SAN DIEGO, May 8, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) recognized 11 local businesses today at the 8^th Annual Energy Showcase as Energy Champions for their outstanding results in energy efficiency and conservation.  

The following Energy Champion award winners were named:

• Grand Champion: University of California, San Diego (UC San Diego)
• K-12 Schools: Sweetwater Union High School
• Higher Education: San Diego Community College District
• Property Management: BioMed Realty Trust, Inc.
• Local Government: City of San Diego
• Federal Government: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) – Southwest Fisheries Science Center
• Industrial: Vulcan Materials Company
• Manufacturing: Kyocera America, Inc.
• Healthcare: Kaiser Permanente
• Non-Profit: Balboa Park Cultural Partnership
• Transportation: San Diego Regional Airport Authority

Collectively, these SDG&E customers have saved more than 34 million kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity and more than 2 million therms of natural gas, the equivalent of taking nearly 8,000 cars off the road. In addition to their energy-saving efforts, many winners this year also offer electric vehicle charging to their employees and visitors. Videos highlighting the Energy Champion success stories are available at sdge.com/energyshowcase.

"We're proud of the remarkable energy savings by our customers who have been recognized as Energy Champions this year," said Caroline Winn, vice president of customer services for SDG&E. "Each winner has set an excellent example that all SDG&E business customers can learn from to find new ways to save energy and money through the many rebates and incentives that are available through SDG&E's energy-efficiency and demand response programs."

UC San Diego was named the Grand Champion for implementing energy-efficiency measures to optimize energy performance across the campus through active participation in SDG&E's University of California/California State University/Investor Owned Utility Energy Efficiency Partnership program. Optimizing facilities is a high priority at UC San Diego, with all new construction targeting LEED Silver certification or higher and 12 buildings that have already qualified. Renewable energy sources also play an important role in the campus infrastructure, and the university has a long history of participating in SDG&E demand response programs. Through all of its 2012 efforts, UC San Diego achieved annual savings of 9.35 million kWh and 1.86 million therms, earning approximately $4 million in SDG&E incentives. In addition, the university offers more than 25 electric vehicle charging stations to their students and faculty to promote the reduced carbon footprint the cars provide.

Following the Energy Champions awards breakfast, hundreds of people attended the SDG&E Energy Showcase Expo event to learn how to save energy and money with exhibitors showcasing cutting-edge, energy-saving technologies and services. Attendees were able to visit an alternative fuel vehicle display, including oversized commercial vehicles, and learn about SDG&E's program that helps businesses evaluate workplace charging for employees. Also available to attendees was an Energy Solutions Center where customers had the opportunity to meet with Energy Advisors about new technologies as well as energy and money saving programs for their business.

Visit sdge.com/save-money for more information on ways to save money every day or call Energy Savings Center at 1-800-644-6133 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, to talk to an energy service specialist.

SDG&E's energy-efficiency programs are subject to change without notice and are offered on a first-come, first-served basis as long as funding is available. These programs are funded by California utility customers and administered by SDG&E under the auspices of the California Public Utilities Commission.

SDG&E is a regulated public utility that provides safe and reliable energy service to 3.4 million consumers through 1.4 million electric meters and more than 860,000 natural gas meters in San Diego and southern Orange counties. The utility's area spans 4,100 square miles. SDG&E is committed to creating ways to help customers save energy and money every day. SDG&E is a subsidiary of Sempra Energy (NYSE: SRE), a Fortune 500 energy services holding company based in San Diego. Connect with SDG&E's Customer Contact Center at 800-411-7343, on Twitter (@SDGE) and Facebook.

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SOURCE San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E)