Decarbonization Showcase
BayREN’s Decarbonization Showcase uncovers the path to cleaner, more sustainable public buildings across the Bay Area. By enrolling a select group of public buildings in various climate zones, the Showcase provides tailored support to help facilities decarbonize their operations and serve as a model for others.
Showcase projects will implement recommended measures for energy efficiency, distributed energy resources, electrification, demand response, and other types of energy-related measures. These projects aim to demonstrate practical solutions for reducing or eliminating emissions from public buildings and the full impacts that can result from building decarbonization projects.
The application period closed on March 18, 2025.
To learn more about the Decarbonization Showcase, refer to our Program Handbook:
Please check this page regularly for future updates.
Showcase Goals
- Collect and share real-world data on decarbonization approaches across design, construction, and operation stages for public buildings in a variety of climate zones.
- Offer free technical and financial support to participants, with a focus on projects serving equity priority communities.
- Share findings and insights through case studies, peer network calls, and webinars, while developing metrics to communicate the full range of decarbonization impacts.
Timeline, Eligibility, and Evaluation Process
- January 21, 2025 - Application period opens
- February 5, 2025 - Informational webinar
- February 25, 2025 - Application question period closes. Submit your questions to publicbuildings@bayren.org
- March 5, 2025 - Responses to application questions posted on this webpage. See the "Additional Resources" section below.
- March 18, 2025 - Application period closes
- April 7, 2025 - Final projects selected to participate in the Showcase
- Applicant Type
- Applicants must be local governments or special districts located within the nine Bay Area counties.[1]
- Applicant’s Utility
- Applicants must be a current Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) customer who receives electricity and/or gas distribution service. Applicants that purchase electricity through a Community Choice Aggregator (CCA) are eligible to participate.[2]
- Site Ownership
- Project Sites must be existing public buildings owned by local governments or special districts.
- Site Characteristics
- Project Sites must not have any known physical, ownership, or operational barriers that would limit the implementation of recommended building decarbonization upgrades.
- Commitment
- Applicants must take all reasonable efforts to complete the decarbonization projects included in their applications. Further, applicants must agree to take reasonable efforts to implement recommended building decarbonization upgrades, and demonstrate a commitment to fully decarbonizing their Project Sites. To support project implementation, applicants are expected to provide internal funding and/or apply for funding from external programs. If selected to participate in the Decarbonization Showcase, selected applicants will be required to sign a legal agreement with BayREN which details program and funding requirements and milestones.
[1] Eligible local government entities include city/town governments and their departments, county governments and their departments, and special districts. The nine Bay Area counties include Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, and Sonoma Counties.
[2] Local governments and special districts receiving electricity from one of the following municipal electric utilities are eligible to participate: Alameda Municipal Power, City of Healdsburg Electric, Water, & Wastewater Department, Hetch Hetchy Power, and Silicon Valley Power. The City of Palo Alto has their own utility that provides both electricity and gas distribution and therefore is not eligible to participate.
To evaluate all Decarbonization Showcase project applications, BayREN will organize an Evaluation Committee that consists of BayREN staff and consultants. Applications will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
- Project need and value
- Availability of project site information
- Potential for replicability
- Project feasibility
- BayREN gap funding availability
- Building type diversity
- Geographic diversity
- Project Site is located in and/or serves an Equity Priority Community, per the Bay Area Metropolitan Transportation Commission's (MTC) Equity Priority Communities Framework (which is available at https://mtc.ca.gov/planning/transportation/access-equity-mobility/equit…)
Participating Projects
The Temescal Branch Library serves a large and diverse population in a walkable neighborhood, making it an accessible and visible demonstration site for decarbonization. Opened in 1918, the historic Carnegie library houses a heavily used Tool Lending Library, which attracts patrons from across the city. The Showcase project will involve electrifying the library's HVAC system, including the addition of air cooling, to enhance its ability to serve as both a climate resilience hub and a community gathering space. The project supports Oakland's Equitable Climate Action Plan (ECAP), which calls for municipal building electrification and full decarbonization of existing buildings by 2040.
As a trusted community hub, the San Anselmo Library is uniquely positioned to showcase the benefits of electrification, using its educational programs, workshops, and public displays to inspire residents to adopt similar upgrades. Opened in 1915, the historic Carnegie library plays a crucial role during emergencies, serving as a cooling center in summer and power station during public safety power shutoff events. The Showcase project will involve electrifying the library's HVAC system to ensure it remains a sustainable, accessible, and resilient facility. The project supports the Town of San Anselmo's Climate Action Plan, which calls for electrification of existing building systems and equipment that use natural gas.
The Village Sunnydale Avenue is a community center located in San Francisco’s Visitacion Valley, an area designated both an Equity Priority Community by the MTC and an Environmental Justice community under San Francisco’s Environmental Justice Framework. The facility plays a vital role in supporting the community, housing four programs that provide critical services: FACES SF Workforce Program, Hawkins Youth Clinic, Family Connections Center, and Calvary Street Village Pantry. The Showcase project will involve electrifying the facility’s water heating and HVAC systems to ensure it can continue to provide vital services without disruption in a safe, comfortable, and healthy environment. The project supports the City of San Francisco’s Climate Action Plan, which calls for decarbonizing the City’s diverse building portfolios within the next 15 years.
The Belle Haven Child Care Development Center is located in a historically underserved neighborhood in Menlo Park, an MTC designated Equity Priority Community. The center provides licensed, subsidized early childhood education and development services for income-qualified children ages three to five years. The Showcase project will involve electrifying the center’s cooking equipment and HVAC system that will support ventilation, filtration, and air recirculation for improved daily interior air quality and enhanced resilience during fire season. The project supports the City’s Environmental Justice Element and Climate Action Plan goal to eliminate fossil fuel use in city operations by 2030.
The Roosevelt Community Center is a focal point of the Santee neighborhood in East San José, an MTC designated Equity Priority Community. The center provides important public services such as daily childcare and elder care programs and heating, cooling, and shelter relief to the City’s most vulnerable community members. With its unique combination of high priority community benefits and existing sustainable features and plans, the center is the ideal location for San José’s first Resiliency Center. The Showcase project will involve electrifying the facility’s cooking equipment and water heating and HVAC systems, as well as retrofitting the existing lighting system, to improve indoor air quality, reduce emissions, and support public health. The project supports the City of San José’s Climate Smart and Pathway to Carbon Neutrality by 2030 Plans, which calls for implementing zero net carbon buildings, green commutes, and transition to a renewable energy future.
Decarbonized Public Building Examples
Many local governments in the Bay Area are taking action to decarbonize their buildings. Browse through previous and ongoing examples to gain insights into successful approaches for implementing decarbonization projects in public buildings.
Additional Resources
Questions
Email us at publicbuildings@bayren.org