Although he’s been known to play a video game or two, Noah Z. is not your ordinary teenager. Recently, Noah decided he wanted to express his concerns about the world his generation is inheriting by shedding light on a simple way that American drivers can reduce their carbon footprint. His experiment won him a medal at the Santa Barbara County Science Fair and has him thinking about the future.

The idea started when he and his family checked out the Green Car Show at CEC’s 2012 Earth Day Festival. After seeing the Nissan LEAF on display, his parents decided to purchase one for their household. They had test-driven a friend’s LEAF and enjoyed how it felt like driving any other car.  “It’s a little bit of a ripple effect,” Noah’s father Howard explained. After their purchase, both their neighbors and their best friends ended up buying LEAFs for their households too.

Although he is not old enough yet to drive, Noah was intrigued with the mechanics. He spent time looking through the manual, focusing on the manufacturer’s recommendations for maximum energy efficiency in an electric car. He also did some research on “Carwings,” a complimentary remote data collector provided by Nissan, which allows his family to monitor the charging, climate, and daily energy consumption of the LEAF. The Carwings technology conveniently works from his parents’ smartphones, allowing the family to set reminders and timers to start charging the car -- even when they’re not actually inside of it.  

After a little more research on electric vehicles, Noah decided to create a science project utilizing data from the new family car. He and his father completed 9 trials (See Table 1 for exact results) on a set 11.8 mile route throughout Santa Barbara, driving in relatively similar conditions each time. Individual trials were either considered “Normal,” “Aggressive,” or “Eco.”  Normal driving consisted of rolled up windows, air conditioning and radio on, and an “every day driving” style. Aggressive driving meant that the A/C was on full blast, the windows were rolled down, the radio was on and the driver was using quick braking and accelerating.  Eco driving consisted of rolled up windows, no A/C or radio, and slower acceleration and braking to conserve energy.

Noah found that the eco mode was consistently more energy efficient than the normal and aggressive trials, with an average of 4.87 m/kWh. Based on these statistics, he and his family have taken the extra step to drive more economically.  Noah’s father was surprised by the results, but he’s definitely not complaining. “It’s great. You forget it’s an electric vehicle; you have to plug it in, but you never go to the gas station.”

Noah’s project was awarded the Bronze medal at the Santa Barbara County Science Fair in the Junior Environmental Division, and has him thinking about environmental science as a potential career. He said that his family had also been looking into CEC’s Solarize Santa Barbara program to make their vehicle completely zero-emission; but until they go solar, they’re doing everything they can to be more environmentally friendly. “If every driver lowered their emissions just a little bit, it would result in a staggering amount of change”, says Noah. 

It doesn’t take much to lower a carbon footprint and help protect the Earth; this teenager is proof of that. Driving an electric vehicle helps to lower car emission rates and saves individuals and the government money. If you’re interested in learning more about electric vehicles visit the Plug In Santa Barbara website or be sure to check out the Green Car Show at Santa Barbara Earth Day, April 20-21,2013.

Steve Hahn has been interested in sustainable transportation and electric vehicles for as long as he can remember.  Growing up in Detroit, he was steeped in the car culture, as well as the big city’s trains and subways. Later in life he moved to Santa Barbara and began working for the Metropolitan Transit District (MTD). Residing close to work, Steve drives a Neighborhood Electric Vehicle (NEV) every day. It seemed like an efficient and sustainable decision, and “bypassing the pump has also been nice.” He has enjoyed it so much so that he even converted his neighbors, creating Santa Barbara’s very own EV Neighborhood.

When fully-functioning electric vehicles began hitting the market a couple of years ago, Steve and his wife Connie decided to purchase a 2011 Chevy Volt. They had been following the progression of the electric vehicle market for years through auto web sites, books, car shows, and magazines. There were a number of reasons for making the switch to electric, but for Steve and Connie, “the Iraq war was a major factor. “We were so mad about how willing we are to invade another country for foreign oil, so a lot of this was just to reduce our dependence on foreign oil.” Going electric was the obvious next step. Since purchasing the Volt in 2012, they have driven over 60% of their 26,000 miles in electric mode and avoided the use of 500 gallons of gas. Steve is also very happy to be supporting American technology and California’s economy.

When they’re driving during the week, “the car is in pure electric mode all the time.”  They charge it at home and at charging stations in Southern California whenever they’re doing weekend trips to Los Angeles or Orange County.  When they do those long trips, they never worry about running out of power because “it’s an extended range electric vehicle,” meaning the gas kicks in when they are about to run out of charge. So far, Steve’s only qualm is that the electric heating system isn’t very efficient. “It takes a lot of energy to run the system and ends up being very expensive.   Luckily, he’s figured out a few solutions by heating it while it’s plugged into the wall and utilizing smartphone apps to “precondition the temperature.” Even so, he’s not too affected in the balmy Santa Barbara climate. The Volt also only seats four, but as a family or 3 this hasn’t been a problem.

Working at MTD, he has helped transition the agency to electric and hybrid buses with similar technology to the Chevy Volt. In fact, MTD is one of the leading public transportation programs in this field, with 20 electric buses and 18 hybrids¹. He thinks the future will be “a mix of everything: hybrids, electric vehicles, trains, and of course the performance vehicles for those who can afford them.” 

For Steve, effective public transportation is imperative. “In New York City, you can get around without a car; you can do the same in Santa Barbara every day.” By removing 20,000 car trips out of the day just to this small area, all of those emissions are also cut. Plus, having strong alternative solutions “eases congestions and lessens the need for more than one car.” He has happily imparted a similar mindset onto his 14-year-old son, Will, who also enjoys public transportation. “He’s ridden trains all over the world, and buses in Ireland, Italy, and England.” Will even followed in his father’s footsteps and rides an electric scooter to school every day.

¹ http://www.sbmtd.gov/about/facts.html

Santa Barbarans are leading the way in the clean energy movement. We've met locals who are installing solar panels on their homes and driving electric vehicles. We've heard from people who are using reusable water bottles instead of plastic and bike commuting to work. Read our most popular personal stories from 2012 for a dose of inspiration going into the new year.

I consider myself an energy-conscious and open-minded person, but I have been admittedly stubborn about cars. As a faithful Volvo owner for over 20 years, I hadn't really considered driving an electric car.

A few months ago, my son Michael said to me, "Mom! You really should consider getting an electric vehicle. Since most of your driving is your commute to work and you bike and walk so much, it'd fit into your lifestyle well. Besides, you rarely go out of town." My response was, "No thank you, I'm waiting for Volvo to introduce a plug-in hybrid or all electric car."

However, Michael (also CEC's Transportation Manager) invited me to test drive a few hybrids and the Nissan LEAF pure electric car. WOW! I could not believe how much I enjoyed driving the LEAF. Much to my surprise, it handled easily, was very responsive and was quite swift, smooth and snappy. At the time, the $35,000+ purchase price or $350 lease option was over my budget. I set a goal to eventually own a LEAF in 5 to 7 years. I planned to sell my trusty Volvo, buy an affordable Prius C in the interim, and hoped LEAF prices would drop enough for me to own one.

Less than 2 weeks ago, my plans changed. I took advantage of an offer from Santa Barbara Nissan to lease a pure electric LEAF for $199/month with $1,999 down (Editor's note: We're not sure how long this particular offer will last. Contact the local dealer for current promotions and check online). This low price is likely due to the fact that LEAF sales have been slow this year, and Nissan is looking to clear out its inventory to make room for the 2013 LEAFs.

In addition, I qualify for a $2,500 California rebate. This rebate (minus the down payment) means that I will be driving for free for the first 3.5 months. After that, my lease will cost $216 (after taxes) per month. I also calculated that I would be saving around $100 per month in gasoline. (I previously spent around $150 per month on gas, but expect my electric bill to increase by about $50 per month). For a total of $116 per month, leasing the LEAF was a no-brainer. Now, I am so proud and thrilled to be driving electric!

Since I rarely drive more than 25 miles in a day, I'm using a regular 120 volt outlet in my garage for charging (as many LEAF owners do). Later, if I find I need to charge up faster, I could always add a 240 volt charger. My garage already has a 240 volt outlet from an old electric dryer, and I could purchase a charging station for $900 at Home Depot.

I take very few road trips, and when I do they are either to LA or the Bay Area. Nissan is now offering the LEAF lease with 10 free rental days with a gasoline car, for those occasional trips. I also could join friends in their car on a road trip, or switch cars with my son when I want to go out of town.

I'm simply thrilled to be off oil! It certainly happened much sooner than the 5 to 7 years I had originally projected. I will not miss driving all around town, fretfully checking and comparing gas prices. Imagine what a totally gratifying experience it is now, as I drive by gas stations with a huge smile!

I'm considering solar panels next, so look for me soon, as I will be driving on sunshine.

With CEC's help, there are now over 100 Level 2 (240 volt) public or semi-public charging stations available in our region. Most of them have been constructed in just the last few months. Read on for information on charging station locations, what they do, how to use them, and how often they are being used. Also, get the full scoop on local festivities for National Plug In Day on Sunday, September 23.

Where they are:

Electric vehicle owners can now access 38 public charging stations in Ventura County (in Thousand Oaks, Camarillo, Oxnard, Ventura, Ojai, and Simi Valley), 34 in Santa Barbara County (in Carpinteria, Summerland, Santa Barbara, Goleta, Lompoc, Solvang, and Santa Maria), and 15 in San Luis Obispo County (San Luis Obispo, Morro Bay, and Atascadero), as well as another couple dozen spread throughout our region that are "semi-public" at car dealerships, hotels, and businesses. CEC played a critical role in identifying sites and matching interested hosts with the installation companies.

Most of the charging stations were installed by ChargePoint, Ecotality, or Clipper Creek through Department of Energy and/or California Energy Commission grant programs. The Santa Barbara Air Pollution Control District also contributed to some stations.

If your business is interested in offering public charging, contact CEC at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , as incentive funding is still available.

New stations are coming online every week. CEC and others upload all new charging stations to Recargo.com, a crowd sourced website and mobile phone app. Recargo also allows users to upload sites, details, photos, and comments (such as restaurants or attractions nearby).

What they do:

Public charging stations allow pure EV drivers to travel further afield, and plug-in hybrid drivers to visit a place and return solely on electricity, rather than needing the gas assist. While many EV and plug-in hybrid drivers have been easily driving their cars around town during the day and charging at home at night, public charging opens up new territory for them. For example:

• A LEAF driver (70-100 miles range) could commute the 53 miles from Lompoc to Santa Barbara, charge up while at work downtown, and then return home without worrying about running out of charge.
• A Volt driver (35 miles electric, then the gasoline range extender kicks in) could drive 33 miles from Ventura to Santa Barbara, charge up during a meeting or shopping trip, and then return to Ventura without using a drop of gas.

Previously, these trips would have been made on gasoline, so more public charging means more zero emission, low carbon electric miles substituted.

Most vehicles on the market charge at 3.3 kW – meaning that with the Level 2, 240-volt charging stations, they can add 10-15 miles of range for each hour that they charge. The Ford Focus EV, CODA, and many cars expected on the market in the near future charge at 6.6 kW -- adding up to 30 miles of range per hour. As charging is slower than filling up the gas tank, most EV drivers view public charging as a way to top off so they can complete a trip. Most charging is done conveniently at home overnight, often from normal 110 volt outlets, when electricity is least expensive, and the grid has plenty of excess capacity.

DC Fast Charging Stations (DCFC) are also starting to appear, which allow LEAFs and other vehicles with fast charge capability to charge 80% of the battery in 20-30 minutes. While using a DCFC in Los Angeles, it was amazing to see a LEAF go from 45% state of charge to 80% in 10 minutes (pictured above). These fast charging stations will make it much more practical to take trips in the 100-120 mile range, such as to Los Angeles, but it will likely be many years until it is convenient to take an EV on long distance road trips. CEC is working with partners to bring DC Fast Chargers to the Central Coast.

How to use them:

Most of the public stations are located in parking structures and other properties owned by local governments, some of which are free, but most charge between $0.45 and $1.25/hour to use the stations. CEC believes this is a reasonable cost -- sufficient to pay for the electricity, and sometimes the billing fees, management costs, maintenance, etc. EVs are very cheap to operate, for one dollar (using $0.15/kWh, the average residential rate and equivalent to $0.50/hour for public charging), an EV can travel around 20 miles. For one dollar, an average 25 mpg gasoline car can only travel 6 miles.

For an EV driver accustomed to charging exclusively at home, the first encounter with public charging can be a bit confusing, but becomes easy after a few tries. Read on for the details of each type of the most common charging stations:

Clipper Creek stations

These stations are mostly free and are the easiest; just lift the connector off the pedestal, connect to your car, and you're done. The good news is that all electric cars on the market today use the same standardized connector, called J1772.

ChargePoint stations

The ChargePoint stations are "smart," meaning they are networked and accept credit cards or proprietary cards. Since they are networked, drivers can see in real time whether they are in use by going online or checking a mobile phone application. The chargers can also be reserved, and have sophisticated billing and reporting systems.

The ChargePoint stations can be activated with the ChargePoint smartphone application or by a credit card with a "contactless" RFID chip. However, these types of cards are not too common. Regular users should order a ChargePoint card for $4.95 online, though users can also call the toll free number listed on the charging stations, and give the operator a credit card number.

Ecotality stations

The Ecotality "Blink" stations are also "smart," have a smartphone application, and the best way to access them is by ordering a free card through their website. They can also be activated by calling the toll free number on the screen and providing credit card info over the phone, or by going to https://blinkcode.com to enter credit card info online. Using these methods gives the user a code that they can then enter into the Blink Charger for a one-time use.

Are EV drivers using the stations?

Yes, the City of Santa Barbara's six charging stations have been used 345 times since being installed a few months ago, and in the last twelve days were used 66 times. The City notes that usage continues to increase each month, and they've recently brought two more stations online near the harbor. The City of Ventura's stations were used 245 times in the first two months, and usage continues to increase each month.

As of August 3, there are now almost 40,000 highway capable electric vehicles on our roads, with almost a third of those in California (an EV purchase rate three times higher than the nation as a whole). California also has over 1,200 new Level 2 public charging stations. Check out Recargo.com to find out where they are and start using those charging stations!

National Plug In Day: Sunday, Sept. 23

If you have an electric vehicle or want to test drive one and meet some owners, come on down to our National Plug in Day Celebration, on Sunday, September 23. As part of celebrations in over 60 cities, we have some exciting activities planned, so mark it on your calendar and check out www.PlugInDay.org and www.PlugInSB.org for details. If you want to reserve space for the tailgate party or the EV parade, please email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

My dad was a Mercedes man. My favorite of his cars? A buttermilk 300E with matching leather seats. I loved to slip into that luscious interior and escape to the hardware store for father-daughter bonding. While different models came and went, the Mercedes always got the prime garage spot - with other cars relegated to the driveway.

You can imagine my surprise when I arrived at his house two months ago and encountered the Mercedes parked in the driveway.

Something had changed.

A squeaky clean Chevy Volt was now plugged into the prime garage spot. Dad had purchased the Volt and installed a rooftop solar system through a zero money down lease program. The Department of Energy and the State of CA helped fund his 240 volt charger (no pun intended), which is set to charge only during off-peak periods. With this setup, his electricity bills are about the same, though sourced from renewables instead of fossil fuels, and hedged against inflating energy costs. However, he's saving about $100 a month in gasoline.

To celebrate Dad's shift in priorities, I made him an electric car playlist to bump to while silently whirring down the highway.

I put a lot of thought into the order of these songs and thought there might be other plug-in / hybrid electric vehicle owners who would enjoy a playlist selected specifically for their automobile. I would love to hear what I might have missed and welcome your suggestions.

I hope you'll enjoy this playlist in your electric vehicle!

• "Electric" by Lisa Scott-Lee
• "Danger! High Voltage (Soulchild Radio Mix)" by Electric Six
• "Electric Avenue" by Eddy Grant
• "Electric Youth" by Debbie Gibson
• "Electric Lady" by Con Funk Shun
• "Electric Feel" by MGMT
• "Plug In Baby" by Muse
• "She's Electric" by Oasis
• "Don't Bring Me Down" by Electric Light Orchestra
• "Running On Empty" by Jackson Browne
• "Charge Me Up" by Jennifer Lopez
• "Electric Barbarella" by Duran Duran
• "Electric Man (Radio Edit)" by Mansun
• "Charge" by The Renegades
• "Electricity" by Spiritualized
• "Together In Electric Dreams" by The Human League
• "It's Electric" by Metallica

Listen to the full playlist through CEC's YouTube page →

About the author:

Cherlyn Seruto is currently commuting 80 miles a day via gasoline, and is considering selling her soul for an electric Porsche Speedster a la Reverend Gadget.

CEC organizes three Green Car Shows per year in the Central Coast region to showcase the latest technology in the automotive industry. Our next show will take place Wednesday, July 4 as part of the Sierra Club Green Block at the City of Ventura's 4th of July Street Fair. The show will display the latest electric vehicles (EVs) as well as many of the dozens of models of hybrid vehicles, which now come in all shapes and sizes -- from the most efficient small sedans to larger hybrid cars, SUVs, and luxury vehicles.

Ventura Green Car Show and Green Block
Wednesday, July 4: 10am – 5pm
Downtown Ventura
Oak Street between Main and Santa Clara streets

Event Highlights

• "Owners Corner" – New this year! -- Attendees can talk with local EV owners and check out their cars. This includes a Chevrolet Volt and a Nissan Leaf – some of the first of a dozen EVs that will be available by the end of this year.
• The eye catching Tesla Roadster will be back again. This all electric sports car goes 0-60 in 3.7 seconds, but is rated by the EPA at an amazing 119 mpg equivalent.
• Visit the CEC booth in the "Green Block" to learn more about what we're doing to end our dependency on fossil fuels.

Nearby Highlights

• While in downtown Ventura, visit the 10 new public electric vehicle charging stations that the City recently installed in the downtown and waterfront parking garages, and at City Hall (501 Poli Street).
• Also, see Patagonia's two new charging stations (259 West Santa Clara Street).

While most of the time electric car drivers charge up conveniently at home while they sleep, new charging stations in Ventura, Ojai, Thousand Oaks, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles and all across California make it easy to visit neighboring cities.

Remember, carpooling makes every car a greener car, but it's even better to skip the parking hassles and walk, bike, take the bus or the train to the event!

More information:
www.cityofventura.net/streetfairs
www.lospadres.sierraclub.org
www.CECSB.org

Michael Chiacos is the Transportation Chair of the Los Padres Chapter of the Sierra Club, the Transportation Specialist at the Community Environmental Council, and the organizer of the Ventura Green Car Show. Read the full article in the Ventura County Star.

I purchased my Nissan Leaf in March 2011. I couldn’t resist the appeal of zero emissions, cool styling, fun driving, green status, well-engineered and built car, and a 100 mile range. I must say it has delivered on all of these promises, with the exception of the range.  For me, range has been a bit problematic because I live in Santa Barbara, and I have an office in Hollywood. My commute is 92 miles door-to-door. I thought, I’d have 100 miles of range, so hey, no problem.

Real life experience

Well, here’s my real life experience over the last year or so. Fortunately, I don’t make that commute every day, only once a week. I have a loft in L.A. so I stay for a few days, mid-week, and drive back to S.B. for 4-day weekends. Bottom line -- I have made the 92 mile commute on a number of occasions, but on many of the trips I’ve had to avail myself of one of the four Nissan dealers along my route for a free, level 2 charge, stopping anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes at a time. Adding an hour, to an hour-and-half commute is not a lot of fun. (With a one hour charge, I can pick up about 12 miles of additional range).

Factors

I’ve learned about range anxiety first hand. It sits right under one’s sternum, something that pilots and race car drivers know all too well. I’ve also learned there are a number of factors that affect the range I am able to get on each trip such as:

• Driving mode – eco mode or regular
• Driving style – lead foot, or with an egg between your foot and the accelerator
• Terrain – along my route I climb the 800ft Conejo Grade
• Temperature – the Leaf cools it’s works, but no heating
• Load – weight of passengers and cargo
• Accessories – heat, AC and lights
• Solar charger on the rear wing
• Altitude – thinner air in certain locations
• State of charge
• Speed

Tactics to extend range

I’ve come to learn that the largest factor is aerodynamics. Even though the Leaf is nicely shaped to cut through the wind, and even deflect it around the side view mirrors with its bubble-lensed headlights, pushing all that air out of our way takes lots of energy. So the faster we go, the harder we have to push against all that air. (Race car drivers know that at top speeds it takes an enormous increase in horsepower to gain just a few more MPH.)

I’ve come to learn this in two ways. I can make my 92 mile commute without having to stop for a charge if I draft a big rig truck down the coast.  I let the trucker push the air out of my way with his fossil fuel. I don’t recommend this practice as it’s just as nerve racking as the range anxiety I’m trying to overcome. It’s also dangerous and you’re likely to pick up your share of rock chips.

The second way, is on the days I’ve hit stop-and-go traffic along the 101, I can make the 92 miles, by poking along well under the speed limit. However, if the traffic is moving along at a clip, it’s also a bit dangerous to try to go 50 mph with traffic zipping by you at 70.

Since I am trying to make my commute without stopping, I’ve also over inflated my tires by four or five pounds, tinted the windows so I can leave the AC off and added some GasPods along the rear roofline. I don’t know if they help, buy hey, any bit helps and I only need just a few more miles.

DC Quick Charging Stations

With just one DC quick charger along my route I’d be set.  In the same time it takes one to pump a tank of gas, use the restroom and grab a beverage for the road, I can pick up enough range to make my commute comfortably. All I need is 10 minutes on a DC quick charger, and I’m home free. I hear there are charging station companies evaluating DC quick charging stations along my route. I can’t wait!

Hidden Dangers

On a side note…. there is a hidden danger of using the level 2 chargers.  I stopped at the Nissan dealer in Camarillo for an hour to gain some additional range.  I was feeling good about picking up 50 cents worth of free electricity courtesy of Nissan, until I realized I was walking back to my car from Frys Electronics having just spent $200!  A month or so later the same thing happened when I used the free charger in front of the Malibu Public Library and walked over to the Cross Creek Shopping Center and spent $150 on clothes.  This is something that is not mentioned in the owner’s manual. So beware. (However, I’m up to speed with my tech toys and I’m better dressed thanks to my Leaf’s need for more juice.)

See you on the 101!

You may remember when we featured Katie D. and her family on our blog back in December in “A personal struggle with climate change.” She talked about how her family was able to power their home and their car with their rooftop solar panels. Back then, she said, “I never go to gas stations anymore. I’ve stopped giving oil companies my money. I feel a bit like a junkie who’s finally starting to kick her addiction.” We’re proud of Katie and her family – they are the perfect example of Santa Barbarans who are powering the clean energy movement.

During CEC’s Earth Day Festival, we asked festival goers to make an “Earth Day Resolution” – like a New Year’s Resolution, but focused on how to make a difference for the environment. Katie has already done so much to lessen her environmental impact, so we were curious what her resolution could be. This year, she said “My Earth Day Resolution is to share my story about how it is possible to actually save money and be carbon neutral at the same time. You can always do more, and we all have to do that because it’s not up to one person.”

She decided the best way for her to share her story was through video. She created the video below to share her calculations for the payoff of an electric vehicle powered by solar panels. Over a 10 year period, her family will save $15,125! That’s not to mention the environmental benefit. Fueling her car will emit 0 pounds of carbon dioxide, whereas a fossil fuel car would emit 114,500 pounds over 10 years.

Watch her video

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CEC helped cut the ribbon on 6 new electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in Solvang, along with the Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District, City of Solvang, and County of Santa Barbara representatives.

These are the first of dozens of stations being constructed throughout Santa Barbara County as part of Coulomb Technologies’ ChargePoint America program. Funding for the stations comes from the Department of Energy, the California Energy Commission, and private sources.

CEC played a major role extending this program to the Santa Barbara/Ventura area as well as identifying and coordinating sites with local partners.

These new charging stations charge at 240 volts, twice to four times as fast as a 120 volt outlet. The stations allow pure EV owners (like the Nissan LEAF, and the upcoming Mitsubishi I, Ford Focus EV, and Tesla Model S) the opportunity to “top-off” thus extending the places they can visit. They also allow plug in hybrid drivers (like the Chevy Volt, and the upcoming Toyota Plug in Prius) the opportunity to charge up and travel more miles on electricity instead of gasoline.

There are 3 charging locations now active in Solvang, each with 2 charging ports, for a total of 6 charging stations—all open 24/7:

• Veterans Memorial Hall Parking Lot at 1745 Mission Drive
• City Parking Lot 1 at 1576 Mission Drive
• City Parking Lot 3 at 482 Alisal Road

Parking is free in Solvang’s public parking lots and the City of Solvang currently charges $1.25/hour to use the stations.

Soon, the County of Santa Barbara will greatly expand this network, installing 18 charging stations at 9 County owned sites in Santa Maria, Lompoc, Santa Barbara, Goleta, and Carpinteria. Cities in San Luis Obispo and Ventura Counties have also added charging stations in recent months to join the hundreds of public stations that are now available throughout California.

CEC welcomes these charging stations to our region, and excitedly awaits the dozens of more coming on line soon.

Press coverage

KEYT [Video Clip]

Santa Maria Times Article

Santa Barbara News Press Article (PDF)

Benefits of EVs

EVs provide significant environmental and societal benefits to EV drivers, such as:

• New electric cars achieve around 100 mpg equivalent, according to their EPA labels. Electric motors are 3 times more efficient than gasoline motors, with little waste heat, noise, or emissions.
• EVs produce zero tailpipe emissions, benefitting society with cleaner air.
• EVs reduce greenhouse gas pollution by 75% in California, as our grid is very clean, with very little coal. We currently get 20% of our electricity from renewable energy, and this is mandated to increase to 33% by 2020. Thus EVs get cleaner as they age, unlike gasoline cars, which get dirtier.
• EV owners can charge up for $1/gallon equivalent if they take advantage of cheap, off peak nighttime charging. The money saved can be spent on local goods and services, instead of going to foreign countries.
• EVs and solar panels go great together. 2 kW of solar allows an EV driver to “drive on sunshine” for 12,000 miles per year. 2 kW of solar currently costs around $7,000-8,000 after incentives – much cheaper than paying for 25 years of gasoline!
• EVs are very fun to drive, with lots of torque right off the line.

Join CEC at workshops for prospective electric vehicle (EV) owners, with info about rebates, home charging units, and public fast-charging stations. The workshops will also include test drives and a conversation with current EV owners. Come to one of the workshops to learn one of these vehicles might work for you, or pass this announcement along to friends that might be considering a new car.

Free lunch is included but requires an RSVP.  RSVP today >

Santa Barbara Workshop

Saturday, January 28, 2012 | 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Santa Barbara MTD | 550 Olive St. | Santa Barbara, CA 93101
More event information...

Camarillo Workshop

Sunday, January 29, 2012 | 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Pleasant Valley School District Auditorium, 2222 E Ventura Blvd., Camarillo, CA 93010
More event information...

Why is CEC so interested in electric vehicles?

These revolutionary new vehicles are not only fun to drive, but they achieve approximately 100 mpg equivalent, produce zero tailpipe emissions, and cut greenhouse gas emissions by 75% (or 100% if you plug in to rooftop solar panels). By the end of this year, there will be a dozen new models of EVs of all shapes and sizes on the market.

I have quite a bit of experience with solar systems in terms of remote telecommunications facilities where utility power isn't practical. These involve large battery banks and over-engineering to ensure reliable power for radio, microwave, and telephone relay stations that need to be up 24/7.

So, the idea of a solar system in a suburban area with plentiful utility power didn't make sense to me at first. Electricity is readily available at reasonable rates. It would be satisfying but not practical to pull the plug on Edison.

Then, I stumbled across a mention of solar "co-generation" on Southern California Edison’s website. Co-generation is when a customer connects a source of power such as solar or wind into the electric grid. With solar, California supplies a rebate to pay part of the cost, and the federal government provides an additional tax credit.

On further research I found the idea of co-generation kind of exciting. I can use the entire utility grid as my energy storage. I don't need a battery and I don’t need to design the system any bigger than my load.

I was also considering my electric vehicle (Chevy Volt). I decided the convenience of the 240-volt charger was worth it. Rebates cover half the cost of the charger and installation. If I came home from a day trip with a depleted battery I could plug in for a couple of hours and then go out to dinner on electricity. However, the Volt would be away from home when my solar panels would be generating power from the sun.

With co-generation, I just produce more power than I need when the sun shines, feed it to Edison, and then pull power from Edison at night to run my home and charge the car. I also switched to a rate plan that gives me much lower electric rates at night and credits me at higher rates in the daytime when the sun is shining and I'm producing electricity. Some friends were predicting that the Volt would cause my electric bill to skyrocket –ha!

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As luck would have it, I have a great roof for solar. It is south-facing and doesn't have any vents or obstructions. I had enough area to install panels that could generate about 4kW peak power. I'm good with my hands and have a lot of experience with wiring and electrical things. My initial plan was to install the solar as well as the level 2 car charger myself.

I quickly changed my mind about installing the solar because I'm not comfortable with the permit process and roof penetrations kind of scare me. I shopped around and chose Coastal Constructors to provide the hardware, do the mechanical work and take care of the permit paperwork. They did the wiring at the same time as they wired the charger, and everything passed inspection. Modern panels are a lot better looking than the earlier ones. I'm very happy with the appearance as well as the performance.

Another modification I considered was the inverter systems. Most grid-tied systems connect a number of panels in a series string to produce high-voltage DC, and then put in a large wall-mounted inverter to convert this to conventional AC power. I was not excited about this design. A fault in one panel can bring down a whole string. Due to the high DC voltages, the wiring is complicated.

I discovered a company in the Bay Area, Enphase, that does things differently. They manufacture micro-inverters. Each micro-inverter handles the output from one solar panel. One mounts underneath each panel and they connect in parallel. If one panel or inverter goes bad, the rest of the array keeps going. The DC wiring is low-voltage and needs no conduit.

In addition, my solar system has its own website that not only shows real-time and historical data for every panel, but can also alert me if there's ever a problem. If there's debris such as bird droppings on or an electrical problem affecting one panel, the other panels are not affected, and I get an email describing the issue and showing me which panel is in trouble.

It's now been in service for almost 10 months. I've ”banked” a bit over 6 megawatt-hours of electricity with Edison. Carbon offset a bit over 4 tons. Every month since installation I've produced more electricity than I've consumed. Not only am I driving on daylight, I'm powering my house with it and even providing solar energy to my neighbors via the grid-tie.

Kermit was wrong. It's easy being green. Take a look at my solar production >

Michel Saint-Sulpice is a gentle soul who takes his responsibility for the planet seriously, and always has. Growing up in France, his family was careful with resources, and he has carried forth that strong environmental ethic into his adult life as a Santa Barbara architect.

Michel aspires to be fossil fuel free by the end of 2012, and he’s well on his way. Solar panels provide his home with electricity, and he’s been driving a Toyota Prius since the second generation first hit the market. He completely removed his lawn to make room for a beautiful drought tolerant landscape. Greywater and collected rain water (with back-up well water) will soon irrigate a “food forest.” On the drawing board is a geothermal system that will heat the entire house (with cooling option), all his domestic water and his swimming pool year round. Since Michel produces all his electricity, his carbon footprint will be zero, and he will not be paying electric and gas bills any longer. He has taken these measures to express his deep appreciation for nature and beauty.

Recently, however, Michel took his environmental commitment to a new level, after attending a screening of “Revenge of the Electric Car,” co-sponsored by CEC in October. He was so inspired by the film and the subsequent panel of speakers (the director, two of the film’s stars, a Chevy Volt owner and a Nissan Leaf owner) that he went out and bought an all-electric Nissan Leaf the next day!

Before seeing the film, Michel had done his homework and knew he wanted to take advantage of the current government incentives to promote electric vehicles. But that night, he knew the time was right.

The added bonus for Michel is that when he plugs in his new electric vehicle at home, he has enough solar panels (63 of them!) on his roof to power his home and the car. In fact, Michel is part of a growing group of “early adopters” who are driving around town in cars powered by sunshine instead of oil.

One hour’s worth of the sun’s rays hitting earth could supply all of earth’s electricity needs for a year. Only if it could be captured, that is. Michel captures as much of that sunlight as he can, to power his life and energize his spirit. He envisions a future where all households are run efficiently and powered by the sun. Part of his life’s pleasure is working towards achieving this himself, and extending his grace (and extra energy) towards others.

I never go to gas stations anymore. I’ve stopped giving oil companies my money. I feel a bit like a junkie who’s finally starting to kick her addiction.

It started with changing a light bulb or two. Then I started eating more local food from a CSA and less meat (Cows are up there with cars when it comes to emissions.) They were little things, like deciding to only buy California wine (not a major a sacrifice!). But they were enough to make me start realizing that there are things I can DO besides wring my hands when it comes to reducing my carbon footprint. I went a little further -- creating a video that has over 60,000 views on YouTube (link in footer) and a website on ocean acidification. However, I was still using electricity and driving a minivan.

My husband and I are not generally early adopters. We're careful with money. But we did our research, and so our next step was not just a vote for a new technology, but a practical move as well. We put ourselves on a waiting list for the Nissan Leaf, an all-electric car. In the meantime, we got solar panels on our house, producing way more energy than we needed for our energy-efficient house -- specifically planning for the electric car. That meant that when we got the car this summer, we just drove home and plugged it into the sun.

We haven’t invested in a charging station. We just use a regular outlet. We charge it overnight and can drive up to 100 miles on a charge. We try to maximize all our miles on it, so sometimes we get low on miles. Once when we got low, we stopped at my in-law's house, plugged it in there, went for a pleasant walk while it charged a bit, and then headed home. But generally speaking, 100 mile range is more than enough. It re-charges when you are stopping and going downhill so you can drive it up the mountain, and then watch it recharge all the way down.

The Nissan Leaf fits my two kids and a dog, and handles better than any car I've ever driven. And I really love never having to stop for gas! But it wasn't until a friend's daughter stopped by the other night with a bunch of her college-age friends to show off the car, and when another friend's 13-year old daughter took a picture of it with her smartphone to share with her friends, that I realized that while we chose it sight unseen purely to reduce our emissions, we've found ourselves driving something that really is very cool.

And indeed, with its touch-screen and rear camera, it feels like a luxury car, but without the luxury price. In fact, a $5,000 tax rebate we got covers the lease for the first year. Since we don’t pay for gas, the car is essentially free right now.

Obviously solar panels aren’t free, but they are a sound investment. We spent $18,000 after tax rebates on lots of solar panels. Here’s the simple math: $50/month electric bill + $200/month gasoline bill = payoff in 6 years. Electric is a lot cheaper than gasoline so it’s not exactly a fair comparison. But with expected inflation in electric costs and the fact we can now get paid for excess energy we produce, it still makes sense from a strictly economic perspective.

I can’t kid myself that I’m home free when it comes to the environment. What about the energy used to make my new electric car? What about all those plane flights we like to take? However, I am closer than I have ever been to feeling like it is indeed possible to be carbon neutral.

A few years ago, when my son was about 6, he liked me to read him Calvin & Hobbes comics. In one comic, Calvin says, “Hey mom, what’s this I hear about the greenhouse effect?” “They say the pollutants we dump in the air are trapping in the sun’s heat and its going to melt the polar ice caps!” “Sure, YOU’LL be gone when it happens, but I won’t! Nice planet you’re leaving me!”

His mom says, “This from the kid who wants to be chauffeured any place more than a block away.”

Calvin replies, “Hey, nobody told me about the ice caps, all right?”

Re-reading this comic to my young son 20 years after it was written in 1989, I realized how long I’ve known about global warming. And it’s not just theoretical anymore. The ice caps are melting. Disasters of all sorts (fires, floods, hurricanes, droughts) are increasing, and this is with 1-2 degrees of warming -- not the 11 or so that may happen in my children's lifetime. It will get worse, but our actions now determine how much worse.

The good news is that the technology now exists to dramatically reduce our emissions -- if we’re willing to make doing so a priority. And, at least in the case of things like the electric car, it’s actually a whole lot of fun!

The Community Environmental Council (CEC) is a small and dedicated non-profit with a very big mission: ending the Santa Barbara region’s dependence on fossil fuels in one generation. It's been a busy year for CEC. After all, moving our region off fossil fuels is no small task. Check out this infographic of our most impressive accomplishments from 2011.

Thank you to everyone who helped us this year: donors, green-minded businesses, Solarize SB participants, Facebook fans, Earth Day attendees...  you all help power the clean energy movement in Santa Barbara. Consider giving back by making a donation to CEC this year.

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