green communities selectmen for slideshare
Post on 15-May-2015
384 Views
Preview:
DESCRIPTION
TRANSCRIPT
Becoming a Green Community
Discussion withBoard of Selectmen
Michael GreisGreen Needham Collaborative
23 November 2010
At several points in this presentation, there are buttons that link to other slides in the presentation containing additional information on the point being discussed.
Unfortunately, slideshow.net does not support those links directly. So, when you click the links, a browser window will open showing the slides in a PDF file. Simply return to your original browser window or tab to continue with the presentation.
Agenda
• Benefits of becoming a Green Community
• Green Community Requirements
• Where we stand
• Meeting the remaining requirements
Why?
• It’s the right thing to do
• It’s the smart thing to do
• It saves money
• We’re already doing much of it
• What we’re not doing, we’ll have to do
Benefits of being a Green Community
• Climate Change, the Environment, Health– Reduction in greenhouse gas emissions– Cleaner, greener environment– Reduced health care costs and decreased mortality
• Comfort and quality of life – More comfortable homes, offices and schools
• Long-term Sustainability– Minimize and control volatile energy costs
• Economic Development– Lower cost of owning and operating facilities makes Needham more
attractive to businesses– Green / LEED / Energy Efficient building is now the commercial baseline– Homes are less expensive to own and more attractive to buyers– Prospective residents want to make a smart choice of community to live
in – a sustainable, energy-efficient, green community reinforces their choice of Needham
Benefits of being a Green Community
• Saving energy, saving money– Municipal energy reductions save taxpayer dollars and promote
confidence in municipal government– Residents save money and reduce life cycle costs of owning
homes– Businesses save money and reduce facility costs
• Savings benefit the local economy– Massachusetts has no local energy production– The dollars spent on energy leave the community and the region
• Oil used by Needham residents represents a transfer of wealth to OPEC of $14.6 million each year
– Money not spent on energy by the municipality, residents and businesses can be spent to benefit the local economy
• 10% of the FY 2011 energy budget = 4 teachers + 2 firefighters
Benefits of being a Green Community
• Funding – Green Community Grants– Funding from RGGI Auctions ($8-9 million yearly)– Not subject to budget process, legislative
appropriation or 9C cuts– Peer Towns received $150,000 – 200,000 – Will become more competitive as additional
communities qualify
• Funding – preference for other grant programs– October 2010 Electric Vehicle Charging Stations
Benefits of being a Green Community
• Supports and advances stated goals of the Selectmen– financial sustainability– energy savings – effective use of resources – increasing town revenue – economic development – improving health and welfare – instituting environmentally sound practices
Benefits of being a Green Community
• Creates a social norm and promotes a community identity that:– Builds buy-in for Selectmen and Town Manager goals
on sustainability– Encourages further actions by citizens, businesses
and Town employees– Enhances Needham’s image as a smart place to live
and do business
Green Community Requirements
• As-of-right Siting – for renewable energy R&D, Manufacturing or Generation in
designated areas
• Expedited Permitting – within one year via local permitting or MGL Chapter 43D
• Municipal Energy Use Baseline & Reduction Plan – target 20% from baseline within 5 years
• Fuel-efficient Vehicles – purchase subject to availability
• Minimize Life-cycle Costs – adopt Stretch Energy Code (780 CMR 120 AA)
Green Community Requirements- where we are
• As-of-right Siting – Planning Board and Planning Director prepared to proceed with
overlay for RTS – Location for prospective wind turbine and solar array
• Expedited Permitting – Planning Director & Board feel our process enables us to meet
this requirement• Municipal Energy Use Baseline and Reduction Plan
– Energy baseline complete and monitoring in place– Town Manager ‘s 5% Energy Challenge 2009-10
• Fuel-efficient Vehicles – Already seek efficient vehicles and have purchased hybrids
• Minimize Life-cycle Costs – adopt Stretch Energy Code– Needs Town Manager & Selectmen support, Town Meeting
approval
Stretch Code Communities
- 35 designated Green Communities in May, 2010- Many of the rest will be applying this month
Many of our peer communities are already on this list…
-Newton-Natick-Lexington-Brookline-Concord-Sudbury-Arlington-Hopkinton-Dedham
Massachusetts Energy Codes
• Meeting energy codes is not a new requirement – IECC 2006, since 2008
• A new code is in effect as of July 1, 2010– IECC 2009 - 10% more energy efficient than IECC 2006
• Stretch Code – 20% more energy efficient than current MA code (IECC 2009)
• Green Communities Act requires adoption of new IECC energy codes
• Stretch Code will become the base code – IECC 2012 will be adopted in 2013
Stretch Code Coverage
• Residential – New construction and additions – Renovations
• Commercial– New construction and additions > 5,000 sf– Renovations exempt– Specialized facilities (supermarkets, labs, warehouses)
• < 40,000 sf – exempt• > 40,000 sf – covered
What’s different about the stretch Energy Code?
• Reduces the cost of owning and using buildings• Empowers the property owners to achieve energy
savings by making decisions and trade-offs that meet their needs
• Provides quality assurance that owners are getting what they pay for
It is results-oriented - focused on performance, not prescriptive requirements
Performance codeversus Prescriptive code
Prescriptive codes don’t guarantee good results
For example, small air gaps created by faulty installation can reduce the R-value of insulation by 50% or more
Performance testing ensures that homeowners get the results they are paying for
Advantages of Performance-based code
- Property owner- Makes the decisions- Can make design trade-offs- Quality assurance of the work and the results
-Code official- Compliance & inspections essentially same as base code- Retains authority- 3rd party professional rating reduces disputes
Bottom line:Reducing life-cycle costs
Building to the stretch code provides significant bottom-line financial benefits to the property
owner – the building costs less to own and use
Residential: - Small or even no cost premium- 30% reduction in energy costs- Net cash savings – up to several thousand dollars per year
Commercial:- Average 2% cost premium yields immediate 30% savings in energy & water- Rates of return of >30% common- Often cash flow positive from day 1
Path to Adoption
• Selectmen and Town Manager commit to becoming a Massachusetts Green Community– Adopt energy reduction plan– Commit to buying energy efficient vehicles– Adopt Stretch Energy Code (subject to TM vote)
• Planning Board prepares and approves:– As-of-right zoning– Commitment to expedited permitting
• Annual Town Meeting - May, 2011– Vote to adopt zoning by-law changes– Vote to adopt Stretch Energy Code
• Town Manager submits Green Communities Designation form to DoER
Green Needham Collaborative:– www.GreenNeedham.org
• Green Needham Collaborative Blog– www.GreenNeedham.org/blog
• 10% Energy Challenge– challenge.GreenNeedham.org
End of presentation
Linked slides follow
Green Building Study, Sponsors USBGC & others – Greg Kats, Lead Author http://www.goodenergies.com/news/-pdfs/Web%20site%20Presentation.pdf
Cash flow for 3,500 sq home (including all rebates and incentives)-Net cost of improvements:
-$7,314-Annual cash flow to owner
-$2,338
Without rebates & incentives:- Net cost of improvements:
- $10,614- Annual cash flow to owner
- $1,102
Cash Flow scenario prepared by Mark Sandeen, Lexington GWAC
Slides from DoER Stretch Code 201 Webinar
Slide from EPA Presentation at Electric Restructuring Roundtable 10/29/10
Benefits Costs
top related