It may seem like a no-brainer: upgrade the heating and cooling system and replace 15-hundred old light bulbs with more energy efficient LED's.

But making those improvements to the Capitol and preserving its architectural integrity took a little more time to figure out. 

With incentives from utilities, the total taxpayer cost for the upgrades is $420,000.

Democratic Assemblymember Nancy Skinner says the state's investment is expected to pay for itself in about a year and a half.

"The measures alone that SMUD worked with us on, will reduce our energy consumption by 21-percent or 2.6 million kilowatt hours a year," says Skinner. "that translates into dollar amounts to taxpayers, $278,000."

The state is also saving money by placing unused computers on "sleep" mode and changing printing processes.