School Districts and Higher Education
SoCalREN helps school districts and colleges save money and modernize their facilities through comprehensive energy project support, including low- to no-cost energy efficiency upgrades for qualifying campuses. SoCalREN provides energy assessments, facility audits, and expert technical support—helping your school reduce energy use, cut costs, and reinvest in campus services and student well-being.
SoCalREN offers incentives for the following measures, and more:
- High-efficiency heat pump water heaters
- Natural gas tankless water heaters
- Pipe insulation
- Faucet aerators
- Boilers
- Gas dryer modulating valves
- Demand control ventilation for single-zone HVAC
- Variable speed drive (VSD) for HVAC fan controls
No-cost, direct installation of select measures is available for facilities in underserved zip codes. Don’t see equipment listed above that you’re interested in upgrading? Don’t worry– SoCalREN will support and help your school identify various energy efficiency opportunities.
Equipment Eligibility will be assessed based on the equipment data provided.
Program Benefits
SoCalREN delivers end-to-end energy efficiency project services tailored to campus needs. Participating organizations receive:
- On-site energy assessments
- Installation of energy-saving equipment
- Expert project support, from scoping to implementation
- Financial analysis and financing application support
- Hassle-free procurement
- Support in sharing case studies and project successes
Why It Matters
Energy upgrades are an innovative, cost-effective way to:
✓ Lower campus utility bills
✓ Free up funding to better support student needs
✓ Reduce carbon emissions and align with local sustainability goals
Project Delivery Process
SoCalREN provides project management support and coordinates every step of the way to ensure seamless delivery of services.
Want to save energy with SoCalREN?
Contact your SoCalREN Project Manager to let them know you’re interested.
Not enrolled yet?
Flexible Financing Options
Let SoCalREN help you stack incentives with additional funding and financing sources!
SoCalREN Cash Incentives: Get quick and easy access to cash incentives for energy efficiency projects, with amounts determined by greenhouse gas emissions reductions–and doubled incentives for underserved agencies. Learn more here.
Revolving Savings Fund: Offers an easy process, 0% interest rate, five-year loan term, and relatively quick allocation of funds. Learn more here.
SCE & SoCalGas On-Bill Financing: 0% interest loans for energy upgrades, repaid through your monthly utility bill.
California Energy Commission’s Energy Conservation Assistance Act (ECAA-Ed) Loans: Provides 0% interest rate loans, up to $3M max loan, for eligible energy projects at school facilities.
… and more!
Interested in long-term energy planning solutions? Join the 2025 SoCalREN SEM Cohort! Spots are limited!
No-cost, expert energy management assistance to help you track energy use, optimize energy operations, and unlock cash incentives while making impactful changes to your facilities.
Success Stories
Santa Barbara Unified School District Lighting Upgrade
Santa Barbara USD completed a large-scale facility upgrade across multiple school sites in December 2024, including LED lighting upgrades for campus facilities. The project resulted in over $1.1M in lifetime cost savings for the district, cutting campus energy usage in half.
El Monte Union High School District—Energy Resiliency Upgrades Across Five Facilities
SoCalREN assisted El Monte Union High School District with energy efficiency upgrades across five high school sites, including HVAC modernization measures that help the District save money, enhance thermal comfort, and improve indoor air quality. The District will save $1.1M on their energy bills over the life of the projects.