Leading the Way
The City is not starting from scratch on its quest for carbon neutrality. Many programs and projects are being implemented right now that set the Santa Barbara community up for success. On this page you can find information on our solar, solar and battery, green building, vehicle electrification projects, and other projects bringing our community Together to Zero.
Solar and Storage Projects
The City's Sustainability & Resilience Department is nearing completion of a 425 kilowatt (kW) solar photovoltaic system and battery energy storage system (BESS) at the Granada Garage. The project will generate, store, and supply electricity to the Granada Garage, Granada Offices, and the Combined Communications Center, while also reducing electricity costs at the Central Library across the street.
About the Project
The new system will produce approximately 700,000 kWh per year of clean renewable electricity, equivalent to powering over 150 Santa Barbara homes. In addition to increasing local renewable electricity capacity, project benefits include improved regional air quality and energy reliability, and supporting the local green energy industry. This project is part of a broader City initiative to build microgrids, systems capable of both generating and storing electricity, at critical municipal facilities. Microgrids can power these facilities while disconnected from the grid, providing significant resilience potential during power outages and climate emergencies.
The battery storage system at the Granada Garage project was funded in part through Southern California Edison’s Self-Generation Incentive Program (SGIP). The designer and contractor was Amerescro, Inc.
Green Building Projects
In 2019 the City adopted a Green Building Policy which requires various levels of green building and efficiency practices to be incorporated into City facility construction and renovation projects. It includes waste diversion, water and energy efficiency, transportation, material resource and indoor air quality components. It also requires that moderate-to-large new construction projects meet Zero-Net-Energy standard, where the all-electric building produces as much renewable energy onsite as it consumes. The City’s first example of this new policy in place is in the design of the City’s new Police Station.
New Santa Barbara Police Station
About the Project
In 2017 City Council voted to make a new police station one of the main Measure C improvement projects to place the outdated and insufficient existing 1959 building. The new 64,000 square-foot Police Station and attached 84,000 square-foot parking structure is in the final stages of Design Development and will be located downtown. To meet the City’s ambitious goal of Net-Zero Energy, the building is designed to create as much energy on-site as the it uses. The plan includes highly efficient building systems and a large Solar and Battery array to add resilience to the building in event of a power outage. This project was designed by MWL & Cearnal Collective. The MEP Engineer is Alvine Engineering. The project is expected to be completed by 2027.
Vehicle Electrification Projects
The state of California has committed to achieving 100 percent zero-emission vehicles by 20235. Our city is doing our part to support this goal by installing EV chargers throughout the community to allow easy and fast access for electric vehicles. The City installed their first public EV charger over 10 years ago, and now has 65 stations available to the public. Energy & Climate Staff have continued to expand EV charging access in the City. With over $7 million in grant funds applied for, and over $3 million in reserved funds, the City’s plans for new EV chargers are underway to increase charging capacity by seven-fold in the next couple of years.
Ortega Project
About the Project
This install consists of 12 Tesla Superchargers and 4 CCS/CHAdeMO ChargePoint fast chargers (above, left). These chargers live up to their name, drastically reducing charging times for EVs, and freeing up charging spaces faster. Several additional fast charger installations are planned for locations throughout town. The project was designed by Tesla, and the MEP Engineer was GDP Group. The contractor was Baker Electric.
More information about City EV charger locations and rates click here
Battery Energy Storage Project at Cater Water Treatment Facility
Project Details:
The batteries provide important energy assurance for the facilities at Cater Water Treatment Center. Cater is a critical water source serving the populations of Santa Barbara, Carpinteria, and Montecito. In addition to providing a backup power benefit, this system will also allow the facility to “load shift,” charging the battery using grid power when electricity is cheapest and discharging the battery during peak times when electricity is most expensive. The ability to load shift will provide an estimated $790,000 in energy savings to the City over the projected 20-year life of the batteries.
The City worked with Tesla to successfully secure funding through Southern California Edison’s Self-Generation Incentive Program (SGIP), which covered the entire cost of the batteries. As a result, the City was able to install the system at no cost.