When asked to reduce energy usage in 2001, San Bernardino County faced a major challenge: How could it get the community to conserve energy when temperatures were in the high 90s during the summer and air conditioning was a necessity? The County developed an innovative solution: Convert unused spaces into “cool centers.” The cool centers eased the summer for the County’s low-income, disabled and senior-citizen populations (approximately 18 percent of the population in San Bernardino County is below the poverty line and 8.6 percent is over 65 years old). The cool centers, coupled with a public education campaign and energy efficiency
upgrades of county facility lighting and water systems, helped San Bernardino reach its conservation goal.

San Bernardino County’s goal in 2001 was to reduce its energy use by 10 percent.

The 12 cool centers averaged 125 visitors per day.

Eighty of the county’s facilities tracked their energy savings and the results were posted on the intranet website for employees to see.

More than 500 small businesses took advantage of free energy audits, and 30 to 40 percent of the businesses implemented the recommended changes.