Yes, you heard it right. Circle V Ranch Camp Receives $16,000 of New LED Lighting & Refrigeration Upgrades Via Santa Barbara County Energy Watch Partnership & Santa Maria Chamber Grant.
The annual cost savings estimated at $4,442 for the Non-profit Camp Rebuilding from 2017 Whittier Wildfire.
Below you can see the before and after shots to notice the striking difference that the upgrades had accomplished:
BEFORE
AFTER
The difference is that in the first picture, original florescent lights are present that results in an unpleasant yellow-colored atmosphere. The Camp’s 16 guest cabins shown to hold the new LED lights are Camp Director Ray Lopez; Energy Watch Project Liaison & Camp Volunteer Tony Yanez; Staples Energy Specialist Norman Knowles and SBCEWP Program Manager Dave Cross (left to right).
After the LED lights replace them, the second picture reveals a lighting difference as the yellow-colored atmosphere is no longer present, but in fact, has everything appear in a brighter tone. The members in the second photo are Project Liaison & Camp Volunteer Tony Yanez; Camp Director Ray Lopez; Staples Energy Program Manager Tori Bennett; Staples Energy Specialist Norman Knowles; SoCalGas Senior Account Executive Frank Mateo; SoCalGas Program Manager Jeff Lawler and SBCEWP Program Manager Dave Cross (left to right).
Santa Barbara County, California–This summer, Circle V Ranch Camp & Retreat Center received $16,000 of new LED lighting and refrigeration upgrades with custom installation through the Santa Barbara County Energy Watch Partnership (SBCEWP). This also included a $6,000 grant from Santa Maria Chamber of Commerce as well as receiving $4,000 from a private donor. The Energy Watch Partnership is a program funded by PG&E and SoCalGas with the goal of significantly reducing energy use and promoting sustainable practices–Mother Nature would definitely be proud of this. The annual estimated cost savings are $4,442 equaling 30,851 kWh of energy saved.
“We are thrilled to have new LED lighting throughout our entire facility and refrigeration upgrades now! This year-long project was spear-headed by Camp volunteer Tony Yanez of Santa Ynez, who has worked with an incredible team put together by the Partnership not only to fund the $16,000 project but also to install it so professionally. We are grateful to the Partnership for contributing $6,000; the Santa Maria Chamber of Commerce for their $6,000 grant as well as $4,000 from a private donor to make this entire project a reality. It really means so much as we continue rebuilding Circle V after the damages we had during the 2017 Whittier wildfire,” says Ray Lopez.
“Helping Circle V Ranch Camp reduce their energy costs more than $4,400 per year especially as they rebuild from the Whittier fire makes this particular project even more important. Many thanks to the great crew from Staples Energy who did the assessment of all the Camp’s 16 guest cabins as well as the dining lodge, kitchen, office spaces, outbuildings and storage areas; then did all the custom installation over the course of this summer,” adds Dave Cross, program manager for the SBCEWP.
To gain some more knowledge about St. Vincent de Paul Circle V Ranch Camp & Retreat Center, here are some interesting facts to feed your brain.
- It was founded in 1945 by St. Vincent de Paul Los Angeles. The camp has been located across from Cachuma Lake in Santa Barbara County in the Los Padres National Forest on 30 acres since 1990.
- Have kids and want to take them somewhere? During the summer, Circle V Ranch Camp sessions offer six days and five nights of traditional supervised fun for boys and girls ages 7-13 years and leadership training for ages 14-17 years. Campers enjoy activities including archery, arts & crafts, hiking, swimming in the pool, learning about nature, reading skills, painting, photography, playing baseball, basketball, ping pong, foosball, soccer, miniature golf and of course, campfires, skits and singing. This is basically heaven for your children. Campers stay in wood cabins or traditional canvas tents. Three nutritious daily meals served family-style in the Dining Lodge are not only for food but also for camaraderie and fellowship.
- In summer 2016, the camp hosted more than 1,000 children for this time-honored experience. During autumn, winter and spring, Circle V is available for rental to other non-profit groups and organizations welcoming more than 3,000 guests of all ages.
After closing due to damage during the Whittier Wildfire on July 8, 2017, Circle V continues to rebuild its water treatment facilities, Craft and Health cabins with a goal of reopening in 2019.
Donations to help reopen are needed and welcomed here. For general information visit www.CircleVRanchCamp.org
More interested in hearing about the Santa Barbara County Energy Watch Partnership? It is a program designed to promote and implement energy efficiency in government, businesses and residential homes. It is funded by PG&E and Southern California Gas, and the program is administered by the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce. SBCEWP consists of PG&E, Southern California Gas, City of Buellton, City of Guadalupe, City of Santa Maria, City of Solvang, and the County of Santa Barbara. Since 2010, the Partnership has helped over 450 businesses and organizations in northern Santa Barbara County save on energy and reduce costs. Altogether, the energy savings from upgrading the energy efficiency of businesses (over 15,149,746 kWh annually) is enough to power 1,386 homes. In addition, the average business savings is $4,761 in energy costs per year. In addition, the Partnership has upgraded municipal buildings in Santa Maria, Guadalupe, Solvang, Buellton, and in the unincorporated areas of Santa Barbara County with 122 projects saving 2,307,292 kW, representing over $324,866 in taxpayer savings with enough to power 211 homes. For more information, visit http://santamaria.com/energy-watch-partnership
