Marshfield Energy and Climate Change Committee (E&CCC)(EC3)
Meetings of May 24, 2007 and June 7, 2007
By Rich Phillips
May 24, 2007
This was the first meeting of the newly appointed Marshfield Energy and Climate Change Committee.
Attending: Members: Mike Zahner, Lawrence Black, Andy Perchlik, Anne Miller, Rich Phillips Guests: Johanna Miller and John Groveman from Vermont Natural Resources Council.
Begin: 5:00PM Adjourn: 6:30 PM
Substance:
1) Johanna and John explained what support VNRC could provide to the Committee. Johanna would like to support the Committee’s efforts in any way we need help.
2) John agreed to be the committee member representing the Village if the Trustees support this.
3) Discussed the Goals and Objectives (G/Os) document briefly but did not get to prioritizing the G/Os
4) Decided to meet monthly except for the next meeting which will be in two weeks on June 7, 2007 to allow us to get further into the prioritization of the goals and begin to develop the framework of specific projects.
5) Before next meeting Mike and Andy will propose suggested refinements of the G/Os document and Rich will contact the Village Trustees concerning a representative from the Village on the Committee.
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Attending: Members: Mike Zahner, Lawrence Black, Anne Miller, Andy Perchlik, Rich Phillips
Begin 5:00PM Adjourn: 6:30 PM
Substance:
1) Rich reported that a meeting has been set with the Village Trustees on 6/20/07 at 7:00PM at the Fire Station. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss the E & CCC effort, how the Village facilities fit into this effort and who they wish to represent them. John Groveman and Andy Perchlik, as the lead for the Municipal Facilities Project, will attend this meeting with Rich.
2) Decided that future meetings will be the second Thursday of the month at 5:00 PM and last no longer than 90 minutes. The meetings will be held in the meeting room unless a conflict develops moving the E&CCCC to the room outside the kitchen.
3) Reviewed and discussed the proposed modifications to the G/O document that Mike and Andy prepared. Decided on several other changes and Mike will develop a redraft for next time. We will pass this redraft along to the Selectboard with the understanding it is subject to further revision as we get more familiar with the subject and the needs.
4) After considerable discussion, we decided on an initial set of projects to be led by Committee members and identified other projects for later investigation. This effectively prioritized the work necessary to meet the G/Os.
Initial Project Set:
a) Municipal Facilities led by Andy Perchlik:
This project will establish the current total energy use (electric and heating) at all Town and Village facilities and make recommendations concerning energy use reduction and alternative energy conversions, where appropriate.
b) Transportation led by Lawrence Black and Anne Miller:
This project will look into energy used in transportation by residents and by the municipal vehicles and make recommendations concerning energy reduction and, for municipal vehicles, potential alternative fuels.
c) Development of Resources for Residents led by Mike Zahner (Assists -Anne and Johanna Miller) :
This project will compile available information appropriate for homes concerning electrical and heating energy use reduction and resulting cost savings, alternative energy sources and incentives in a format more easily understood by a resident without expertise in the subject. It will be written from the standpoint of what a homeowner needs to know to make decisions on what to implement. It will have referrals for more detailed information.
d) Resident Survey led by Rich Phillips
This is not really a project in that it will not produce recommendations for action to reduce energy use. Instead it is part of an information gathering and public involvement process critical to having the recommendations, especially those applying to the residents, implemented. The work will include a door to door survey to gather information on heating energy used, where people work and their interest in car-pooling, to explain anticipated projects and get feedback on them and interest in helping on specific projects. Potentially, the resources developed in the above project (c) could be distributed at that time.
e) Fluorescent Light Exchange led by Rich Phillips
This project will investigate how we can make compact fluorescents available at little or no cost to residents and, if successful, will distribute the bulbs
Preliminary Future Project Set:
a) Reduction on Food Transport Energy
b) Assessment of Local Energy Generation Options
c) Recommendations for Energy- Related Changes to Town Plan/Regulations
5) Leads will develop the workplan for their project and solicit residents to assist with their project by next meeting on July 12, 2007.
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Marshfield Energy and Climate Change Committee
Notes of July 12, 2007 Meeting
RIP
Convened: 5:00PM
Adjourned: 6:00PM
Attending: Andy, Lawrence, Anne, Rich, Johanna
1) Reviewed the latest draft of the Goals and Objectives document prepared by Mike. Decided to remove the “workplan” as this will be developed for each chosen project by the leads. Made a few changes and Rich will prepare the final version and distribute to the Committee and then to the Selectboard.
2) Discussed the status of the individual projects.
Municipal Facilities: Meeting with the Trustees is reset for 7/25/07 at 7:00PM at the Firehouse. Will meet with Bobbi to get figures for heat and electricity etc.
Transportation: Have gotten the figures for diesel consumption by town vehicles. Have begun to draft questions concerning transportation for the resident survey.
Information Compilation: Mike hasn’t had time to work on this as he is drafting the management plan for the Stranahan property. Johanna will work with Mike. Anne has already found a website with information on the federal incentives.
Resident Survey: Preliminary draft of survey completed and input sought. Johanna will send the Middlesex survey. Anne and Lawrence will finish developing the Transportation questions for the survey and get to Rich. Tentative plan is to get survey together and actually make the house calls in September and October. The survey would be preceded by an article in Field Notes that will introduce the survey and ask people to gather their annual electrical and heating fuel use so those are available at the time of survey.
Fluorescent Lamp Project: Various options for distribution of the lamps were discussed. The potential for a joint project with other towns will be evaluated. Johanna will contact Middlesex and Montpelier as they are currently putting their lamp projects together. Rich will contact Plainfield and Cabot. It was thought that these three Towns would make a good joint project and that incorporation of the Schools into the project would be a good idea. Johanna suggested we needed to set goals and timeframe for the project and be able to estimate the carbon savings of a successful project.
The next meeting is August 9, 2007. It was agreed each project lead will develop as preliminary workplan with the steps and a tentative project completion schedule for discussion at the next meeting.
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Marshfield Energy and Climate Change Committee
Notes of 9/18/07 Meeting
Attending: Andy, Anne and Rich. Lawrence was out of town and Mike had a conflict.
Open: 5:15 PM Close: 6:20 PM
Next Meeting: October 11, 2007
Discussion:
1) Andy is getting the GMP meter and account numbers for Town meters from Bobbi. He will contact Bobbi to get the phone number of the Village Clerk/ Treasurer to get the Village wastewater, water and light meter numbers and accounts. With these accounts and phone numbers in hand he can get the electrical use off the net. Andy, the Village Clerk is Deborah Tousignant at 426-3310. I think I told Doreen Mears which is wrong.
2) Anne is researching existing public transportation and finding few existing possibilities, none suitable for providing transportation for employment. Anne questions whether Marshfield by itself can cause the public transportation for employment to be developed.
3) We discussed having a question on the survey about whether residents agree with less winter road plowing to save fuel. It was decided not to pursue this question. There was discussion of having an article on the warning concerning approval of the additional cost of going to 20% biodiesel. We decided to research the impact of the using soybean oil to make biodiesel on the food uses of soybean oil before deciding whether to recommend biodiesel.
4) Mike is having trouble getting any time to work on the development of written materials for residents to help them reduce energy use and use alternatives energy sources. We briefly discussed that we may all need to help on this effort during the winter after the survey is complete.
5) The survey will be in the October Field Notes with background information. The purpose is let people know what’s in the survey and to get them to pull together their energy use information ahead of time, if possible.
The town will be broken into 6 or 7 sections. Most sections will have at least one person assigned to conduct the survey. In the Maple Hill and Hollister Hill section there will be at least two persons. Hopefully, there will be more than these 10 or 12 person minimum. Rich will be contacting people to do the survey. He has a list that has been refined somewhat by discussions with Bobbi. Johanna has indicated the she, J.Groveman and their local friends would be willing to send a day on a specific section or sections.
When sectioning is completed and people committed, there will be an overall meeting of volunteers to go over the survey approach and develop standard answers to obvious questions. Target to start a trial run of the survey by me is October 1, 2007 with the volunteers meeting October 8th and the survey starting the next day
6) The fluorescent lamp project is delayed waiting for Plainfield and Cabot to provide some information to Efficiency Vermont so we get enrolled in the program. Then we will find out whether Plainfield Hardware’s supplier and EV’s
negotiator can get to a price that will make the project a go.
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Marshfield Energy and Climate Change Committee
Meeting Notes
October 8, 2007
Meeting Opened: 6:30 PM
Adjourned: 7:00PM
Attending: Mike Zahner, Rich Phillips, Anne Miller, Lawrence Black
Notes:
1) Rich explained that the status of the fluorescent lamp project. It appears to
be a go at Plainfield Hardware with a price of $0.99 for 60, 75 and 100watt
equivalent lamps. Hopefully the details will be worked out in time for a start
of the project by December 1, 2007. The availability of this program will be
highlighted in the energy survey handout materials.
2) Rich explained the status of the survey effort. We have about 14 volunteers and they will meet to discuss the survey and approach after this meeting (at 7:00PM). Current estimate is that there are about 600 residential units without apartments and we would not be done until Thanksgiving (on 10/23/07, the estimate was by Christmas). (Not all volunteers showed up on 10/15/07 so an additional meeting was held on 10/15/07).
3) Rich explained that three youth at Twinfield (Brandon Popp, Eon Young and ? ) were continuing the Twinfield Hydro project and that project is really a part of our future project to look into local sources of energy generation. Rich has suggested to the youth they might want to come to a meeting of the Committee to discuss their project and ways the two groups could support each other. The Committee thought this was a good idea and Rich will make the arrangements.
4) Anne explained what she found out at the bio-diesel seminar she went to on 10/10/07 at UVM. There is a bio-diesel production plant being built in Swanton, which will at least make the production more local. This doesn’t relieve the concern of using a food level oil to produce the bio-diesel. At least the production of the bio-diesel is much more efficient in it’s use of energy than ethanol from corn.
5) Andy Perchlik has a conflict on Thursdays so we need to find another night for our regular meetings which have been the second Thursday.
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Marshfield Energy and Climate Change Committee
Meeting Notes
11/14/07
Attending: Anne, Lawrence, Rich Andy
Open: 5:15
Adjourned: 6:15
1) Mike’s Resignation: Hilary Alexander and Philippe Leclerc were invited to the meeting at the last minute and neither was able to attend. Rich will contact them again to explain the duties and she if they are interested. Rich will also contact Aaron Manke. Whoever of these three is interested will be referred to the Selectboard for appointment.
2) Mike’s draft of information for the residents: We briefly reviewed the draft and generally decided the way to provide the information might be to develop an energy page on the town’s website which would be organized by topic area (weatherization, solar hot water, wind, passive solar etc.) with links to web-based resources for each topic. People with web access could then quickly get to their topic on interest. For those not computer-savy or without access to a computer we could develop a package of copies of pertinent web pages and/or existing handouts from organizations. This package probably would not be a complete coverage of all topics in depth. A suggestion was made that we check out grants for developing the web pages. Rich will check with Bobbie on who she has to assist her on the town website.
3) A suggestion was also made that Hilary Alexander might be a good person to head this up this project up. Rich will talk with her about this whether or not she becomes a member.
4) We discussed the need to develop the bio-diesel recommendation by the first part of January so the Selectboard can include it in the warning if we so recommend. Anne has this project. She requested assistance in completing her survey duties so she has time to work on the bio-diesel evaluations necessary for a recommendation. Rich will see if she can have some survey support.
Rich explained there would likely be a pre-town meeting in 2008 where we can present the background for the recommendation. We expect to develop a pros and cons document for that meeting or for town meeting.
5) We discussed providing Andy some assistance with the municipal facilities project. This might be a possibility for Aaron Manke or Philippe Leclerc. Rich will discuss with them whether or not they become members. One idea is to have the new member handle the Village portion of the work under Andy’s guidance.
6) Rich updated on the CFL and survey projects. CFLs should be available at Plainfield Hardware and Harry’s in Cabot shortly after the first of the year. The three towns have met and set a goal of 5000 lamps by April 1, 2008, extending the termination date if we have lamps left and getting more lamps if we run out before April 1st. The town representatives will meet shortly to develop promotional materials. The survey is proceeding but several volunteers are having trouble getting the surveys back. More follow calls and maybe visits will be necessary. The survey will stretch to Christmas and beyond.
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Marshfield Energy and Climate Change Committee
Notes of December 12, 2007 Meeting
Attending: Andy Perchlik, Anne Miller, Lawrence Black, Rich Phillips, Hillary
Alexander
Time: 5:15 to 6:30 PM
Discussion:
1) Lamp project due to begin December 15, 2007 at the two hardware stores. Posters will be hung this week. Article in the Gazette this week, the World next week and the Times Argus before January 1st. Goal is 5000 lamps by April 30, 2007 which is equivalent to a savings of about 440,000 kwhr, 390,000 pounds of CO2 and $57,260.
2) Survey is grinding along slowly. It will not be done for Christmas but rather more likely before town meeting.
3) On the municipal facilities project Rich is helping Andy. Rich met with the Village Trustees who expressed interest and support for the project and with the Village Clerk to get the phone number and the account numbers so we can access the electrical use information. Rich also counted the street lights which number 24 plus the high powered light in front of the Fire Station. Rich and Andy will next tour the Village water and wastewater facilities to begin defining the current energy use and possible reduction options. After the Village facilities are assessed we will move on to the Town facilities. Rich will contact Allison Hollingsworth at VEIC to see if the Municipal Energy Assistance Program exists and can help us with the audit of the town and village facilities.
4) Anne reported that she will complete the gathering of information for the bio-diesel recommendation on 12/13/07 and hopefully pull together the pros and cons chart before the middle of January. Hillary will send Anne information she has on bio-diesel and Rich will develop information on the cost of bio-diesel. We will vote next meeting on whether to recommend to the Selectboard that they place an article on the warning to approve the increased cost of bio-diesel.
5) The resident information project started by Mike Zahner was discussed in some detail and it was tentatively agreed that we would proceed with some form of web-based information resource connected to the town website. At a minimum, the energy pages would allow for posting of upcoming events, notes of meetings, project descriptions and results from Marshfield residents and an on-line follow-up survey form. The site may also include a topic list (like solar, insulation, air leakage, weatherization etc) with links to the sites covering the topic in a manner most useful to non-professional residents. If there is a site that covers the topics in a similar manner, like maybe the new VECAN site, then we may not take on the task of developing this topic page on the towns website. We need to try to put on our non-professional resident hat to see if an existing site really works. Preferably, we should test with a group of residents, any proposed existing or, if necessary, a proposed new site we might design to help assure the sites usefulness to residents.
If we need professional web development assistance to build this site, we may be able to get a volunteer. If no volunteer, we may be able to use the consultant the Town Clerk uses. We probably could get a grant to support this work. Hillary agreed to take on this project.
6) Hillary agreed to join the Committee and Rich will see to her appointment by the
Selectboard
7) Rich will contact Aaron Manke and Philipee Leclerc to see if they are interested in being members as Rich was supposed to do last month.
8) Next meeting is January 14, 2008 at 5:30 PM
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Marshfield Energy and Climate Change Committee
Notes of 1/14/08 Meeting
RIP
Attending: Anne Miller, Lawrence Black, Rich Phillips, Johanna Miller
Guest: Paul Markowitz from Sierra Club
Open Meeting: 5:35 PM, Adjourn: 7:15 PM
Discussion:
1) Paul is developing a program for the Vermont Sierra Club to assist local energy committees and wants to know how they can help us. Johanna also is looking for that guidance from us. It was suggested that Johanna could help the most by working with Hillary on developing a website focused on provide energy reduction and alternative energy information in a form understandable to and useable by homeowners in making their improvement decisions. This could be the VELCAN website with links to it from the Town website or it could be a more complete Town website with appropriately selected links to provide the intended type and quality of information specifically for homeowners.
Throughout the meeting Paul picked up on several actions he could take to assist us. He will look into the possible availability of assistance on street light conversions from Efficiency Vermont. He will also contact the Vermont Energy Education Program? about a possible approach to incorporating more energy issues at Twinfield (Paul---I can’t remember the other items you are checking on)
2) Anne has the bio-diesel pros and cons document nearly complete. She will print it and deliver a copy to Rich who will scan it and deliver it electronically to members, Johanna and Paul for comment. Rich will draft an article for the town meeting warning and meet with the Selectboard to see if they will put it on the warning. Talking with Selectperson John Warshow after the meeting, the budget already involves a major expansion because of fuel, insurance etc., so it really is a difficult time to approach the townspeople for an additional increase for biodiesel. The article is written below.
“To see if the town will authorize the Selectboard to purchase bio-diesel fuel for municipal vehicles provided the increased cost of such fuel does not exceed that of normal petroleum diesel by more than $0.30 per gallon.”
3) Project Updates:
a. Andy and Rich have toured the Village wastewater and water supply facilities. At the wastewater plant, we suggested changing the 30-gallon electric water heater to a small on-demand heater for hand washing. At the water supply facilities we will look into reducing the blower speed and power draw for the radon treatment unit and the possibility of an in-pipe turbine for power generation from the 500-foot drop to the Village. We are waiting for responses from GMP to questions we have posed about upgrading the 24 streetlights and possibly using timers to such off the lights late night and early morning.
We will be touring the OSC and highway garage next.
b. The lamp project is going well with over 1000 lamps sold through Plainfield Hardware.
c. The survey is moving along slowly. Getting them returned is the biggest problem and various methods are being tried. Some volunteers are putting in a lot of time. We would like now to finish by or at town meeting.
4) Rich prepared a report for the town report and passed it around for reading by committee members
5) Rich developed a letter to our Congresspersons suggesting: 1) that earmarks be eliminated for one year and the funds normally appropriated for the earmarks be provided to the states to be used by residents for energy reduction and alternative energy projects in their homes. And 2) that funds be diverted from subsidies for corn to ethanol conversion to support the finalization of the technology for burning switch-grass pellets for space heating. Lawrence read and agreed with the letter, Anne will read it and let me know any comments. Andy has read the letter. Rich will send this week signing as Chair of the Committee.
6) We discussed whether we should include Twinfield in our municipal facilities evaluation considering their heavy use of outdoor lighting and the likely issues of drafty rooms etc. We decided not to pursue Twinfield at this time because of our current workload. We also discussed the need to work with the school to figure out what energy issues are now covered in the curriculum and hopefully to expand on this coverage next year. Paul suggested that the energy use tracking form we have passed out with the survey might be a good tool to engage students. Rich suggested we might want to make “Energy Issues in School” at separate project and try to get one or more parents to help lead that initiative. Rich will meet with Owen to view the pellet boiler and introduce the potential curriculum initiative the possible energy review in the future.
7) We discussed the possibility of a table and focus on energy at town meeting, having an Energy Day in Marshfield where interested people could visit homeowners who have already implemented such concepts as solar voltaic panels, solar domestic hot water, passive solar, off-grid homes, small hydro and small wind if we can find any, wintertime unheated cloths drying, old home complete successful retrofits for energy conservation, etc. We also discussed sponsoring a weatherization workshop locally. Plans for these initiatives were not set. We will discuss them more completely and decide on them at the next meeting on February 11, 2008. We could use help on these initiatives from Johanna and Paul and probably some grant funds from NEGREF.
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Marshfield Energy and Climate Change Committee
Notes
3/10/08 Meeting
1) Attending: Lawrence, Anne, Andy, Rich
2) Opening 7:10 PM, Adjourn 8:30 PM
3) Business
a) Since Hillary was not there, we did not discuss the proposed web site as planned.
b) Andy affirmed he wanted to continue working on the municipal facilities. Rich will set up the reviews of the OSC and Highway Garage for the week of 3/17/08.
c) We discussed the idea of having a Marshfield Energy Day in the spring and decided to sponsor a tour of four homes using alternative energy systems on May 17, 2008. The homes tentatively are Angela Gibbons, Mike Fritz, Ed Smith (Cabot) and Dan Choderkoff. We will meet at OSC at 8:30 AM and begin the tour at 9:00AM expecting to be done by noon or 1:00PM. Anne and Lawrence will do the contacts and finish setting the tours up. Rich will assure the tour is publicized in the Field Notes.
d) We discussed the idea of having an energy workshop for students and homeowners in the early fall. Rich is to check into availability of leaders for this workshop.
e) Andy will look into the possibility of getting a grant to fund a feasibility study of hydro and wind sites in town by a consultant. If this looks possible, Rich will help get the grant application together.
f) Rich will set up a meeting with School officials, interested teachers and interested students to learn what has been/is being done to enhance energy learning at Twinfield and what additional efforts could/should be made. Anne will call Debra Stoleroff about this possible collaboration. Debra leads the Renaissance Project and the energy learning may fit nicely into that program.
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Marshfield Energy and Climate Change Committee
Meeting Notes
May 12, 2008
Attending: Anne, Lawrence, and Rich
Open 7:00 PM,
Adjourn 8:30 PM
Business:
1) Anne expressed concern about how the Committee is functioning. She said that the Committee should be discussing how we should proceed to meet our goals instead of jumping from one project to another based on the latest ideas (mainly the ideas from Rich). We discussed this concern essentially agreeing that when we get to full working
Committee we need to spend one or more meetings refining our overall approach to stay focused on the goals and on projects to meet the goal that we can actually handle effectively.
2) Anne also was concerned that the Committee didn’t follow through on tabulating the survey results in a timely manner, which sheds a bad light on the Committee from the standpoint of those we surveyed. Finally she felt we could have done a better job setting up the home tours. The way we did it, Anne, Rich and Lawrence contacted different homeowners. Anne said she would be back to her contacts shortly, but Rich had trouble tying one of his contacts down so Anne was delayed in responding which reduces the credibility of the Committee. In the future, one person will be responsible for setting up the tour and do all the contacts.
3) We reviewed the preliminary tabulation of the 70 survey responses dated May 12, 2008.
a. Some of the suggested other projects we felt should be further evaluated for implementation:
- Investigate wind, solar and hydro opportunities (our local generation project)
- Revise zoning regulations to promote hamlets
- Create town weatherizing team to help homeowners
- Create oil-purchasing coop.
- Look into geothermal and solar hot water systems (include info on website)
- Provide information on residential financial and tax incentives (on website) (maybe Saul Grasser could do)
- Look into establishing low interest loan fund, property tax credits, and financial help for community/neighborhood energy generation. (maybe Saul Gresser could do)
- Establish a town program to educate on small solar conversions and bulk-buy materials. (potentially, work with the library on the learning part)
- Establish a town program to purchase and loan out to residents: 1) electric meters to measure appliance energy use, 2) blower door equipment to identify home air leakage and 3) potential some equipment to allow homeowners to rudimentary wind information to help decide whether to further consider a home wind unit. (NEGEF grant applied for to cover the cost of the meters and some of the blower door) (will talk to Bob Minsenberger about wind instruments)
- Revise zoning regulations to allow wind generation structures over 35 feet that are not connected to the grid as a conditional use with minimal conditions.
- Encourage local users of alternative energy systems to present at local forums and give house tours.
- Create a place to donate used and usable windows and doors (could be on website)
- Develop public transportation suitable of Marshfield residents (must be a regional approach)
b) Information requests:
- We did not review or assign information requests, which are large in number. Next meeting we may do this
c) Persons willing to help:
We scanned the list and decided to call the following as potential members on the Committee. If a person is not willing to serve on the Committee we will ask what they would like to do and try to match their desires hopefully within one of our base projects or a special project.
- Tovar Cerulli ---- Lawrence
- Nancy Everhart 426-3234 ----- Rich
- Cynthia Martin 426-3874------Anne
- Tracey Hamilton or Diane Batzel 426-3383 ----Rich
- Judd Levin 426-3051----Anne
- Saul Gresser 426-2111 ---- Anne
- Roger Lawrence 426-3316---- Lawrence
- Josh and Cathy Sainz 426-3696---- Anne
- Nessa Rabin 426-3562 ----- Rich
- Scott Hook 454-1617 ----- Rich
- Janet Nielsen 454-7767 -----Lawrence
- Judith Henkin and Don Bookchin 454-7332---- Rich
- Mark Gosselin 454-1881 ---- Rich
4) We reviewed the Field Notes submission for June. We discussed adding a little about the vacant Village Sore but Anne recommended against the Energy Committee becoming involved.
5) We reviewed the status of the School Collaboration project, the Municipal Facilities project and the NEGREF grant for the measuring equipment.
6) Susannah Blachley did not attend to discuss the energy series she wants to organize for the fall. Maybe she will attend the next meeting