Through a long-standing relationship with the County, Stok was engaged to guide the development of the County’s Zero Carbon Portfolio Plan, focused on lessons learned from the implementation of the Zero Net Energy (ZNE) Portfolio Plan as well as the addition of direct carbon reduction measures. Specifically, Stok:
To maintain the trajectory of the County’s ZNE Portfolio Plan and strengthen the County’s climate commitments, Stok helped the County identify six core carbon reduction measures that will result in a 90% reduction in operational carbon within Scopes 1 and 2 across the County’s portfolio. These include Green Energy Supply, Energy Efficiency Projects, Proactive Energy Management, Zero Net Energy Building, Renewable Energy, and most notably Building Electrification, which is a new carbon-specific reduction strategy not originally part of the ZNE Portfolio Plan. The team ensured these efforts not only aligned with the County’s previous climate action, but further demonstrated its climate leadership in tackling decarbonization at scale.
Stok led the operational GHG emissions inventory to calculate a baseline and map out reductions on the County’s 2030 target timeline. Gathering energy consumption data from all of the County’s 1000+ diverse facilities, processing it into one format, translating it into equivalent GHG reductions, and mapping it against the County’s timeline, Stok’s deep data processing capabilities allowed the County to accurately inventory its portfolio GHG emissions from which a baseline and annual forecasts could be set—a foundational component of the Zero Carbon Portfolio Plan.
Building electrification is one of six core measures identified in the Zero Carbon Portfolio Plan and one without which zero carbon could not be achieved. To facilitate the transition from natural gas to electricity for space and water heating for kitchen and laundry uses, Stok is performing feasibility studies on all facilities with onsite fuel combustion across the County’s portfolio, starting with the highest users. After identifying existing gas equipment and evaluating historical energy use, Stok works with vendors to identify alternative electric equipment and cost estimates, evaluates what electrical infrastructure changes may be needed, and provides the GHG reduction estimate for the whole project. Stok’s analysis found that just 18 facilities represent 95% of the County’s portfolio natural gas use. To date, Stok has performed electrification studies on eight of these top County buildings, with 11 more planned for 2022.
For its climate leadership on the Zero Carbon Portfolio Plan, the County of San Diego Department of General Services was awarded for Outstanding Innovation in Resilient/Sustainable Planning and Design by the San Diego Association of Environmental Professionals in 2024. For more information, dive into the County of San Diego’s full Zero Carbon Portfolio Plan.
