is after covering full costs of installing the project, including
the repayment of all financing bonds. From the initial month of operation, there was a
net positive cash flow for the project. These savings directly benefit the City’s General
Fund which provides for many public services. Savings also control costs to the Water
Fund, which in turn could help buffer future rate increases.

From an environmental perspective, saving energy is always the right thing to do.
Brea’s Energy Project offsets the City’s carbon footprint and positions it for early
compliance with several new mandates from the State of California. Important
benchmarks have been established in conjunction with this project to monitor progress
going forward.



TEC Leadership

TEC provided independent advice and technical expertise to the City and participated in an advisory group for the project. TEC reviewed the project proposals and provided guidance on the budget, expected outcomes, related policies, and helped position the project for the broadest community support.



How can I Learn More?

Information on the Brea Energy Project can be found on the City of Brea website
under the “Green Life, Green Brea” section. Within a collection of articles about various
aspects of the city’s energy strategy, there is also a link into a live feed showing actual
electrical production from each of the three solar sites.