FPUD board approves no-interest loan for energy efficiency

The Fallbrook Public Utility District will be obtaining a no-interest loan from San Diego Gas & Electric to finance the installation of energy-efficient lighting at FPUD’s main office.

The FPUD board voted 5-0 Oct. 21 to authorize general manager Brian Brady to execute an on-bill financing loan agreement with SDG&E. The $91,886.46 loan will be paid back over a period of 10 years.

“I think it’s a timely program for FPUD,” Brady said.

FPUD and SDG&E had been working on the possibility of using SDG&E’s on-bill financing program to replace the existing lighting with more energy-efficient illumination. The most recent major upgrades of the lighting systems at FPUD’s offices took place when the FPUD building was renovated and expanded in 1995 and 1996. The existing system has been experiencing failures of the ballasts, and since replacement ballasts are no longer available new ballast and lighting is being installed as the ballasts fail. The SDG&E loan will allow FPUD to replace most of the ballasts and lights in the main office.

“The program allows us to completely upgrade that and use the monthly savings to pay off our no-interest loan,” Brady said.

The monthly repayment for the loan will be $765.72. The monthly energy savings estimate from the improvements is $769.38.