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Sustainable Santa Clara - December 2021 |
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Advancing Building Decarbonization
On November 16, the City adopted building electrification and electric vehicle (EV) “reach codes”. Reach codes reach beyond the State requirements in order to accelerate climate action strategies that achieve carbon emissions reductions through building and transportation electrification. The City’s reach code restricts the use of natural gas and requires all new buildings to run off electricity as their primary energy source, with some exceptions. The ordinance includes requirements for electric cooking and space and water heating. As part of these reach codes, all new buildings in Santa Clara will also be required to include EV charging readiness to support transportation electrification and reduce barriers to EV adoption. The new ordinance goes into effect January 1, 2022. This is one of many initiatives underway to support a more Sustainable Santa Clara.
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The City's Reed & Grant 9.75-acre Sports Park received recognition as Project of the Year from the American Public Works Association Silicon Valley Chapter in the Environmental/Parks greater-than-$25M category.
The Park is an example of sustainable design with a variety of recreational opportunities close to the City’s urban core. All storm water traveling through fields is hard piped to onsite bio-filtration basins. Low-water-use and native plants are used for the entire site, reclaimed water is used for trees and vegetation, and the restroom and irrigation systems utilize recycled water, reducing the facility’s water consumption by 85 percent. The one all-natural field uses a low-water grass variety with the remaining soccer fields being constructed of artificial turf to further reduce water use. The facility also provides electric vehicle charging stations and the multipurpose building’s roof houses photovoltaic panels that can harvest approximately 40 kW of power - enough power to run the entire multipurpose building, exterior sports lights, and the maintenance building, with excess power for Silicon Valley Power.
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 Urban trees are real heroes when it comes to improving air quality, reducing the urban heat island effect and saving energy and costs associated with heating and cooling buildings. They also reduce stress and noise pollution and improve neighborhoods.
The City's Department of Public Works manages over 11,000 City street trees and is looking to expand the urban forest and beautify neighborhoods.
Request to have a City street tree planted in your front yard within the City easement or City park strip in front of your home for free!
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 On November 17, 2021, Silicon Valley Power (SVP) received the Responsible Appliance Disposal (RAD) Champion Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as part of the second year of the RAD Leadership Awards Program.
As a RAD Partner, SVP ensures the proper disposal of refrigerant-containing appliances by using best environmental practices that go beyond what is required by federal law, including recovering appliance insulation foam, encouraging the recycling of all durable goods, and promoting the permanent retirement of old, inefficient appliances to save energy.
SVP has made a positive impact on the environment by reducing emissions of ozone-depleting substances and greenhouse gases and preventing durable materials from entering landfills.
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Silicon Valley Power (SVP) is committed to a sustainable and equitable community where access to clean energy is provided to everyone. Inspired in part by the Santa Clara Green Power program, SVP has proactively added cleaner resources to its energy portfolio for the last several years and in 2018, SVP eliminated coal from its energy mix. SVP is proud to now be providing 100% carbon-free energy to all residents, and will therefore be ending the residential Santa Clara Green Power program by December 31, 2021. Santa Clara Green Power will continue to be available to Santa Clara businesses as the utility continues to work toward cleaner energy options for its commercial customers.
A huge thank you to all program participants for their support and environmental stewardship in reaching this important milestone. Their participation in the Santa Clara Green Power program helped pave the way for clean energy for all Santa Clara residents.
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There will be no garbage, recycling or yard trimmings collection services on Saturday, December 25 (Christmas Day) and Saturday, January 1 (New Year’s Day). Collection will take place two days later with Saturday routes receiving service the following Monday. Residents may set out up to two additional 32-gallon garbage bags on each of their collection days between December 27 – January 7 at no extra charge. Commercial and multi-family accounts with front-load bin service may arrange for one additional pickup per garbage account per year at no extra charge by contacting Mission Trail Waste Systems at 408-727-5365.
Residential holiday trees will be collected curbside on regular garbage collection days during the week of January 3 - January 7. After January 7, cut up your tree and place the pieces in the green yard trimmings cart. Flocked trees are not compostable and should be cut up and placed in the garbage cart.
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The City is in the process of updating the Climate Action Plan (CAP) to set greenhouse gas emissions targets and develop a roadmap for how to achieve those goals.
This effort included several rounds of community engagement and feedback. A big thank you to all that provided input and participated in this important dialog.
The latest FAQ’s based on community questions and comments throughout the draft CAP Update process are now available along with community meeting videos and more.
The CAP Update is scheduled to go before the City Planning Commission in early 2022 and be considered for adoption by the City Council in Spring of 2022.
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Composting is a great way to reduce waste, lower greenhouse gas emissions and create super soil that helps plants thrive without the use of fertilizers. Come learn how to rot right!
As part of a larger Composting Education Program, the UC Cooperative Extension of Santa Clara County is seeking individuals committed to learning, becoming leaders in our communities, and contributing to improving lives to become Master Composters.
In order to be considered for the training, fill out an interest form before the end of the year. In January 2022, applications will be sent to those on the interest list. The course is expected to run between March 17, 2022 until June 5, 2022 every Thursday evening.
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January 29, 2022 is National Seed Swap Day. This annual event serves as a reminder to gardeners that spring is on its way. It is also an ideal time for gardeners to gather and swap seeds in preparation for starting seeds indoors.
At this event we will have demonstrations and presentations about the importance of seed saving and value of local seed libraries. Start preparing now by collecting your unused seeds and plant cuttings to exchange with other garden lovers and beginners.
Register for the event on Eventbrite. For more information, visit Santa Clara Community Garden or contact Derek Bryant, Recreation Coordinator at dbryant@santaclaraca.gov or 408-615-3743.
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Avoid Holiday food waste by buying only what you need. This Guest-Imator tool allows you to adjust your ingredients and portions accordingly. If you have leftovers, repurpose them into new meals such as soups, salads, frittatas or stir fries. See more ideas on .
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When decorating for the holidays, be sure to use LED holidays lights. They save up to 70% and last up to 10 times longer than incandescent lights.
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holiday season challenge yourself to gift in ways that reduce waste and help your friends and loved ones go green. Connect more and consume less with gifts that have value, purpose and meaning, or give gifts that provide an experience! And if you are shopping, consider supporting local Santa Clara businesses to support a thriving community and reduce shipping impacts.
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Despite the recent rains we are still in a drought! One way to conserve is to use a water collection bucket in the kitchen sink or shower to collect “warm-up water” to use to clean your sink or run the garbage disposal (once you’ve diverted most of the food waste to the garbage or backyard compost, of course). Lightly sudsy water can even be used for watering plants—homemade insecticidal soap recipes for plants actually use dish soap!
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Rebates and Resources to Help You Save |
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Get a $1,000 rebate from Silicon Valley Power to upgrade your electric panel to convert natural gas to electric appliances or add a Level 2 Electric Vehicle charging to your home. Income qualified customers can receive up to $3,000.
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The City, in partnership with Valley Water, has Niagara 2-gallon-per-minute adjustable spray shower heads available free to Santa Clara residents. Stop by the Water & Sewer Department to pick yours up today!
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Looking for more water savings? Get free 1.75-gallon-per-minute shower heads or try out free 5-minute shower timers to help keep your family on track. Order direct from Valley Water's free water conservation online store!
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What do you do in your daily life to be a conservation leader?
Here are a few ideas to get started:
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Reimagine the wrap – Use comics, kids art, fabric, or whatever you can dream up to reduce waste from gift-wrapping.
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Adjust the heat - Save up to $300 per year by properly programming your thermostat with Silicon Valley Power’s Programmable Thermostat Guide.
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Regardless of the recent rains, we're still in a drought! - Visit Water Conservation for tips and resources
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