owasso go green initiative

City of Owasso Go Green! Initiative

March 2, 2010

2

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The development of this document falls under several ideals at the center of the mission of the

City of Owasso: delivering the most effective and responsible public services possible, addressing the

City’s role in the reduction of the carbon footprint, and seeking ways to reduce the costs associated

with the delivery of City services. In perspective, one must look at not only where the City is today,

but also where Owasso has been, and more importantly, where Owasso is going in terms of the

environmental impact of the operations of the City government.

This study will address the past, current, and future as it relates to the operations and processes

for the local City government. Ideally, this project will become a foundation for planning and

budgeting, as well as become a culture of discipline for all City employees. This study will reveal

how the City of Owasso can reduce the consumption of energy and use of disposable goods, as well as

ways to reduce the budget allocations for delivering City services. This report will also explore

opportunities the City can employ to reduce the carbon footprint left for future generations of Owasso

citizens.

The Go Green! Initiative began as conceptual idea of City Administrators. The initial goals of

the initiative were to determine opportunities of the City of Owasso to reduce the environmental

impact and to seek long-term savings opportunities for the delivery of the City’s services. The

initiative was broken down into six areas of focus. A team was formed to research each area of focus

to identify models of efficiency by implementing “greener” approaches to operating a municipal

government. These initiatives are the basis of this report and will be subject to additional strategic

planning and budgeting processes.

3

This study will approach the issue from a local perspective: to model a greener government

operation, thus reducing the impact of the operation on the environment as well as reducing the cost of

providing government services. All City departments were represented in this investigative and

evaluative process, whereby best practices were identified and evaluated. The results of this process

are presented herein, and provide opportunities both now and in the foreseeable future.

The Recommendations section of this report demonstrates options that the City can employ to

become a greener organization. As determined in the Recommendations section, the report is

intended to move forward to the strategic planning process for implementation and execution.

This report begins with a discussion about the Green philosophy, including the four cases for

going green. After which the report is divided into six (6) broad categories:

• Green Facilities

• Green Processes

• Green Vehicles

• Green Codes and Development

• Improving Utility Structures

• Public and Employee Education and Information In each of these broad categories, the ideas are further divided into logical groups, under which

the actual proposals for the Go Green! initiative are found.

4

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The City of Owasso Go Green! Initiative was divided into six (6) broad categories for the

evaluative and investigative processes. To manage the information, each category was researched

by a work groups (or team) of City employees. Additionally, a seventh work group was formed to

investigate the area of lighting, due to the array of lighting used throughout the City’s operations.

The seven work groups performed research to determine best practices for opportunities of the City

of Owasso to Go Green! The efforts of these teams produced proposals that fall under the six

categories outlined in this report.

5

Each City department was represented on at least one of the work groups. The make-up of the

work groups for the Go Green! initiative were divided as follows:

City Facilities/Landscaping Internal Processes Michele Dempster – team leader Angela Hess – team leader Cliff Motto Janet Isaacs David Warren Julie Stevens Pete Taylor Cheryl Grant Kris DeMauro Mark Stuckey

Teresa Kimball

Lighting Fleet David Haverkamp – team leader Larry White - team leader Bruce Kelley Dan Yancey Tim Doyle David Hurst Daniel Dearing Phillip Prigden Chelsea Harkins Utility Structures Education & Information Roger Stevens – team leader Teresa Willson – team leader Travis Blundell Larissa Darnaby David Tuggle Corey Byrd Development & Codes Brian Dempster – team leader Eric Wiles Larissa Darnaby John Feary Chris Garrett Bradd K. Clark served as Team Facilitator and report writer for the project.

6

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Executive Summary 2

Acknowledgements 4

Table of Contents 6

The Case For Going Green 8

Green Facilities 14

Water Consumption Reduction 15

Energy Consumption Reduction 20

Landscaping and Outdoor Areas 35

Fixtures and Furnishings 38

LEED and Energy Audits 44

Green Processes 47

Paperless 48

Recycling 53

Vampire Equipment 57

Intranet 59

Reusable Products 62

Printing 66

Green Cleaning products 68

Green Vehicles 70

Cleaner Operating Vehicles 71

Increased Vehicle Efficiency 77

Lawn Mowing & Land maintenance Equipment 86

7

Green Development 92

Greening Owasso Construction Guide 93

Conservation Development 95

Wind Energy Turbine Regulation 97

Construction Permits & Fees to Encourage Green Development 99

Green Utility Structures 101

Water Recycling 102

Renewable Energy 106

Composting 109

Green Education and Information 111

Public Education 112

Employee Education 117

Recommendations 120

Appendices 131

8

THE CASE FOR GOING GREEN Going green at home and work is more than a social or cultural movement spreading

throughout the World. Scientific research and time-proven practices demonstrate successes in

the green approach. Certainly, the case for going green is made in every publication, on most

products purchased today, and in much of the advertising available, but there exists four

compelling reasons the City of Owasso should pursue a greener approach to delivering the city

government services. The reasons for going green fall under four broad categories:

� Reducing the Ecological Footprint of the City

� Reduction in the Consumption of Natural Resources

� Providing a Healthier and More Productive Workplace and Community

� Reduction in the Expenses Associated With Operating the Local Government

Reducing the Ecological Footprint

When greater volumes of waste are generated, and when this waste is increasingly

ecologically hazardous, the greater the occupied space necessary in local landfills. When a

landfill becomes “land-full”, taxpayers are forced to fund new landfills. Old landfills (ones that

have reached capacity) must be continually monitored for environmentally damaging releases,

such as methane gas emissions and polluted water runoff. When less waste is thrown away,

landfills last longer, and cost less in taxes to operate both full landfills and new or operating

landfills. The three “R’s” of the Go Green! initiatives are Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle.

Throwing away items that could be recycled diminishes energy, water and natural resources that

could be saved by recycling. For example:

9

� For every ton of paper that is recycled, the following is saved: 7,000 gallons of water; 380 gallons of oil; and enough electricity to power an average house for six months.

� 3 hours: the duration a television can run from the electricity saved by recycling a single aluminum can.

� 4 hours: the duration that a 100-watt light bulb can burn from the electricity saved by recycling just one glass bottle.

� 95 percent: The amount of energy saved by recycling aluminum cans versus creating the can from virgin aluminum. That means you can make 20 cans out of recycled material with the same amount of energy it takes to make one can out of new material. Energy savings in one year alone are enough to light a city the size of Pittsburgh for six years.

� 40 percent: the percentage of energy saved by recycling newsprint over producing it from virgin materials.

Reduction in the Consumption of Natural Resources

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the world population is expanding at an alarming

rate. The world reached 1 billion people in 1800; 2 billion by 1922; and over 6 billion by 2000. It

is estimated that the population will swell to over 9 billion by 2050. This population growth

means that if the world’s natural resources were evenly distributed, people in 2050 will only

have 25% of the resources per capita that people in 1950 enjoyed.

The world has a fixed amount of natural resources - some of which are already depleted.

As population growth greatly strains finite resources, fewer resources are available. If future

generations are to maintain the same standard of living enjoyed today, steps must be taken to

preserve the foundation of that standard of living. Efforts are commonly made to save for

college educations, orthodontia, and weddings, but saving clean air, water, fuel sources and soil

for future generations is less often considered. Consider that:

� 1 out of 100: the number of U.S. households that would need to be retrofitted with water-efficient appliances to realize annual savings of 100 million kilowatt-hours of electricity and 80,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions.

10

� 36: the number of U.S. states that are anticipating local, regional or statewide water shortages by 2013.

� 3 trillion: the number of gallons of water, along with $18 billion, the U.S. would save

each year if every household invested in water-saving appliances.

� 1.5 acres: the amount of rainforest lost every second to land development and deforestation, with tremendous losses to habitat and biodiversity.

The United States, home to only five percent of the world’s population, consumes 25

percent of the world’s energy and generates 25 percent of the global warming pollution.

Providing a Healthier and More Productive Workplace and Community

Building a Green Community offers a wide array of benefits for building developers,

investors, residents and the environment, leading to healthier homes and communities, lower

energy and water costs, and a protected environment. Communities that seek greener approaches

to community contribute to:

Healthier Homes and Communities

Housing conditions are important factors influencing health. Green design and building

practices can create healthier home environments through better indoor air quality and healthier

building materials. Considering environmental issues in construction, such as the heat island

effect, impervious surfaces, and storm water runoff contribute to cleaner and more

environmentally-friendly communities, including:

Lower Energy and Water Costs

Buildings are better performing, thus cutting utility costs for owners, residents and

building managers. Cities also reduce expenses for sanitation services, potable water delivery,

and wastewater operations.

11

A Stronger Environment

How and where building occurs has a huge environmental impact. Buildings account for

38 percent of annual carbon dioxide emissions, 30 percent of both raw materials waste and

landfill waste and 12 percent of potable water consumption. Environmentally responsible site

planning and development, along with energy- and water-efficient buildings can make a positive

contribution to environmental protection.

More Sustainable Cities for Our Future

Cities around the country are advancing bold visions for going green through strategies to

reduce greenhouse gas emissions, manage water and energy resources and create more livable

communities. Ensuring new and existing buildings are healthy for all residents and energy

efficient should be a key strategy for any green city.

Role-modeling by local governments produces an image that is often contagious. Cities

that provide recycling centers experience ever-increasing center visits. Often, special events held

periodically that allow for more hazardous wastes (such as batteries, paints and solvents) and

appliances and computers are well-attended, and contribute to proper and appropriate disposal.

Cities that incorporate more efficient use of products, reduce energy consumption, and

purchase and utilize products that are safer for the employees, citizens, and environment are

demonstrating a responsibility that will be respected throughout the community. Consider:

� 1 pound per hour: the amount of carbon dioxide that is saved from entering the atmosphere for every kilowatt-hour of renewable energy produced.

� 35 percent: the amount of coal's energy that is actually converted to electricity in a coal-

burning power plant. The other two-thirds is lost to heat

� 60 percent: the reduction in developmental problems in children in China who were born after a coal-burning power plant closed in 2006.

12

� 2.5 percent: the percentage of humans' carbon dioxide emission produced by air travel now, making it the largest transportation-related greenhouse gas emitter.

Reduction in the Expenses Associated With Operating the Local Government

The eco-friendly movement has quickly made its way to the mainstream business world.

Companies, large and small, are going green and the benefits that are being realized are similar

to that of governmental agencies. Governments, however, find that there are three compelling

benefits to the green movement, including:

Responsibility

Because of a greater public awareness of environmental issues, customers are looking

much closer at the behavior of the companies with which they do business. Businesses that “do

the right thing” are seen in a much more positive light by those who share the same eco-friendly

values. In the minds of customers and clients, the responsibility shown in eco-friendly initiatives

is easily applied to corporate brands and the quality of the products and services provided.

For the public sector, citizens who are mobile look at local governments in the same way

customers choose brands. Cities and states that hold the green ideals closer often attract green-

thinking businesses and citizens.

Governmental agencies often benefit from modeling positive behaviors. Often new ideas

to protect citizens and employees are instituted in government before implementation among the

citizens. Consider that government agencies implemented rules such as seatbelt use, no-smoking

workplaces, and product recycling before regulations were enacted requiring citizens to follow.

Profitability

Sometimes doing the right thing does pay. Studies have shown that businesses that have

gone green are becoming more profitable. Waste reduction, energy efficiency, and better

13

resource management have led to significant long-term cost reductions. Eco-friendliness also

opens the organization to exploring ideas to reduce costs associated with delivering services, that

otherwise may not have been identified.

Public Relations

Going green provides excellent public relations opportunities. Being seen as a

responsible government agency instills confidence and builds support among the citizenry. A

government agency’s social responsibility will instill confidence in the customers, prospects,

investors, and the public-at-large.

Although the extent of the result of ignoring the environmental impact by the human race

is still debated, the benefit of a greener approach is axiomatic. Individuals, corporations, and

governmental agencies can contribute to a healthier planet through small yet steady efforts that

compound into great results.

14

GREEN FACILITIES The first of the six broad categories of this report (Green Facilities, Green Processes,

Green Vehicles, Green Development, Green Utility Structures, and Green Education) includes

the facilities that the City of Owasso owns and operates. The physical facilities include offices

and office buildings, fire stations, park facilities, and facilities utilized by public works. This

section also includes parking lots, street lights, traffic lights, streets, parks and parkland, and the

property surrounding the physical facilities. In the interest of organization, this section also

includes fixed systems inside facilities, such as heating, venting and air conditioning (HVAC),

lighting in and around facilities, and prospects for using outside services in implementing the Go

Green! philosophy.

The Green Facilities section of the paper is divided into five broad categories, under

which a myriad of ideas and opportunities are explored. The five categories for the Green

Facilities Section are:

1. Water Consumption Reduction – opportunities to reduce the amount of water used or wasted in the City’s facilities.

2. Energy Consumption Reduction – opportunities to reduce the amount of energy

consumed by operating the City facilities and surrounding areas.

3. Landscaping and Outdoor Areas– opportunities to reduce the amount of water used and the maintenance needs of the vegetation on City property.

4. Fixtures and Furnishings – opportunities to reduce the environmental impact of facility furnishings and decor, including building materials and paint.

5. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification and Energy Audits – seek opportunities to certify City facilities under the LEED program and perform energy audits.

15

Water Consumption Reduction

The purpose of the water consumption reduction investigation is to seek opportunities to

reduce the amount of water used or wasted in the City’s facilities.

Water is considered the most valuable substance on Earth, even though it makes up 71

percent of the Earth’s surface. Water is an easily contaminated liquid, and since less than one

percent of our water supply is usable for human consumption, it becomes even more valuable.

Water conservation plays an important role because we have a limited supply of fresh

water available. Much of the available drinking water comes from natural sources such as rivers,

so conserving water also involves preventing the contamination of water sources from pollutants

such as oil, trash, and garbage that wash into the water source.

Something to keep in mind is that “it all ends up in the water”; anything allowed or

dumped into street drains eventually ends up in a natural body of water without being treated.

When it rains, potential contaminants from the streets are washed down the drain as well,

including oil from cars, hazardous chemicals, pet waste, and trash. Care should also be given to

wastes that get flushed down our toilets. Household hazardous waste, including unused

medications and oil, should never be dumped into toilets or drains.

The Water Consumption Reduction Section includes the following recommendations:

1. Irrigation

a. Water Harvesting - Retention Ponds b. Water Harvesting - Rain Barrels c. Drip Irrigation d. Timing Irrigation

16

Go Green Taskforce Proposals

Category: Water Harvesting – Retention Ponds

Proposal: Construct an irrigation system for the sports park, with a retention pond serving as the water supply.

Cost Savings: Based upon storage capability and delivery system, but savings on water cost alone help to fund the project.

Benefit: This proposal includes developing an irrigation delivery system for both

phases of the sports park that uses a retention pond for the irrigation source. One-inch of rainfall over one acre yields over one million gallons of runoff. Retention ponds can be utilized as a storage and delivery system to irrigate broad areas, similar to the detention irrigation system currently in place at Bailey Ranch Golf Course.

Obstacles: Start-up costs are high, especially for existing facilities. Would need to

construct pond, install drainage system, distribution system, distribution pump, and sprinkler/irrigation heads. Irrigation system is predicted to pay for itself within the life of the system.

Is the Proposal an Idea the City Should Do? The City of Owasso should consider this opportunity as a means to water ball fields and park lands. Similar to Bailey Ranch, the Stone Canyon development uses a raw water system for irrigation of the right-of-way and common areas and on the elementary school’s property. This irrigation system uses no treated (potable) water for irrigation of open areas. An additional opportunity for this proposal includes the current plans for a storm water detention pond at the new phase of the Sports Park as part of the Master Storm Water Drain plan.

Is the Proposal an Idea the City Can Do? This proposal would be easiest to accomplish in the newest phase of the Sports Park and in future development where land irrigation would be beneficial and land area exists for both the storage pond and the system pump facility.

17


Category: Water Harvesting – Rain Barrels

Proposal: Utilize Rain Barrels to collect rain for landscaping irrigation

Cost Savings: Based upon storage capability and delivery system, irrigation with rain stored in barrels directly reduces, or eliminates, potable water use, thus reducing or eliminating water bills for irrigation. Rain barrels require no routine maintenance, so start-up costs alone are calculated.

Benefit: One-inch of rainfall over 1000 sq. ft. yields 600 gallons of runoff. Rain

Barrels can be utilized as a storage and delivery system to irrigate around facilities and smaller areas as necessary, thus reducing or eliminating purchasing water for irrigation.

Obstacles: Costs are based upon the sophistication of the delivery system from the storage system. Manual systems are relatively inexpensive.

Is the Proposal an Idea the City Should Do? The City of Owasso should consider this opportunity as a means to water lawns and flowerbeds with raw water in place of the current method of using treated/potable water. Rain Barrels would function similar to the detention pond irrigation system used at Bailey Ranch Golf Course and the Stone Canyon development, replacing the use of treated water with untreated water for irrigation. Is the Proposal an Idea the City Can Do? This proposal would be relatively easy to accomplish and could assist in watering the landscaping around existing and future buildings and facilities.

18


Category: Drip Irrigation

Proposal: Utilize Drip Irrigation instead of sprinkler heads

Cost Savings: Some reports indicate a savings of up to 80% of water used for irrigation. Sprinkler heads spray water on sidewalks, roads, and buildings. Drip irrigation waters around plants and trees, and evaporates and runs-off less than spray heads.

Benefit: The installation of soaker hoses and drip irrigation lines, especially when

installed under mulch in landscape beds, significantly reduces the evaporation of water, as well as reduces the water that does not reach the living landscaping. Watering systems that deliver water as closely to plant roots as possible can reduce evaporation losses by up to 75 percent.

Obstacles: Used solely for landscaping beds, not practical with lawn and grass watering.

Is the Proposal an Idea the City Should Do? The City of Owasso should consider this opportunity as a means to reduce the water consumption on landscaping. Although the savings are significant, there is some upfront expense. The ideal set-up would include soaker hoses with a water run-off storage system, such as the rain barrels. This ideal set-up would allow for irrigation to living landscaping beds when and where the water is needed most.

Is the Proposal an Idea the City Can Do? This proposal would be relatively simple to accomplish, and would be beneficial where living landscaping is used. Most City facilities have living landscaping in beds, that would benefit from this water conservation measure. The opportunity to retrofit the drip irrigation system is possible at any time, and would save water and money in the first year of application.

19


Category: Timing Irrigation

Proposal: Establish Standard Procedures for the Timing of Watering

Cost Savings: Implementation may not result in a cost savings but it will make better use of the water utilized.

Benefit: By timing the watering of plants and landscape water can be used more

efficiently. Watering during the cooler times of the day gives the water a chance to permeate the soil and be absorbed by the roots of the plants. In hot conditions, it is better to water in the evening. In cooler conditions, though, plants can develop fungal growth from water on their leaves overnight, so it is preferable to water early in the morning. Thirsty plants should be planted together and watered longer, but less often, to encourage deeper roots and increase drought tolerance.

Obstacles: This proposal does require manual intervention to monitor the seasons and

reprogram the automatic watering systems as needed. Is the Proposal an Idea the City Should Do? Currently automatic sprinklers are set to water in the mornings. Based on Oklahoma’s typical hot summers the city should consider conducting further research to determine if customizing the timing of watering based on the season is truly a viable method of improving the usage of water for lawns and landscaping. If water can be better utilized by watering at night during the hot summer months, this would be a simple way to make the most of the water used. Is the Proposal an Idea the City Can Do? Programmable watering systems are currently in place and can easily be adjusted to improve irrigation efficiency.

20

Energy Consumption Reduction

The purpose of the Energy Conservation Reduction investigation is to seek opportunities

to reduce the amount of energy consumed by operating the City’s facilities and surrounding

areas.

The typical U.S. family spends more than $1,600 a year on home utility bills.

Unfortunately, a large portion of that energy is wasted. And electricity generated by fossil fuels

for a single home puts more carbon dioxide into the air than two average cars. And as for the

road, transportation accounts for 66% of all U.S. oil consumption. The good news is there is a lot

that can be done to save energy and money at home and through vehicle use.

Conservation Ideas

The key to achieving energy savings is the whole-building energy efficiency plan. To

take a whole-building approach, a building should be viewed as an energy system with

interdependent parts. For example, the heating system is not just a furnace—it's a heat-delivery

system that starts at the furnace and delivers heat throughout the building using a network of

ducts. Even a top-of-the-line, energy-efficient furnace will burn a lot of fuel if the ducts, walls,

attic, windows, and doors are not insulated and leak. Taking a whole-building approach to

saving energy ensures that dollars invested to save energy are spent wisely.

Energy-efficient improvements not only make the building more comfortable, they can

yield long-term financial rewards. Consider that reduced utility bills more than make up for the

higher price of energy-efficient appliances and improvements over their lifetimes.

21

Heating, Venting, and Air Conditioning

Heating and cooling a facility uses more energy and drains more energy dollars than any

other system in the home. Typically, 45% of a utility bill goes to heating and cooling costs.

What's more, heating and cooling systems in the United States together emit 150 million tons of

carbon dioxide into the atmosphere each year, adding to global climate change. They also

generate about 12% of the nation's sulfur dioxide and 4% of the nitrogen oxides, the chief

ingredients in acid rain.

No matter what kind of heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning system installed in

buildings, money can be saved with increased comfort by properly maintaining and upgrading

the equipment. But remember, an energy-efficient furnace alone will not have as great an impact

on energy bills as using the whole-building approach. By combining proper equipment

maintenance and upgrades with appropriate insulation, air sealing, and thermostat settings,

energy consumption for heating and cooling can be cut, and environmental emissions can be

reduced from 20% to 50%.

Lighting

Lighting accounts for 25% of the electricity used in facilities and external surroundings.

If advanced lighting technologies and designs were implemented, electricity use for lighting

would be cut by more than 50%, electrical demand would be dramatically reduced, and

employee work environments would be significantly improved. Replacing incandescent wall

sconces, down lights, decorative pendants, and exit sign lighting with compact fluorescent lamp

(CFL) units or with light-emitting diode (LED) -lit units can save a considerable amount of

energy and reduce labor costs associated with re-lamping.

22

Exterior lighting improves security, enhances safety, and directs pedestrians and vehicles.

It is also used in sports facilities, landscapes, and cityscapes. A wide selection of new lamps,

ballasts, fixtures, and controls are available to replace inefficient exterior lighting systems. The

use of white light sources increases nighttime visibility and maximizes peripheral vision.

Exterior lighting systems that currently result in inappropriate glare, light trespass, and light

pollution should be replaced. A parking lot that is lighted with floodlights, for example, should

be considered for relighting with full-cutoff luminaries and appropriate low-wattage lamps.

The Energy Consumption Reduction Section includes the following recommendations:

1. Consumption Ideas a. Energy Star® Appliances b. Tankless Hot Water Heaters c. Strategic Tree Planting

2. Heating Venting and Air Conditioning

a. Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) rating on HVAC Units

3. Lighting a. Interior Lighting Energy Audit b. Interior Lighting Lamp and Ballast Replacement c. Interior Lighting Occupancy Sensors d. Energy-Efficient Exterior Lighting Fixtures e. Energy-Efficient Park Lighting f. LED Street Lighting g. LED Traffic Lighting

23


Category: Energy Star® Appliances

Proposal: Purchase Energy Star® appliances for all City facilities

Cost Savings: Up-Front costs, long-term savings

Benefit: Energy Star® is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy, aiming to help citizens save money and protect the environment through energy efficient products and practices. Cooking in the average U.S. home uses enough energy to generate half a ton of greenhouse gases a year. Every gallon of water boiled produces one pound of emissions. There is no standard energy rating for cooking appliances, but bear in mind that a conventional oven will produce a third more greenhouse gas emissions than a convection one, an electric stove produces double the emissions of a gas or microwave oven, and bigger appliances are less efficient than smaller ones. Implementing a policy indicating that the City will only purchase appliances with an energy star label will reduce energy consumption and electricity bills.

Obstacles: There is reported to be a greater up-front cost, but several reports indicate realized savings in the first year of installation. Energy Star® appliances do not require the maintenance like other appliances, but parts are predicted to be more expensive.

Is the Proposal an Idea the City Should Do? The City of Owasso should consider this opportunity as a means to reduce the energy consumed by appliances in the workplace. Some of the applications include employee break rooms and fire station kitchens. Is the Proposal an Idea the City Can Do? This proposal would be relatively easy to accomplish, and could begin with purchasing Energy Star appliances as appliance replacements are necessary, in addition to purchasing Energy Star appliances for all new facilities.

24


Category: Tankless Water Heaters

Proposal: Consider installation of tankless water heaters in City facilities

Cost Savings: Manufacturers report a 30% savings over conventional water heaters.

Benefit: Systems can provide hot water on demand, thus reducing the cold water run time until hot water arrives at the faucet. Tankless water heaters heat only what is requested, instead of heating the storage tank in traditional systems.

Obstacles: There is reported to be a greater up-front cost (some models are $750) for equivalent supply of existing tank heaters, but several reports indicate realized savings in the first year of installation. Typically these systems only supply hot water to one or two points, versus whole buildings with traditional systems.

Is the Proposal an Idea the City Should Do? The City of Owasso should consider this opportunity as a means to reduce the energy and water consumption on small/light demand applications. Although the savings are widespread among the manufacturers, the appropriate opportunity to install these would be in new construction or when replacement of a traditional tank is necessary.

Is the Proposal an Idea the City Can Do? This proposal would be relatively easy to accomplish, and would be beneficial where light demand is realized. Most City facilities do not use hot water over the 24-hour day, and use minimal amounts for such applications as mopping, dish washing, and hand washing.

25


Category: Strategic Tree Planting

Proposal: Seek opportunities to plant shade trees near city facilities

Cost Savings: Reduction in summer cooling costs and extends life of facility components affected by direct Ultraviolet light.

Benefit: Strategic tree planting provides shade on City facilities, thus reducing the

heat effect of the sun. In turn, a reduction in cooling costs and Ultraviolet light degradation is realized.

Obstacles: Upfront costs associated with planting trees as well as on-going maintenance and watering costs. Trees also can cause damage during storm events.

Is the Proposal an Idea the City Should Do? The City of Owasso should consider this opportunity as a means to reduce the energy consumption on City facilities. In conjunction with the water conservation proposals, this proposal would benefit the City through reduced utility bills from cooling in the summer, as well as a more global benefit of carbon dioxide reduction.

Is the Proposal an Idea the City Can Do? This proposal would be relatively easy to accomplish, and would be beneficial where planting trees is possible. The benefit would not be immediate due to time it takes the tree to grow to shield a facility, but eventually a benefit would be realized by future generations.

26


Category: SEER Rating on HVAC Units

Proposal: Consider purchasing HVAC units with the highest SEER rating for City facilities

Cost Savings: Long-term energy savings on more energy efficient equipment, even without improving insulation and ductwork

Benefit: Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) is most commonly used to

measure the efficiency of a central air conditioner. A higher SEER rating on a heating, venting, and air conditioning (HVAC) unit means the system is more energy efficient. SEER measures how efficiently a cooling system will operate over an entire season.

In technical terms, SEER is a measure of equipment the total cooling of a central air conditioner or heat pump (in Btu) during the normal cooling season as compared to the total electric energy input (in watt-hours) consumed during the same period

Obstacles: The higher the SEER rating, generally the higher the cost. Obviously, the

cost savings will contribute to the increased start-up costs, and will pay for the higher SEER rating within the life expectancy of the unit.

Is the Proposal an Idea the City Should Do? The City of Owasso should consider the SEER rating on all Heating, Venting, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) units purchased for City facilities. The higher SEER ratings should be pursued for long-term cost savings on utility expenses, and towards a green facility. Is the Proposal an Idea the City Can Do? This proposal would be easy to effect, by simply seeking quotes for HVAC models with the highest SEER rating possible. Consideration should go to the higher SEER rated equipment.

27


Category: Interior Lighting Energy Audit Proposal: Hire a reputable company to perform an Interior Lighting Energy Audit on

all City facilitates to identify upgrade opportunities to more energy efficient lighting.

Cost Savings: Identify opportunities to cut costs by 50 to 70 percent and reduce

maintenance cost. Benefit: Having an energy audit will assist in determining the following:

− Where and how savings can be achieved.

− Estimated savings by energy type and building location.

− How to implement and maintain an energy awareness program.

− Grants and other financial incentives are available to achieve the City’s goals.

− Where and how energy efficient lighting can be used.

− New technology fixtures requiring less maintenance.

Obstacles: Bids will need to be requested to perform an audit. Based on the bid results the cost associated with performing an audit may potentially be high.

Is the Proposal an Idea the City Should Do? The City of Owasso should consider performing an interior lighting energy audit as part of an overall energy efficiency strategy. This approach will provide the necessary guidelines to assist the city in obtaining the goals of cost savings and becoming more energy efficient.

Is the Proposal an Idea the City Can Do? In conjunction with possible assistance through grants (State Energy Program – SEP, Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant – EECBG) or incentive programs like the PSO Model Cities Program, this proposal would be easy to accomplish and would provide the necessary direction to become more energy efficient in the area of interior lighting.

28


Category: Interior Lighting Lamp and Ballast Replacement Proposal: Replace Lamps and Ballasts with New Energy Efficient Technology for

City Facilities. Cost Savings: Reduce Lighting Costs by up to 50% and save up to 30% on power

consumption.

Benefit: There are a myriad of benefits to replacing old technology interior lights, with newer, ecologically friendly fixtures, including:

- Less wattage used. - Improves light levels. - Ease of installation. - Reduce carbon footprint. - Sustainability. - Improve lighting efficiency -- Increase life hours to 36,000 hours

compared to 9,000 hours. - Light levels will be increased and will lose no more than 10% output over

their entire life. - Less maintenance going forward. - Task lighting will be increased, which will improve product quality,

morale, and safety. Obstacles: If replacement is being done by outside resources, bids will need to be

sought for replacement work. Based on the bid results the cost associated with performing the replacement activities may potentially be high.

If replacement is being done by internal resources, prioritizing the time of City employees may extend the time to complete the upgrades and therefore delay the potential savings.

Is the Proposal an Idea the City Should Do? The City of Owasso should consider performing the upgrades to city facilities where it is appropriate and savings can be realized. Performing an interior lighting energy audit on city facilities would be beneficial in determining upgrade opportunities. Is the Proposal an Idea the City Can Do? Whether performed by outside resources or by city personnel, this proposal would be easily accomplished as part of the ongoing maintenance of each facility maintenance activities. Reduction in maintenance costs and support over time will provide the critical factors in order to obtain the goals of cost savings and becoming more energy efficient.

29


Category: Interior Lighting Occupancy Sensors Proposal: Install Occupancy Sensors on lights within City Facilities Cost Savings: Any given installation can range widely, however the following table

illustrates the typical range of savings in various types of spaces.

Savings range by a factor of two or three in most applications, with the exception of open-plan offices.

Actual savings may differ.

Type of room Energy savings (%)

Private office 13 to 50

Open-plan office 20 to 28

Conference room 22 to 65

Restroom 30 to 90

Corridors 30 to 80

Storage area/closet 45 to 80

Source: Platts

Benefit: Energy savings can result when turning off lights when a space is unoccupied therefore eliminating waste. Occupancy sensors can also enhance security and reduce light pollution. Finally, occupancy sensors eliminate the human error of forgetting to turn off the lights.

Obstacles: Depending on the type of lamp and ballast installed the occupancy sensor may not function correctly.

Is the Proposal an Idea the City Should Do? The City of Owasso should consider installing occupancy sensors where it makes sense to do so. This may limit the use to rooms such as restrooms, conference rooms, storage areas and closets. Is the Proposal an Idea the City Can Do? Whether performed by outside resources or by existing city personnel, this proposal would be easily accomplished as part of the ongoing maintenance of each facility lighting maintenance activities.

30


Category: Energy-Efficient Exterior Lighting Fixtures Proposal: Through an internal or external audit, all exterior facility and parking lot

lights should be identified to delineate the energy usage of the existing lights, over more energy efficient lighting fixtures available today. This comparison in energy use would provide a payback time for purchasing and installing new lighting fixtures.

Other considerations should be explored, including the use of motion sensors versus timers or light sensors. Also, the use of continuous lighting (current lighting) versus warm-up time (lower energy metal halide) versus an instant-on (LED) light should be evaluated.

Cost Savings: LED lights use 45% less energy than Metal Halide (250 watt metal halide

and 113 watt LED bulbs produce the same light output (limens). Also, by converting to motion sensor lights, 50 to 80% energy savings can be realized.

Obstacles: The initial cost of installing the energy efficient lighting fixtures would

serve as the cost associated with the proposal. Greater savings opportunities would come from new installation, over retrofitting. Much of the cost savings is associated with the energy consumption, not labor, parts, installation, and so forth. When all costs are figured in with energy savings, a 66% savings is realized over a 14 year period.

Is the Proposal an Idea the City Should Do? This proposal is part of a long-term strategy to reduce energy consumption and improve the green approach to city operations. Therefore, this proposal should be considered as a long-term solution to rising energy costs.

Is the Proposal an Idea the City Can Do? There are programs for assistance and incentive packages that are available to assist the City in determining the cost effectiveness of this proposal.

31


Category: Energy-Efficient Park Lighting Proposal: Retrofit Parks Lighting with New Energy Efficient Technology Cost Savings: Estimated 25-Year Life Cycle Cost for Owasso Sports Complex – Field 1

Existing Green Savings Hours 7,500 7,500

Average kW 87.5 50.0

ENERGY $52,488 $30,029 $22,459

Group Relamp $16,875 $0 $16,875

Lamp Maintenance $3,750 $0 $3,750

Controls - Energy $5,249 $0 $5,249

25-year Life Cycle Costs $78,362 $30,029 $48,333

Benefit: There are numerous benefits to the new energy-efficient lights, including:

- Reduces waste and light pollution by containing the light. - More light is being directed toward the surface instead of being wasted as

spill or glare light. - Reduced maintenance and labor costs. - Automated scheduling minimizes energy usage. - A series of timed power adjustments increases lamp life from 3,000 to

5,000 hours – a 66% increase in operating efficiency. - New reflector technology efficiency requires fewer fixtures to achieve

desired light levels, reducing energy costs.

Obstacles: The first major obstacle to converting lights to the more energy efficient lights is the capital costs associated with converting lights that otherwise work fine. Secondly, the City does not have employees capable of installing these light structures, and would have to contract for the service.

Is the Proposal and Idea Something the City Should Do? The City of Owasso should retrofit all Owasso park lighting with new energy efficient technology. Is the Proposal and Idea Something the City Can Do? The City of Owasso already requires all future parks lighting to be the green series; retrofit lamps as the budget allows.

32


Category: LED Street Lights Proposal: Retrofit the existing Street Light heads with LED type heads. Cost Savings: Potential energy savings up to 80% versus high pressure sodium and

mercury vapor lamps. Lamp lifespan increase of 3 to 6 times (estimated 13 years in typical street light applications) and there is a reduction in maintenance and labor costs. The estimated payback period is less than 5 years.

Benefit: - High lumen output, up to 8 times more brightness.

- Reduced maintenance and labor costs - Tremendous energy savings up to 80% over conventional lamp types. - Long lamp lifespan; 50,000 hours. - High color index; closer to natural daylight, no ultraviolet light and no

yellowing. - Superior light dispersion and uniform pattern, reducing dark patches and

light loss between street lights. - No glare or strobe effect, reducing visual fatigue for drives and

pedestrians. - Light pollution reduction; no upward light and reduced ground reflection. - Instant startup, no time delay to reach optimum brightness levels. - Reduced energy footprint.

Obstacles: - AEP/PSO installed and maintains 1,511 of the street lights. They have no

approved retrofit heads. - VVEC installed and maintains 130 of the street lights. They have no

approved retrofit heads. - The City of Owasso maintains 85 of the street lights at traffic signaled

intersections. No approval is necessary but the actual cost savings is unknown until after installation.

- LED street light technology is in the early stages of development, there are no high wattage (400+) replacements currently available and the high temperature climate effect is unproven on LED fixtures.

- With the technology currently in the early stages, the initial cost of implementation would be high until demand is increased and development, manufacturing and competition reduce the cost. The current estimated cost range is $800 to $1,200 per fixture excluding installation. No specific funding source has been identified for implementation.

- City staff is not currently qualified or equipped to install the fixtures. The installation service would need to be contracted.

33

Is the Proposal and Idea Something the City Should Do? The City of Owasso should consider conducting a pilot program to evaluate various brands of LED retrofit heads on some of the 85 city maintained street lights. Possibly selecting 2 to 3 manufacturers and installing 8 heads from each manufacturer at two intersections each. This approach will provide necessary information to assist the city in selecting the correct lighting color, spread and fixture for various intersection requirements such as camera or loop detection. It would provide actual cost savings analysis information and assist in obtaining the goal of cost reduction and becoming more energy efficient.

The City of Owasso should continue to monitor the status of the LED fixture approval process with AEP/PSO and VVEC and position itself to implement a phased-in approach for the remaining street lights. Staff should also investigate the dimming and anti-cycling technologies for their savings potential. Staff should further research the implementation of solar powered street and parking lot lighting for new installations. Is the Proposal and Idea Something the City Can Do? The City of Owasso should investigate the possibility of a Joint Venture Pilot Program with various LED fixture manufacturers or possibly AEP/PSO or VVEC. Other possible funding assistance should be investigated such as grants (State Energy Program – SEP, Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant – EECBG) or incentive programs like the PSO Model Cities Program. The pilot project proposal could be accomplish without assistance by approving an estimated City funding of $30,000 to $50,000 and would provide necessary direction and produce information to become more energy efficient in the area of street lighting.

34


Category: LED Traffic Lights Proposal: Retrofit the existing traffic signal heads and pedestrian crosswalk heads in

the City from incandescent heads to LED type heads. Cost Savings: Potential energy savings up to 75% when compared to incandescent lamp

heads. Also, lamp lifespan increase from 8,000 hours for incandescent to 100,000 hours for LED lamps. Additional benefits include reduction in replacement, maintenance and labor costs due to low failure rate; estimated payback period of less than 5 years; and reduced energy consumption, causing a reduced ecological footprint.

Benefit: LED lights have higher lumen output, resulting in brighter light and improved driver recognition. LED also offers tremendous energy savings up to 75% over incandescent lamp types, reduced replacement, and maintenance and labor costs. LED lights offer long lamp lifespan; up to 100,000 hours with a 5 year warranty and low failure rate, resulting in lower risk of accidents. Finally, LED offers improved viewing angle eliminating “washout” from morning and evening sunlight.

Obstacles: - A funding source would need to be identified. - City staff is not currently qualified or equipped to install the retrofit kits.

The installation would need to be contracted. - City staff is not qualified or equipped to maintain the traffic signal heads.

The service would need to be contracted.

Is the Proposal and Idea Something the City Should Do? The City should consider funding the retrofit of 19 intersections (13 currently are LED) from incandescent traffic signal lighting to LED traffic signal lighting. The return on investment period of less than 5 years makes the proposal extremely viable considering the future utility, operation, and maintenance savings beyond the payback period. The proposal also offers the benefit of improved public safety. Is the Proposal and Idea Something the City Can Do? The City should explore funding opportunities to proceed with this proposal. This proposal is estimated at $135,000 to $175,000. The City should consider funding opportunities, such as:

• Possible grant funding: State Energy Program or Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant;

• Incentive programs: such as the PSO Model Cities Program;

• Capital Improvement Program: proposed as a priority in the coming plan;

• Fund as a phased-in project: improve a certain number of intersections per year.

35

Landscaping

The purpose of the landscaping investigation is to seek opportunities to reduce the

amount of water used and maintenance needs on the landscaping on City property.

Green landscaping involves the idea of growing native plants that are accustomed to the

habitat and weather in an area. Native animals depend on the plants they have evolved with for

food and shelter. Foreign plants guzzle water: running a sprinkler for an hour consumes more

than 264 gallons of water. Native plants not only attract birds and butterflies but also save time

and expense of daily watering. Growing indigenous plants can save 50 percent of the water

typically used to maintain outdoor plants.

Native plants provide a beautiful, hardy, drought resistant, low maintenance landscape

while benefiting the environment. Natural landscaping is based upon natural attributes and

natural processes which result in: (1) reduced landscape installation and maintenance costs; (2)

avoidance of the use of lawn chemicals such as fertilizers and herbicides; (3) reduced or

eliminated costs for irrigation systems; (4) improved habitat and increased biodiversity; (5)

distinctive and attractive sites; (6) improved water quality and reduced damages from storm

water; (7) improved outdoor recreation and education opportunities; and (8) strengthened

stewardship of the environment by people. Another important consideration is to place thirsty

plants together and water them longer, but less often, to encourage deeper roots and increase

their drought tolerance.

The Landscaping Section includes the following recommendations:

1. Native Plants 2. Hardscaping

36


Category: Native Plants

Proposal: Use Indigenous Plants at City Facilities

Cost Savings: Required Little or No Irrigation and Increased Chances of Survival

Benefit: Non-native landscaping requires initial heavy irrigation to establish living landscaping, as well as continued survival irrigation. The use of native plants accustomed to the weather in the area has an increased chance of survival without the need for specialty care and excess water.

Obstacles: Some plants native to an area are less attractive than tropical or exotic varieties. Costs are reported to be the same or cheaper than imported plants.

Is the Proposal an Idea the City Should Do? The City of Owasso should consider this opportunity as a means to reduce the staff time and water used to maintain living landscaping. A variety of living landscapes exist at the City facilities; this would allow for the reduction of the dependence on watering.

Is the Proposal an Idea the City Can Do? This proposal would be relatively easy to accomplish, and could begin with landscaped facilities that do not use native vegetation.

37


Category: Hardscaping

Proposal: Use Hardscaping at City Facilities to reduce watering and maintenance needs and associated expenses.

Cost Savings: Required little or no irrigation and are comparable in price to non-native plants.

Benefit: Traditional landscaping requires initial heavy irrigation to establish living

landscaping, as well as continued survival irrigation. The use of rocks, stones, and statues enhance the curb appeal of the building without the need to irrigate and feed living plants.

Obstacles: There is reported to be a greater up-front cost, but several reports indicate realized savings in the first year of installation. Does not have the on-going maintenance of living beds, but does require some weed control.

Is the Proposal an Idea the City Should Do? The City of Owasso should consider this opportunity as a means to reduce the staff time and water used to maintain living landscaping. A variety of living landscapes exist at the City facilities; this would allow for the reduction of the dependence on watering.

Is the Proposal an Idea the City Can Do? This proposal would be relatively easy to accomplish, and could begin with landscaped facilities that do not use green irrigation water systems. Living landscaping could be transferred to landscaping beds that do have rain barrels or water storage systems for maintenance.

38

Fixtures and Furnishings

The purpose of the green facilities fixtures and furnishings investigation is to seek

opportunities to reduce the environmental impact of facility furnishings and décor, including

building materials and paints.

This philosophy includes the use of recycled industrial materials and environmentally-

friendly materials in buildings as an alternative to virgin building products. Each year in the

United States, industries produce over half a billion tons of residuals that are potentially usable

materials. Many of these materials have chemical and physical properties that make them

valuable resources when recycled or beneficially reused, but they are often disposed of as waste.

Many industrial materials are used to replace non-renewable virgin materials that must be

mined and processed for use; recycled industrial materials conserve natural resources and reduce

the energy use and pollution associated with these activities. For example, substituting coal fly

ash (an industrial material) for Portland cement in concrete saves the energy and greenhouse gas

emissions associated with producing cement. The biggest benefit of industrial materials is less

material being sent to disposal facilities, which saves landfill space and further reduces

greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants.

Industrial materials are often less expensive than virgin materials, so they make good

economic sense for builders and project owners. Further, reusing or recycling construction and

demolition materials onsite can reduce material hauling and disposal costs. These savings,

applied to the total project cost, make it possible to do more work with the same budget.

The Green Facilities Fixtures and Furnishings Section include the following recommendations: 1. Recycled Building Materials 2. Green Paint 3. Green Flooring 4. Green Roofs (living landscaping) 5. Furniture Purchasing and Disposal Policy

39


Category: Recycled Building Materials

Proposal: Using Recycled Industrial Building Materials during construction projects, to the extent possible.

Cost Savings: Use of local recycled materials saves on cost of virgin material processing, transportation, and environmental impact of the virgin process.

Benefit: The use of recycled building materials reduces the need for virgin building

materials. Often, blocks, bricks, and other materials can be used in building projects. The re-use of these materials significantly reduces the environmental issues caused by the industrial process of creating building materials from virgin products.

Obstacles: Finding sufficient stock of the materials needed to ensure consistency in the building process. For example, if cobblestones from an old road are to be used for a building veneer, the number of available stones would have to be incorporated with brick areas to complete the veneer project, if the total need cannot be met with the cobblestones.

Is the Proposal an Idea the City Should Do? The City of Owasso should consider this opportunity as a means to reduce the costs associated with building facilities and to reduce the environmental impact of the construction process. Although the cost savings may not be significant, and sometimes using recycled materials is greater than virgin materials, the reduction in the ecological impact is significant.

Is the Proposal an Idea the City Can Do? This proposal would be possible for future facility construction. A number of recycled materials could be used for the project, including blocks, bricks, and materials that are made from recycled materials, such as carpet backing made from recycled tires.

40


Category: Green Paint

Proposal: Using Green Paint (Paints that with limited volatile organic compounds)

Cost Savings: Use of Latex over Oil-based provides some savings. Otherwise, the approach includes purchasing only what is needed, thus reducing storage and disposal problems.

Benefit: The benefit is associated with avoiding volatile organic compounds

(VOCs) which are the smell of new paint. The fewer VOCs contained in paint the better. Common VOCs are benzene, ethylene glycol, vinyl chloride and mercury. Everyone knows these chemicals are harmful and should be avoided. VOCs cause smog, ozone pollution, and indoor air quality problems with negative health effects.

Obstacles: One drawback to low VOC paints is that they can be tinted to pastel tones only. There are alternative brands that allow for deeper hues. To go for zero VOCs, milk paint would have to be used. Milk paint, however, does not have a great life span and has a very limited color pallet. Most people don’t consider it durable enough for today's living.

Is the Proposal an Idea the City Should Do? The City should consider this opportunity as a means to reduce the ecological footprint associated with painting. Low VOC paints are readily available, and can be identified with the Green Seal. The philosophy of only purchasing what is needed is also a consideration that has merit for both environmental and financial considerations.

Is the Proposal an Idea the City Can Do? This proposal would be possible for future facility painting tasks. A number of low VOC paints are available locally, and should be considered with future projects.

41


Category: Green Flooring

Proposal: Using Green Flooring (flooring with limited volatile organic compounds or that made from recycled materials such as tires)

Cost Savings: Use of Green Flooring does not save money, but is merely an ecological and employee benefit in volatile organic compound exposure reduction.

Benefit: The benefit of green flooring is associated with avoiding volatile organic

compounds (VOCs) which are the smell of new carpet. The fewer VOCs contained in flooring - the better. Common VOCs are benzene, ethylene glycol, vinyl chloride and mercury. Everyone knows these chemicals are harmful and should be avoided. VOCs cause smog, ozone pollution, and indoor air quality problems with negative health effects.

Obstacles: One drawback to low VOC flooring is the expense. Although the ecological impact is reduced, often green flooring is more expensive due to the processing associated with its production.

Is the Proposal an Idea the City Should Do? The City should consider this opportunity as a means to reduce the ecological footprint associated with furnishing City facilities. Low VOC flooring and flooring produced from recycled materials are available, and can be identified with the Green Seal. The philosophy of using green flooring adds to a comprehensive approach to reducing the ecological harm caused by human development. Is the Proposal an Idea the City Can Do? This proposal would be possible for future facility furnishing as well as reapplication where necessary. The green flooring idea should be considered as an option to refurnish a facility is developed.

42


Category: Green Roofs

Proposal: Using Green Roofing – having living roof landscaping on City facilities

Cost Savings: Prolongs roofing surfaces and lowers heating and cooling costs.

Benefit: Use of living landscaping on roofs is advisable if the roof can support the extra weight because green roofs bring the following benefits:

• Reduce heating (by adding mass and thermal resistance value) and cooling (by evaporative cooling) loads on a building - especially if it is glassed in so as to act as a terrarium and passive solar heat reservoir.

• Increase roof life span

• Reduce storm water runoff

• Filter pollutants and carbon dioxide out of the air

• The soil and plants on green roofs help to insulate a building for sound; the soil helps to block lower frequencies and the plants block higher frequencies.

• Filter pollutants and heavy metals out of rainwater

• Increase wildlife habitat in built-up areas

• A green roof is often a key component of an autonomous building. Obstacles: Using living roofing has start-up costs in addition to regular roofing of

facilities. Facilities must also be engineered to hold the weight of the living roof. Maintenance costs must also be considered with living roofs.

Is the Proposal an Idea the City Should Do? The City should consider this opportunity as a model of the City’s commitment to going Green. Is the Proposal an Idea the City Can Do? This proposal would be possible for future facility considerations, and may be possible on an existing facility, if the roof is determined to withstand the weight of a living roof.

43


Category: Furniture Purchasing and Disposal Policy Proposal: Enact a City-wide purchasing policy to make every attempt to purchase

furniture that is either used/refurbished or made from recycled materials. Also enact a policy to make every attempt to resell or donate furniture being replaced as opposed to placing in the landfill.

Cost Savings: The City can have a great impact on the environment by choosing

environmentally friendly furniture and by following the simple “reduce, reuse and recycle” adage. New office furniture production is intensive in its use of fossil fuels, raw materials and waste. Buying and installing refurbished and used office furniture eliminates over 90% of the environmental impact associated with the material inputs, production and distribution of office equipment. Reusing furniture reduces demand for virgin materials and reduces waste, thereby reducing impacts associated with the extraction and processing of virgin resources. If acceptable used or refurbished furniture is not available the City should commit to purchasing office furniture with a composition greater than 75% of recycled and rapidly renewable materials.

Obstacles: If acceptable reusable/refurbished furniture is not available the cost of

purchasing office furniture with a composition greater than 75% of recycled/rapidly renewable materials could be higher.

Is the Proposal an Idea the City Should do? The City should develop a policy or culture to consider reused/recycled office furniture in all future purchases. If infeasible, furniture with 75% recycled materials should be purchased. Cost comparisons should be performed to ensure the City is acting in a financially responsible manner, with the ecological impact in balance. Is the proposal an idea the City Can do? Yes, especially if it is just a commitment to explore other options prior to buying a new piece of furniture.

44

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and Energy Audits

The purpose of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and Energy

Audits investigation is to seek opportunities to certify City facilities under the LEED program

and perform energy audits.

The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating

System provides a suite of standards for environmentally sustainable construction. LEED is an

internationally recognized green building certification system, providing third-party verification

that a building or community was designed and built using strategies aimed at improving

performance across all the metrics that matter most: energy savings, water efficiency, carbon

dioxide emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of

resources and sensitivity to their impacts. The hallmark of LEED is that it is an open and

transparent process where the technical criteria proposed by the LEED committees are publicly

reviewed for approval by the more than 10,000 membership organizations that currently

constitute the US Green Building Council.

LEED is a measurement tool and not a design tool. It is also not yet climate-specific,

although the newest version hopes to address this weakness partially. Because of this, designers

may make materials or design choices that garner a LEED point, even though they may not be

the most site or climate-appropriate choice available.

LEED has been innovative in reuse of reclaimed building materials, such as the reusing

of asbestos as the insulation in water heaters, and re-casting used copper pipes into copper

fittings. This is estimated to have saved close to 5,000 KW/hrs in the United States alone.

The LEED and Energy Audits Section include the following recommendations:

1. LEED certification for City facilities. 2. Facility Energy Audits

45


Category: LEED Certification for City Facilities

Proposal: Pursue LEED Certification for some existing and all future City Facilities Cost Savings: LEED certified facilities are designed to be more ecologically friendly and

energy efficient, providing for a reduction in the City energy use in the LEED certified facility.

Benefit: LEED certified buildings are designed to use resources more efficiently

when compared to conventional buildings which are simply built to code. LEED certified buildings often provide healthier work and living environments, which contributes to higher productivity and improved employee health and comfort. LEED helps building owners and managers solve building problems, improve building performance, and maintain and improve this performance over time. LEED reduces cost streams associated with building operations, reduces environmental impacts, creates healthier and more productive employee workspaces, and provides public recognition for leadership in sustainability.

Obstacles: Often when a LEED rating is pursued, this will increase the cost of initial design and construction. One reason for the higher cost is that sustainable construction principles require time to be spent on research and design. Also, there may be a lack of abundant availability of manufactured building components which meet LEED standards. Pursuing LEED certification for a project is an added cost in itself as well. This added cost comes in the form of required correspondence, LEED design-aide consultants, and the hiring of the required Commissioning Authority all of which would not necessarily be included in an environmentally responsible project unless it were also seeking a LEED rating.

Is the Proposal an Idea the City Should Do? The City of Owasso should consider this opportunity as a means to reduce the ecological footprint associated with City facilities. The higher initial costs can be effectively mitigated by the savings incurred over time due to the lower-than-industry-standard operational costs which are typical of a LEED certified building. Additional economic payback may come in the form of employee productivity gains incurred as a result of working in a healthier environment. Studies have suggested that an initial up-front investment of 2% extra will yield over ten times the initial investment over the life cycle of the building. Is the Proposal an Idea the City Can Do? This proposal would be possible for both current and future City facilities and would be a great example for the City to demonstrate to citizens and other local governments.

46


Category: Facility Energy Audits

Proposal: Consider and pursue an Energy Audit for all City Facilities

Cost Savings: Cost savings are based upon the investment to solve energy problems. Some solutions require major investment, while others are able to be performed by building occupants.

Benefit: This energy audit is designed to identify the energy wasters in City

facilities, identify potential areas of improvement, and recommend solutions to help make the facilities more energy efficient. An efficient building is healthier, more comfortable and costs less to operate. Skyrocketing fuel prices and ever increasing electric rates are driving up utility bills. The cost of energy is increasing by about 15% or more every year. Virtually all buildings waste large amounts of energy translating to higher bills. This is especially true in older buildings. Fortunately there are many energy improvements which can be made to increase energy efficiency, and lower utility bills.

Obstacles: Finding a reputable and effective company to conduct the analysis is the first goal. Agreeing to a fee structure also needs to be accomplished. Finally, budgeting and planning for improvements requires patience and careful calculation.

Is the Proposal an Idea the City Should Do? The City of Owasso should consider this opportunity as a means to reduce the ecological footprint and high energy bills associated with City facilities. Although predictably major investments will have to be made in some of the City’s facilities to reach a suitable point of energy efficiency, other facilities may require only minor improvements. This evaluation should be considered, and the associated plan should be used as a planning tool for future budgets. Is the Proposal an Idea the City Can Do? This proposal would be possible for both current and future City facilities and would be a great example for the City to demonstrate to citizens and other local governments.

47

GREEN PROCESSES

The Green Processes section of the report addresses the processes undertaken by the City

of Owasso through the delivery of the City’s services. Included in this section are processes that

can be improved or altered in the interest of a more environmentally- and economically-friendly

approach to administering the local government and providing municipal government services.

The Green Processes section of the paper is divided into seven categories, under which

several ideas and opportunities are explored. The seven categories for the Green Processes are:

1. Paperless – opportunities to save paper by reducing the physical copies that are made or used in the City’s operation.

2. Recycling – opportunities to either re-use products or to send appropriate waste to the recycling center.

3. Vampire Equipment – opportunities to reduce the energy used by tools and equipment when not in use, including office equipment and facility lighting.

4. Intranet – opportunities to use an intranet among various City departments to reduce the amount of time and products utilized with reporting or recording data and information.

5. Reusable Products – opportunities to utilize non-disposable products and limit the use of one-use and eco-unfriendly products.

6. Printing – opportunities to reduce the number of items printed from the computers, thus reducing the expenses associated with printer equipment, as well as the waste generated with disposable print cartridges.

7. Green Cleaning Products – opportunities to explore the benefits of using green cleaning products, in terms of the cost in comparison to the effectiveness, including the environmental impact.

48

Paperless

The purpose of the green process paperless investigation is to seek opportunities to save

paper by reducing the physical copies that are made or used in the City’s operation.

Changing the way that some types of office equipment are used can reduce purchasing

requirements. Many organizations have reprogrammed photocopiers to default to two-sided

copying. Now employees have to manually choose single-sided if desired. As a result, far less

paper is used.

It takes 24 trees to produce one ton of printing and office paper and every year 4 million

tons of copy paper is used. Paper is thrown away in the garbage in the United States more than

any other material. The number of trees used to produce copy paper for companies each year is

astounding. It’s obvious why going green is a growing concern in the United States. Being

environmentally conscious is becoming more of a priority in the business world. Businesses all

over the country are looking for opportunities to become environmentally conscious in their

business practices. Eco-friendly initiatives are not only beneficial for the environment, but they

can save companies a considerable amount of money.

There are several tips for reducing paper consumption including using both sides of a

sheet of paper for printing, copying, and writing and drawing. Also, Staff can reuse paper that's

already printed on one side by manually feeding it into copiers and printers. Reused paper can be

used for internal documents like drafts and short-lived items such as meeting agendas or

temporary signs. Once-used paper can also be reused in plain paper fax machines; they only

need one clean side.

Opportunities also abound in rethinking printing from e-mail and computer files.

Electronic files and e-mails should only be printed if a hard copy is necessary. Desktop fax,

49

electronic references (CD-ROM databases), electronic data storage, electronic purchasing and

direct deposit are all ways to use electronic media that reduce office paper waste. Misprints can

also be reduced by posting a diagram on how to load special paper like letterhead so it will be

printed correctly. The volume of paper used for printing can also be reduced by selecting special

features, like size reduction features and two print pages per page. Work on all draft copies on

the computer prior to printing final products.

The Green Process Paperless Section includes the following recommendations:

1. Use of laptop computers for Staff during meetings 2. Opportunities to reduce forms, agendas, paychecks, and other paper documents 3. Enhance Electronic Storage

50


Category: Paperless Meetings Proposal: Purchase laptop computers for all Directors and Deputy Directors, and those who regularly attend meetings for the City. Cost Savings: There is an array of savings opportunities included in the reduction of paper used at meetings. Among the savings opportunities are reduced storage needs, increased speed of critical communication, reduction in document handling, reduction in the use of copy paper, staples, and copy toner, and the reduction in the annual service contract for printers Benefit: Significant savings in the use of paper and paper-related supplies. Also includes the ancillary benefit of having the members of the City’s Leadership Team working at their desks, or abroad on a computer that synchronizes with the City’s storage servers. The City would need to purchase laptop computers for governing body, board members, and key staff personnel; purchase software to function just like a paper packet, including internet and remote access; and purchase necessary scanners for all departments that generate packet material for the governing body. The documents are then scanned or received by outside agencies and departments. Part of the process is to train the governing body and other individuals on fundamentals such as hook up; access the electronic packet; getting around within the packet. Some of the examples of paperless include eliminating hard copy time sheets via SunGard system, eliminating hard copy invoices via SunGard system, and paperless meetings.

Obstacles: The start-up costs associated with purchasing laptops, software and scanners, training, online service space/domain/registration, and consideration would have to be given to altering work processes. Is the Proposal an Idea the City Should Do? The prospect also allows the governing body access to packets while at meetings, access to agenda packets – move around documents using hypertext linking (easier than flipping through stacks of paper); inserting comments into the document (easier than writing on margins); high-light important text; allows for information sharing with citizens to become fully informed and empowered to make their views heard; and allows citizens opportunity to see additional explanatory documentation that most never get to see. Additionally, the prospect of saving taxpayer money, serving the environment in a more friendly way, and reducing the landfill contribution are part of this proposal. Is the Proposal an Idea the City Can do? Many of the City staff possess and utilize a laptop computer. Therefore, initial integration would be possible with limited investment. Full implementation would require additional purchases, but is likewise feasible. Various software programs would also prove beneficial in utilizing electronic documents in meetings.

51


Category: Opportunities to Reduce Paper Use Proposal: Reduce the amount of Forms, Agendas, Paychecks, and other paper

documents. Cost Savings: There is an array of savings opportunities included in the reduction of

paper used in City government processes. The savings opportunities include reduced storage needs, reduction in document handling, reduction in the use of copy paper, staples, and copy toner, and the reduction in the annual service contract for printers

Benefit: Significant savings in the use of paper and paper-related supplies. The

City would need to implement processes where electronic copies of Forms, Agendas, paychecks, and all of the remaining paper products (to the extent possible) are made available for employees and citizens. Other governmental agencies have implemented electronic forms and records to reduce the amount of paper used in their processes, such as the Internal Revenue Service, Oklahoma State University, and many others in an array of areas, such as employment applications, requests for inspections, etc.

Obstacles: Many of the agendas are provided electronically in the City, whereas most

were made on paper up to a few years ago. The City’s newsletter is also making the transition, but other opportunities exist. SunGard software does not currently have the capability to process payroll without printing a direct deposit form. Also, other areas have encountered technological obstacles, which can be overcome with investment.

Is the Proposal an Idea the City Should Do? Expenses will be incurred in implementing this proposal, but operating costs will be reduced from the point of implementation. Oklahoma State University, for example, has electronic paychecks and W-2’s available for employees to look at and store on the system, without having to print the information onto paper.

Is the Proposal an Idea the City Can Do? The City has much of the infrastructure in place to accomplish this proposal and can begin to make the transition in areas where success would create broader buy-in from employees and customers.

52


Category: Electronic Storage Proposal: Enhance Electronic Storage efforts of City documents

Cost Savings: There is an array of savings opportunities included in the reduction of

paper used in City government processes. The savings opportunities include reduced storage needs, reduction in document handling, reduction in the use of copy paper, staples, and copy toner, and the reduction in the annual service contract for printers

Benefit: Significant savings in the use of paper and paper-related supplies and

storage devices. Each department should begin to focus on the use of the available electronic storage software, Laserfiche. Use of this system will decrease paper consumption and assist with space issues related to large filing cabinets. Some departments are using, most are not.

Obstacles: City departments outside City hall would have the best opportunity to

increase the overall usage of the Laserfiche software. City staff who work outside of City Hall would have to travel to and work at City Hall to scan paper documents for dissemination and/or storage.

Is the Proposal an Idea the City Should Do? The City of Owasso already owns and utilizes Laserfiche and many City departments are finding great benefit in the software. Continued and more wide-spread use would save budget allocations for printing, storage, and space requirements.

Is the Proposal an Idea the City Can Do? The City has much of the infrastructure in place to accomplish this proposal and can continue to broaden the number of users and departments with access to the hardware.

53

Recycling

The purpose of the green process recycling investigation is to seek opportunities to either

re-use products or to send appropriate waste to the recycling center.

Recycling is not a new idea; reclaiming or reusing materials instead of discarding them

has always been practiced at some level. Today, however, the need for recycling is greater than

ever before. It is not realized that the world’s resources are in danger of being exhausted.

However, consumption of these resources has continued to increase at an alarming rate. With

increased consumption has come increased discards of waste. Each individual discards an

average of 5 pounds of material per day at the home or office. As a nation Americans discard

approximately 250 million tons of solid waste annually.

The responsibility of a consumer does not end when the garbage is emptied. Waste

cannot merely be “thrown away” for there is no “away.” Waste cannot be hidden. Each

consumer is responsible for the problems of solid waste disposal and each consumer can

contribute to the solution of that problem.

The best way to help the disposal problem is by practicing source reduction. If

consumption of materials and products is reduced, the amount of waste generated will also be

less. As examples, reusing a lunch sack until it wears out, refusing to use paper plates and

napkins, repairing an item rather than purchasing a new one, and buying in bulk to reduce the

number of discarded source reductions, the goal is to continually decrease the amount discarded.

The Green Process Recycling Section includes the following recommendations:

1. Solar-Powered Trash Compactors 2. Office Paper Recycling 3. Battery Recycling

54


Category: Solar Powered Trash Compactors

Proposal: Purchase Solar-powered trash compactors for use around parks and facilities.

Cost Savings: Depends Upon the Amount of Waste generated

Benefit: The City of Owasso utilizes its own Refuse Department, Waste Management, and American National for trash pick-up at the numerous facilities. The Golf Course uses Waste Management once a week at the Maintenance Shop and twice a week at the Clubhouse at a rate of $245.10 per month or $2,941.20 per year. The trash containers along the course are emptied by the employees and taken back to the Clubhouse where Waste Management picks up. The Parks Department uses Waste Management at the Sports Park at a rate of $126.76 per month or $1,521.12 per year. The City could use solar-powered trash compactors distributed by Waste Management. The costs of the compactors vary, depending on the number distributed. A standard compactor costs $3,800-$4,000, with a lease option. The solar-powered trash compactors use renewable energy to turn public spaces into clean, eco-friendly zones. These trash compactors encourage recycling, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and trash collection expenses. With increased park use in the peak summer months, trash barrels often overflow. Compactors hold five times as much refuse and signals when it’s ready for pick up. Because it has five times greater capacity, it can reduce the number of collection trips, meaning savings in fuel, labor and maintenance costs, and reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Obstacles: There is reported to be a greater up-front cost, but several reports indicate realized savings in the first year of installation. Is the Proposal an Idea the City Should Do? The compactors are about the same size as a standard 35 gallon trash barrel. When a unit reaches capacity, sensors trigger an internal compactor that flattens the contents, converting 180 gallons of waste into easy to collect bags. These compactors have been deployed in various cities across the United States. In July 2009, Philadelphia deployed 500 compactors within the downtown district. The city expects to reduce weekly collection from 17 to only five. Over the course of ten years, these reductions are projected to yield cash savings of more than $12 million. Is the Proposal an Idea the City Can Do? Other cities have found great benefit in using these compactors, including: the Alamo in San Antonio, Baltimore Inner Harbor, and Fairfax, Virginia.

55


Category: Office Recycling Containers

Proposal: Purchase and distribute sufficient numbers of Office Recycling Containers Cost Savings: Reduce waste and generate more revenue for recycling paper

Benefit: The city currently uses Abitibi at the recycle center for paper. All paper products that are placed in the recycle bins in the main copy room at City Hall are then taken to an Abitibi bin at the recycle center. The City receives funds from Abitibi monthly.

Obstacles: Cost associated with providing office paper recycling receptacles

Is the Proposal an Idea the City Should Do? City employees should be encouraged to place any recyclable paper in recycle bins and not in the trash can. Any confidential or sensitive documents should continue to be shredded. Small individual recycle containers located at each desk (shown below) would be helpful in getting employees interested in recycling.

Is the Proposal an Idea the City Can Do? The City would save the cost of the receptacles through increased revenue for the sale of recycled paper. The benefit would also be in the reduced waste generated for the landfill and the eco-friendly image.

56


Category: Battery Recycling

Proposal: Encourage Battery Recycling by all City employees Cost Savings: No Savings

Benefit: Most departments throughout the city use small electronics such as calculators, pagers, locators, etc. which require the use of AA, AAA, C, D, and 9-volt batteries. Most of these small batteries are thrown away rather than recycled. These batteries can be recycled through Office Depot at a minimal cost to the city.

Obstacles: Cost associated with providing battery recycling boxes. A recycle box is

purchased for $5 or $10, depending on the size. Is the Proposal an Idea the City Should Do? City employees should be encouraged to place any batteries in the battery recycle box. When the box is full, it can be returned to Office Depot and shipped to a recycler without further cost to the city, except for the purchase price of a new recycle box. By placing the recycle boxes in key locations, employees would soon become accustomed to recycling the used batteries.

Is the Proposal an Idea the City Can Do? The City should consider the environmental impact on disposing of batteries into the landfill. By recycling the batteries, the eco-impact would be reduced, with minimal expense for the effort.

57

Vampire Equipment

The purpose of the green process vampire equipment investigation is to seek

opportunities to reduce the energy used by tools and equipment when not in use, including office

and facility lighting.

Conservation advocates have coined the phrase “vampire electric loss” to describe those

appliances that are left plugged in all the time and quietly consume small amounts of electricity.

This includes household appliances such as the microwave, coffeepot, DVD player and stereo.

Research suggests that 5 percent of the power used in the United States goes to fuel these

standby appliances, to the tune of $4 billion a year.

There are several ways to stop energy vampire power loss and restore household energy

savings. For starters, unplug potential energy vampires whenever possible, because even

something as small as that plugged-in charger drains energy when it’s not re-juicing a phone,

tool or other appliance.

Many of the items found in the home and office are considered energy drainers, and the

annual cost of their standby energy consumption (based on applying the national average

electricity cost of 11.8 cents per kilowatt-hour to the electricity consumption of each device):

• Desktop computer: $6.20 • Laptop (fully charged): $2.06 • LCD computer monitor: $1.03 • Wireless router: $4.13 • DSL modem: $5.16 • Microwave oven: $2.48 • External USB hard drive: $2.06 • Computer speaker system: $5.16 • Inkjet printer: $4.28 • DVD player: $3.60

The Green Process Vampire Equipment Section includes the following recommendations:

1. Managing Vampire Electric Draw

58


Category: Vampire Electric Consumption/Standby Loading - Electronics Proposal: Using power strips to significantly reduce the annual operating cost and

environmental impact associated with standby power consumption of electronic devices.

If the burden of unplugging vampire electric equipment around the office is too great, vampire-smart power strips can be purchased. These power strips monitor the amount of phantom power the plugged-in electronics are using, and if they remain idle, the power strip will cut off power to them. These power strips cost around $30-$80 depending on the model.

Cost Savings: The easiest way stop the stop energy drain is to simply unplug electronics when not in use. It is important to identify and unplug virtually every unused electrical device to save energy, especially when there are long periods of inactivity. Getting in the habit of unplugging a device after use can have an impact on the annual city budget expenditures and the planet.

Items such as cell-phone chargers consume electricity when left plugged in, with nothing attached. The standby power of a computer costs about $3 a year when the computer is shut down nights and weekends. However, if the computer's "sleep" function is used, the power costs $41 a year for those nights and weekends -- almost as much as the $57 a year it costs to run the computer just on weekdays. It is estimated that within two years the cost of purchasing smart power strips to cut off the flow of electricity would be recovered with the cost savings from reduced energy usage.

Obstacles: The initial cost of purchasing power saving strips would have short term budget implications of $5,289, but may be recovered within two years.

Is the Proposal an Idea the City Should Do? The City of Owasso currently has 150 desk top computers, 17 servers, and 80 lap top computers. After conducting an analysis of each computer’s usage it was determined that substantial cost savings could be realized if the power was cut off during periods of inactivity. The servers and laptop computers primary functions do not readily allow for a reduction or elimination of power. Of the 150 desk top computers it is estimated that 129 desk top computers could potentially be candidates for power strips. If all 129 computers were equipped with power strips a minimum estimated annual cost savings of $5,289.00 could be realized. Is the Proposal an Idea the City Can Do? The City should start to incorporate smart power strips into City departments at a rate affordable in the budget process. This incremental revolution will assist in recovering lost electricity from vampire electronic devices.

59

Intranet

The purpose of the green process intranet investigation is to seek opportunities to use an

intranet among various City departments to reduce the amount of time and products utilized with

reporting or recording data and information.

An intranet can be described as a private version of the Internet, or as a private extension

of the Internet confined to an organization. Intranets are generally restricted to employees of the

organization, but may also be accessed by customers, suppliers, or other approved parties.

An organization's intranet does not necessarily have to provide access to the Internet.

When such access is provided it is usually through a network gateway with a firewall, shielding

the intranet from unauthorized external access. Increasingly, intranets' are being used to deliver

tools and applications, e.g., collaboration (to facilitate working in groups and teleconferencing)

or sophisticated corporate directories, sales and customer relationship management tools, project

management etc., to advance productivity.

Intranets are also being used as corporate culture-change platforms. For example, large

numbers of employees discussing key issues in an intranet forum application could lead to new

ideas in management, productivity, quality, and other corporate issues. In large intranets,

website traffic is often similar to public website traffic and can be better understood by using

web metrics software to track overall activity. User surveys also improve intranet website

effectiveness.

The Green Process Intranet Section includes the following recommendations:

1. Develop Intranet for City Processes

60


Category: Intranet Proposal: Develop an Intranet for City Processes Cost Savings: Provides opportunities to save printing and paper costs. Benefit: There are essentially six major benefits to utilizing an Intranet for the City

of Owasso, including: 1. Reduces Cost: One of the initial benefits to using an intranet is the cost effective feature it gets from being paperless. For example with an intranet solution, a company can publish most of the company documents through the intranet Web pages. This provides cost savings on printing documents, distribution of materials, duplication expenses, and others. Cost reduction can also be realized in reduced meeting times, travel for meetings, and better focused use of traditional meeting and communication efforts. 2. Saves Time: The intranet can speed up employees’ communications through e-mail, chatting, and newsgroup transmissions. For example a single e-mail can start a string of e-mails back and forth for further communications. The intranet also results in time saving for the company by providing timely and rapid access to information. The intranet can provide for any information to be accessible from anywhere in the city government offices (provided the person has the permission) and also even fast access to archival data which will result in considerable time savings for all employees of the city

3. Increases Collaboration: Intranet applications can enhance the communication and collaboration of employees and increase knowledge sharing. The collaboration benefits to the city also come indirectly through intranets. For example the contents in the intranet, such as announcement section, organizational information, FAQ (Frequently Asked Question) section, help desk, employee handbook, etc. are all oriented towards increasing the collaboration indirectly by enabling the employees to understand about the cities, culture, other employees as well as motivating them and enabling new hires to integrate more quickly. 4. Increases Productivity and Effectiveness: Building an intranet can vastly benefit the City by increasing productivity and effectiveness. It increases the productivity by faster, easier, more flexible and open communication through a suite of standard, easy to use, powerful, and rich facilities, rapid transmission and feedback and one-to-one, many-to-many dialogs etc. The productivity increase also results by better learning and knowledge management facilities the intranet provides. 5. Integrated and Distributed Computing Environment: Intranet can fully support a distributed computing architecture due to the Internet and World Wide Web architecture it uses. So the intranets Web server/s that stores information of the intranet can support various operating

61

systems, computer types which allow every user to access information sources. This also enables the company to deliver information on the least expensive platforms and to scale the computing resources upward or downward as conditions shift. The retrieval, use and management of complex city information are possible through the Web architecture in the intranet. Also, a Web-based data warehouse provides another opportunity for enhancing the quality of the city decision-making process. Adopting a city intranet infrastructure generates a tremendous amount of strategic advantages. The information that flows to city employees enables the city to achieve its objectives in a much more timely and green manner. The intranet infrastructure can also link with city’s information systems such as transaction processing systems, management information systems, etc. 6. Rich in Format: Unlike the traditional paper-based documents, intranet provides a wide variety of media types, which include audio, video, and interactive applications. These features allow users to communicate in a dynamic way and to enhance the accuracy and speed of information sharing while reducing the need for printing and paper. An intranet is also well suited for multimedia applications Obstacles: Would require the Information Technology Department to create and manage the Intranet, as well as training all City employees. Is the Proposal an Idea the City Should Do? The City of Owasso should consider the implementation and development of an Intranet. The use of an intranet system would have far reaching benefits that include: reduction in printing costs, time savings and improved communication. Is the Proposal an Idea the City Can Do? The City of Owasso has the technical capability to develop and use an Intranet. Additionally, many of the City employees who would benefit from the use of an Intranet already have computer access.

62

Reusable Products The purpose of the green process reusable products investigation is to seek opportunities

to utilize non-disposable products and limit the use of one-use and eco-unfriendly products.

According to the National Recycling Coalition publication Purchasing Strategies to

Prevent Waste and Save Money, ideas for offices to make the workplace more environmentally

friendly includes:

� Reuse and refill toner cartridges and ribbons.

� Purchase non-toxic, biodegradable cleaners that contain low- or no-volatile organic compounds.

� Buy concentrates.

� Buy in bulk.

� Buy products that are reusable, returnable or refillable.

� Buy recycled office products that contain post-consumer recycled material.

� Use flexible interior features, such as movable walls, to reduce waste associated with

renovation.

� Choose durable materials and furnishings to reduce the costs and waste associated with replacement.

The Green Process Reusable Products Section includes the following recommendations:

1. Styrofoam Cups 2. Hand Driers for Restrooms 3. Copier/Printer Paper Purchases

63


Category: Reusable Products

Proposal: Styrofoam Cups Cost Savings: Dependent upon amount spent on cups per year

Benefit: Coffee has become an indispensable part of the working day. In America 25,000,000,000 Styrofoam coffee cups are thrown away every year! Instead of using cardboard or Styrofoam cups, use a ceramic coffee mug. Over its life span, a mug will be used 3,000 times, resulting in 30 times less solid waste and 60 times less air pollution than using the equivalent number of cardboard cups. Eliminating/reducing the use of Styrofoam cups by 5 per week, an employee will reduce their CO2 emission by 1.25 lbs. per week. The cost of the one-use cups is also measurable.

Obstacles: Changing the culture where disposable is easier than washing cups and the cost of water and soap to clean the reusable mugs should be considered.

Is the Proposal an Idea the City Should Do? Many city facilities use Styrofoam cups in the break rooms. City employees should be urged to use reusable mugs or coffee cups over disposable coffee cups. This will not only reduce the City’s expense on Styrofoam cups, but it eliminates the use of a non-biodegradable product. Is the Proposal an Idea the City Can Do? The City would save the cost of Styrofoam less the cost of washing the reusable cups, but the more global impact would be significant.

64



Proposal: Hand Driers in Restroom Facilities Cost Savings: Long-term savings, dependent upon the total purchase of paper towels by

the City annually. Benefit: According to Environmental Resources Management (ERM), an

independent research organization, the use of hand driers results in a smaller environmental footprint than the use of paper towels, based on a number of assumptions such as the use of two paper towels per dry and the use of a hand drier for an average of 30 seconds per dry. Additionally, when considering the overall Go Green! Philosophy, deforestation and the energy involved in producing paper towels is a greater ecological threat that the energy used by high-efficiency electric hand driers.

Obstacles: The start-up costs and electrical wiring of the hand driers should be

considered. New units are listed on the internet for $150 to $450. Is the Proposal an Idea the City Should Do? The City of Owasso should install electric hand driers in all applications where electric is available. The long-term savings to both the budget and the environment merit consideration of electric hand driers.

Is the Proposal an Idea the City Can Do? The City of Owasso can accomplish this conversion through a budget plan. Over time, all restroom facilities could be outfitted with hand driers, and essentially paper towel purchases would fade away.

65



Proposal: Central Purchasing of Copy Paper Cost Savings: Dependent upon the quantity purchased outside of Support Services

Benefit: From September 2008 to October 2009, the City consumed approximately 1.2 million pieces of paper. Paper costs alone totaled $10,000. For the most part, City departments utilize Support Services for paper purchasing; however, careful consideration should be used prior to an individual department making a purchase. Support Services have developed strong relationships with various paper distributors and are able to purchase office paper at a reduced cost.

Obstacles: Changing behaviors in individual departments to utilize the relationships

Support Services have developed for purchasing paper in bulk quantities. Is the Proposal an Idea the City Should Do? City employees should be required to make all paper purchase requests through Support Services. Also, employees should be educated and encourages to use the blank side of a used piece of paper for printing drafts of documents and to make scratch paper tablets for taking phone messages, etc. from one-side used paper.

Is the Proposal an Idea the City Can Do? The City of Owasso would save on the cost of copier/printer paper by utilizing Support Services in their bulk paper purchasing.

66

Printing

The purpose of the green process printing investigation is to seek opportunities to reduce

the number of items printed from the computers, thus reducing the expenses associated with

printer equipment, as well as the waste generated with disposable print cartridges.

Warnings against reusing printer ink and toner cartridges contribute to more than 300

million plastic printer cartridges ending up in landfills each year; that’s about 8 cartridges every

second. There is no known reason why a cartridge can’t be reused up to four times. Waste can

be cut and up to 90 percent by reusing printer cartridges. A reputable company should be used –

one that will refill or remanufacture printer cartridges and is prepared to offer a written guarantee

against printer damage

Additional strategies for printing greener include:

� Print on both sides of the paper, and reduce the width of margins and font sizes. These options reduce waste and save both resources and money.

� Keep mailing lists updated. Evaluate data, delete duplicates, remove those who have

requested to be off, and target your mailings to specific audiences.

� Request paper with pulp that is brightened without the use of chlorine. Chlorine bleaching creates a toxic, bio-accumulative waste by-product called dioxin.

� Use paper labeled totally chlorine-free (TCF) or processed chlorine-free (PCF). Both terms mean that the mill did not use chlorine compounds to brighten the paper.

� Request inks with non-petroleum bases, such as soybeans or linseed.

� Request inks that emit low amounts of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Non-petroleum-based inks are usually lower in VOCs.

� Purchase and specify post-consumer recycled content papers. This helps expand the recycling market, assure recycling programs stay viable and effective, closes the loop by diverting waste from landfills, and means using fewer trees to make the paper.

The Green Process Printing Section includes the following recommendations:

1. Perform a Copier and Printer Analysis

67


Category: Printing

Proposal: Perform a Copier and Printer analysis in the City, and develop a plan to reduce the number of copiers and printers, thus reducing the expense of purchasing toner, print cartridges, and associated printing supplies.

Cost Savings: City Hall utilizes two all-in-one machines and will spend approximately

$10,000 this fiscal year for the copiers’ contracts. In most instances, a maintenance agreement for a monthly fee to include all maintenance and toner needed for the equipment can be negotiated. This negotiated rate is often much cheaper than purchasing toner cartridges & maintenance for the individual desktop printers.

Benefit: Efficiently utilizing copiers and printers will reduce expenditures for

equipment maintenance and equipment supplies. An analysis of the performance of each copy/printer would be useful in order to determine those machines that are more expensive to use. In addition, it is believed that a color copy from a desktop printer costs approximately 1 to 2 times more than a color copy made from an all-in-one machine, such as a copier/printer/fax. Currently, the city has approximately 15 individual desktop printers/copiers – all requiring individual toner cartridges & individual maintenance. The city purchased approximately $12,000 in toner cartridges over the last year and has contracts with at least 5 vendors to perform routine maintenance at inconsistent rates. These contracts are random and upon careful review could be combined in order to realize a cost savings.

Obstacles: Decisions to reduce office machines used to operate an office are difficult,

and should be entered into with prudence. There are times when the “penny wise/dollar foolish” analogy is appropriate. Unfortunately, removing desktop and redundant machines are measures of inconvenience. However, the cost reduction for maintaining and operating various machines outweighs the time spent traveling to a central machine.

Is the Proposal an Idea the City Should Do? Most city facilities use multiple printers and copiers. Each machine must be maintained, and has costs associated with its operation. This analysis would serve to uncover opportunities to reduce the expenses associated with the array of printers and copiers.

Is the Proposal an Idea the City Can Do? The City of Owasso can perform this evaluation, and work to reduce the dependency on the various printing and copying machines used in City facilities.

68

Green Cleaning Products

The purpose of the green process green cleaning products investigation is to seek

opportunities to explore the benefits of using green cleaning products, in terms of the cost in

comparison to the effectiveness, including the environmental impact.

Green cleaning, in a commercial/industrial setting, can mean a holistic approach to

facility cleaning and maintenance that can provide health benefits, improved productivity,

reduced liability, cost savings and improved community relations. Recent advancements in

chemical technology have made it possible to develop cleaning products that are as effective as

traditional products, but that do not contain harsh ingredients.

• Some benefits of a well-designed green cleaning program can include:

• Improved productivity and morale of building occupants

• Improved health of building occupants, which helps reduce sick days

• Recognition in the community for reducing resource usage and pollution

• Reduce liability from worker safety issues

• Satisfaction from helping to make the facility and community a better place

A proper green cleaning program should consist of procedures that maximize cleaning

results while protecting cleaning workers and facility occupants. Proper training of cleaning staff

is also critical to a successful program. Finally, products that have a more environmentally-

friendly profile compared to traditional products are necessary. Green cleaning and other

products that are considered ecologically-friendly are becoming increasingly available to

consumers.

The Green Process Green Cleaning Products Section includes the following recommendations:

1. Use of Green Cleaning Supplies

69


Category: Green Cleaning Supplies

Proposal: Purchase Green Cleaning Supplies where possible Cost Savings: None

Benefit: Green Cleaning products are more eco-friendly, and serve to represent a commitment to a more green-thinking organization.

Obstacles: Some reports indicate that Green Cleaning products are more expensive to

the traditional cleaning products. Is the Proposal an Idea the City Should Do? As part of an ecologically-friendly approach, the City should consider role modeling the purchase of Green Cleaning Products. The environmental friendliness of the products begins to make a difference as more and more organizations participate.

Is the Proposal an Idea the City Can Do? Green Cleaning products are available through the vendors the City currently uses, and come in most of the varieties currently purchased by the City.

70

GREEN VEHICLES This section of the report addresses the City of Owasso’s fleet and power equipment

utilized by City employees. Included in this section are proposals for cleaner operating fleet

vehicles and increasing the efficiency of the vehicles in the fleet used to deliver the City’s

services. Finally, this section contains ideas that may improve the environmental impact of the

park and land maintenance functions, as related to the use of gasoline-powered maintenance

equipment.

The Green Vehicles section of the paper is divided into three categories, under which

several ideas and opportunities are explored. The three categories for the Green Vehicles are:

1. Cleaner Operating Vehicles – opportunities to purchase green fleet vehicles that will lower operating costs associated with delivering City services, or reduce the environmental impact of using the vehicles.

2. Increased Vehicle Efficiency – opportunities to increase the efficiency, and thus reduce the financial and environmental impacts, of operating City vehicles.

3. Lawn Mowing and Land Maintenance Equipment – opportunities to reduce the operating costs and environmental impact of maintaining open and park lands, and areas around City facilities.

71

Cleaner Operating Vehicles:

The purpose of the Cleaner Operating Vehicles section is to determine opportunities to

purchase green fleet vehicles that will lower operating costs associated with delivering City

services, or reduce the environmental impact of using the vehicles.

The most obvious and substantial environmental impacts of the City’s fleet are, of course,

tailpipe emissions and fuel consumption. However, an environmentally superior fleet

encompasses a number of other factors. For example, the City’s ability to influence vehicle

manufacturing is limited, even though the process involves huge amounts of materials extraction,

use of natural resources, and is responsible for significant air and water pollution. The elements

that the City’s fleet operations can control or influence to achieve a cleaner and greener fleet

include the following:

• Fuel use, type and amount

• Fleet size

• Vehicle types, e.g., fuel efficiency, size and availability of alternatives such as bicycles and

Segway™ Scooters.

• How vehicles are maintained, e.g. avoiding oil leaks, ensuring proper tire inflation, etc.

• Use of recycled oil, anti-freeze and, as appropriate, tires

• Use, storage and disposal of hazardous materials used in vehicle maintenance

• Fueling procedures - preventing pollution from incidental fuel spills

• Maintenance materials used, e.g., alternatives to hydraulic fuels, or recycled anti-freeze

• Removing mercury switches when vehicles are surplused.

In each of these areas, the City’s fleet management has taken a number of meaningful and

positive actions. However, apart from the manufacturing process, the primary environmental

impacts associated with fleet operations are fuel use and emissions, they are primary focus of the

remainder of this report.

72

The goals of this Plan are to reduce fleet fuel usage and vehicle emissions. The City’s

long-term intent is to have a fleet that is 100% clean and green, which means using clean fuels

and vehicles that are the most fuel efficient, low emission vehicles available that meet the

various business needs of the City.

The Green Vehicle Cleaner Operating Vehicles Section includes the following

recommendations:

1. Alternative Fueled Vehicles – Compressed Natural Gas 2. Alternative Fueled Vehicles – Bio-Diesel 3. Electric Vehicles 4. Segways

73


Category: Alternative Fuel Vehicles – Compressed Natural Gas

Proposal: Purchase Alternative Fuel Vehicles - vehicles that operate on fuels other than gasoline and diesel - that utilize Compressed Natural Gas.

Cost Savings: Long-term fuel savings that fluctuates over a given time period.

Compressed Natural Gas burns cleaner than gasoline and diesel, providing savings opportunities for preventative vehicle maintenance. For example, 5,000 mile oil changes in gasoline motors are often extended to 10,000 mile intervals in CNG vehicles. Additionally, tune-up work is extended 30,000 to 50,000 additional miles on CNG vehicles.

Benefit: Alternative Fuel Vehicles are more eco-friendly, and serve to represent a

commitment to a more green-thinking organization. The emissions from alternative fuel vehicles are cleaner and safer for the environment. CNG vehicles run considerably cleaner than gasoline cars: they have lower carbon monoxide, particulate matter and carbon dioxide emissions, produce significantly lower evaporative emissions during fueling and operating and emit relatively few toxic contaminants.

Obstacles: Some reports indicate that Alternative Fuel Vehicles are more expensive

than gasoline and diesel-powered vehicles. Also, some reports indicate the alternative fuel vehicles are not entirely ready for all applications, such as emergency vehicle responses. Fueling stations for CNG are fewer than gasoline, but CNG stations are growing in number. Skeptics of the CNG conversion cite reduced cargo space due to the CNG storage tanks as a potential problem.

Is the Proposal an Idea the City Should Do? The City of Owasso should continue to expand the current efforts. At least 50% of new fleet compact cars purchased by the City each year should either be hybrids or dedicated CNG vehicles. The City should also conduct an analysis of the life-cycle benefits and costs of making the City fleet 100% “Clean and Green” and establish a time line for meeting that goal.

Is the Proposal an Idea the City Can Do? Due to the grant opportunity from the Department of Energy to install a Compressed Natural Gas filling station and the commitment the City of Owasso has to becoming more ecologically friendly than ever before, the idea of creating a fleet of CNG-powered vehicles is a goal that the City can accomplish.

74


Category: Alternative Fuel Vehicles – Bio-Diesel Proposal: Purchase Alternative Fuel Vehicles - vehicles that operate on fuels other

than gasoline and diesel – that use Bio-Diesel. Cost Savings: Long-term fuel savings that fluctuates over a given time period. Benefit: Alternative Fuel Vehicles are more eco-friendly, and serve to represent a

commitment to a more green-thinking organization. The emissions from alternative fuel vehicles are cleaner, thus safer for the environment. The newest alternative fuel is bio-diesel, produced from renewable resources like soybeans or waste vegetable oil. Blended with diesel fuel, the fuel significantly lowers emissions of carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, particulate matter and toxic contaminants compared to petroleum diesel fuel – particularly important in those diesel vehicles for which there are presently no emission control devices available, e.g., light duty diesel trucks and off-road equipment. Life-cycle reductions in CO2 are also significant, and, because it is biodegradable and non-toxic, bio-diesel poses minimal concerns related to soil and water contamination. Bio-diesel has the added advantage of not requiring vehicle equipment changes.

Obstacles: Some reports indicate that Alternative Fuel Vehicles are more expensive

than the traditional vehicles. Also, some reports indicate the alternative fuel vehicles are not entirely ready for all applications, such as emergency response vehicles.

Is the Proposal an Idea the City Should Do? As a component in the City’s effort to become more ecologically responsible, the City should consider role modeling through the operation of Green Vehicles by converting some of the diesel fleet to B20 in order to reduce CO2 emissions, toxic pollutants, and particulates. Is the Proposal an Idea the City Can Do? Bio-Diesel is showing great promise in its development, and has persuaded testers in early trials. The introduction to B-20 should begin in the nonemergency fleet, and continue as tests prove the value of the new alternative fuel.

75


Category: Electric Vehicles

Proposal: Purchase Electric Vehicles - vehicles that operate on batteries recharged from a power source.

Cost Savings: Significant fuel savings for local driving. Benefit: Electric vehicles are more eco-friendly since they have zero emissions,

and serve to represent a commitment to a more green-thinking organization. An electric car is an alternative fuel automobile that uses electric motors and motor controllers for propulsion, in place of more common propulsion methods such as the internal combustion engine. Electric cars are specifically a variety of electric vehicle created or adapted for use on the road. Electric cars are commonly powered by on-board battery packs, and as such are battery electric vehicles (BEVs). Other on-board energy storage methods that are expected to come into use in the future include ultra-capacitors, fuel cells, and a spinning flywheel which stores kinetic energy.

Obstacles: Some reports indicate that Electric Vehicle manufacturers have in general,

suspended research and development in electric cars because they are not considered to be economically infeasible (due to technological challenges associated with batteries.)

Is the Proposal an Idea the City Should Do? As part of a holistic green approach, the City should consider role modeling the purchase of Electric Vehicles when the technology and affordability of electric vehicles becomes balanced. Is the Proposal an Idea the City Can Do? Electric vehicles will be great opportunities for fleet vehicles for the City’s operations, including running errands, attending meetings, and for supervisory personnel to visit jobsites.

76


Category: Segways

Proposal: Purchase Segways for local use of City operations Cost Savings: If replacing gasoline vehicles, gasoline savings for every mile the vehicle

is driven. Benefit: The Segway is a two-wheel, self-balancing electric vehicle. Computer

motors in the base of the device keep the Segway upright when powered on with balancing enabled. Users lean forward to go forward, lean back to go backward, and turn by using a "Lean Steer" handlebar, leaning it left or right. Segway are driven by electric motors at up to 12.5 miles per hour

Obstacles: Its limited capabilities as compared to vehicles of similar price have

limited the Segway's adoption by the general public. Segways have had success in niche markets such as transportation for police departments, military bases, warehouses, corporate campuses or industrial sites. The legal road worthiness of the Segway varies with different jurisdictions’ classification of the device as a motor vehicle

Is the Proposal an Idea the City Should Do? The Segway may have applications in the delivery of the City’s services. Unfortunately, the distance between City facilities would serve to limit the Segways easy incorporation, but other applications such as patrolling Smith Market have merit. Therefore the Segway should be considered where applicable. Is the Proposal an Idea the City Can Do? Segways are available and affordable, and should be considered in purchases for the delivery of the City’s services.

77

Increased Vehicle Efficiency:

The purpose of the Increased Vehicle Efficiency section is to determine opportunities to

increase the efficiency, and thus reduce the financial and environmental impacts, of operating

City vehicles.

With a sustained commitment, the City of Owasso could obtain substantial energy-

efficiency improvements and reductions in greenhouse gas emissions through the

implementation of existing and emerging energy technologies.

Three primary options still in development for obtaining meaningful reductions in

petroleum use in the transportation sector include:

• Cleaner operating Vehicles. By 2035, cellulosic ethanol and/or coal-and-biomass-to-liquid (CBTL) fuels with carbon capture and storage could replace about 15% of current fuel consumption in the transportation sector (1.7–2.5 million barrels per day of gasoline-equivalent) with near-zero lifecycle CO2 emissions. Today, vehicles that reduce the environmental pollution of gasoline and diesel emissions are available, and can replace many of the fleet vehicles the City operates.

• Improving vehicle efficiency. The best near-term option for reducing dependence on petroleum in through greater vehicle efficiency. Technologies to improve vehicle efficiency are available for deployment now, and new technologies continue to emerge.

• Electrifying the light-duty vehicle fleet through expanded deployment of plug-in hybrids, battery electric vehicles, and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles. Such a transition would require the development of advanced battery and fuel-cell technologies as well as modernization of the electrical grid to manage the increased demand for electricity.

The Increased Vehicle Efficiency Section includes the following recommendations:

1. Hybrid Electric 2. Reduce Vehicle Idling 3. Vehicle Maintenance 4. Right Vehicle for the Job 5. Eliminate Excess Vehicles 6. Hydrogen Fuel Cell Cars 7. Fuel Efficient Tires 8. E-85 Ethanol fuel

78


Category: Hybrid Electric

Proposal: Purchase Hybrid Electric Vehicles Cost Savings: Significant Cost Savings over gasoline powered vehicles Benefit: The greatest opportunity to increase the fleet’s average fuel economy is

the use of hybrid electric vehicles which combine a highly efficient gas engine with an advanced electric motor. On average, hybrids are 60 percent more fuel efficient than a comparable car used in the fleet today: the Toyota Prius gets 48 mpg and the Dodge Neon, 28 mpg. Prius also offer the additional benefit of a 70,000 mile warranty, thereby significantly increasing their resale value. Recent research concluded that in terms of total energy use and greenhouse gas emissions, diesel hybrids will outperform hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles until 2020.

Obstacles: The hybrids are about 25 percent more expensive to purchase than a

comparable standard vehicle but par with the cost of a dedicated CNG car. Only one police car is manufactured in the US, the Crown Victoria, which gets 20 mpg. The City’s fleet includes vans, SUVs and light duty trucks. Although the City seeks out the most fuel efficient vehicle available for purchase, opportunities to increase the overall fuel efficiency with these type vehicles are limited. Of the hundreds of light truck models sold today, only a handful (lightweight compact pickups and utility vehicles with 4-cycle engines) are currently rated at or above 26 mpg.

Is the Proposal an Idea the City Should Do? The City of Owasso should expand current efforts by considering purchasing hybrid vehicles for new fleet compact cars. Is the Proposal an Idea the City Can Do? In many of the applications where fleet vehicles are used by the City of Owasso, a hybrid vehicle would be a greener alternative to a gasoline powered vehicle.

79


Category: Vehicle Idling

Proposal: Produce Policies regarding the reduction of Vehicle Idling Cost Savings: Saves fuel for every minute the vehicle is turned off Benefit: Vehicle idling gets zero miles per gallon and unnecessary idling wastes

fuel and pollutes the environment. Running an engine at low speed (idling) also causes twice the wear on internal parts compared to driving at regular speeds. The break-even point for shutting off and re-starting gasoline engines or leaving it to idle is just 30 seconds - from the point of view of both emissions and fuel consumption. Properly heated and computer controlled fuel injected diesel engines need little time after cold start up to begin operation. Newer trucks come equipped with idle time shut-down recommendations. Older trucks can require a few minutes of idling to cool down, as manufacturers recommend.

Obstacles: Many diesel equipment operators in the City have misconceptions about

proper idling time, in general erring on the side of too much idling. Although substantial fuel savings can be achieved by reducing vehicle idling, it’s important to note that not all idling is “unnecessary”: many City vehicles have equipment that requires the engine to be running, e.g., emergency lights on public safety vehicles.

Is the Proposal an Idea the City Should Do? A policy should be developed for the City of Owasso to ensure idling of the City’s fleet is appropriate for the vehicle and application at hand. Is the Proposal an Idea the City Can Do? This no cost/big benefit option can be initiated once a policy is developed, implemented, and explained to City vehicle operators.

80


Category: Vehicle Maintenance Program

Proposal: Develop a Vehicle Maintenance Program that optimizes vehicle efficiency Cost Savings: Savings by maintaining initial engine efficiency that deteriorates over time

and use. Benefit: Well-maintained engines and properly inflated tires can significantly

increase fuel efficiency for both cars and trucks. Proper vehicle maintenance is essential to ensure the cleanest possible emissions. Emissions from well maintained vehicles are 20 to 50 percent less than engines that are not properly maintained.

Obstacles: No obstacles were identified for this proposal. Is the Proposal an Idea the City Should Do? The City of Owasso should initiate an employee education program that focuses on reduced idling, alternatives to driving and proper tire inflation. Is the Proposal an Idea the City Can Do? The proposal to educate employees to better maintain City vehicles in a more efficient way is achievable and capable of producing realistic results.

81


Category: Right Vehicle for the Job

Proposal: Right Vehicle for the Job Education Program Cost Savings: Can contribute to fuel savings by selecting smaller or more energy

efficient vehicles for tasks associated with City operations. Benefit: Matching duty requirements of staff to the fuel efficient vehicle for the

task is an effective fuel saving strategy. Obstacles: Often, City crews perform several tasks before returning to City facilities.

Planning a route to accomplish several objectives, or exchanging assignments to make a more geographically concentrated trip would benefit in making this proposal more successful. Unfortunately, timely responses to customer calls for service often leaves little room to more than create planned trips. Also, the size of the City’s fleet may limit various crews from always selecting the most fuel efficient vehicle for tasks, but an education program where employees consider this philosophy in their daily duties would save on fuel costs, and reduce pollution.

Is the Proposal an Idea the City Should Do? Selecting the most fuel-efficient vehicle for the job would be best suited as an inherent decision making consideration for City employees. An education program would benefit employees in understanding “why” selecting the right vehicle for the job would benefit the City and the environment. Is the Proposal an Idea the City Can Do? This program would be easy to develop and implement, and would need to be presented to City employees as an opportunity to share ownership in the operation of the City, and to seek savings in both City budgets and emissions that harm the environment.

82


Category: Excess Vehicles

Proposal: Initiate and implement an “Eliminate Excess Vehicles Program” Cost Savings: Reduction in fleet maintenance costs, and self-insurance premiums. Benefit: The development of a program that encourages the elimination of excess

vehicles discourages non-critical trips and encourages more efficient use of the remaining vehicles. Substantial cost savings are achieved by not having to purchase, maintain, depreciate and park vehicles. Additionally, older vehicles are more difficult to obtain repair parts for, and often have higher costs than more available repair parts.

Obstacles: No obstacles were identified for this proposal. Is the Proposal an Idea the City Should Do? The City of Owasso should continue to evaluate opportunities to downsize the fleet. Is the Proposal an Idea the City Can Do? Often, organizations rely on old fleet vehicles as back-up vehicles, instead of retiring the vehicles. The City of Owasso can evaluate the current fleet to determine is opportunities to retire and surplus old vehicles is possible.

83


Category: Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles

Proposal: Develop Long Range plans for Hydrogen Fuel Cell Cars Cost Savings: Much of the Hydrogen Fuel Cell vehicle technology is ten years out, but is

predicted to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels. Benefit: Experts agree - the car of the future is a fuel cell car - powered by

hydrogen, the most abundant element in the universe, and pollution and noise free. Experts also agree that even with aggressive research, “. . . the hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle will not be better than the diesel hybrid in terms of total energy use and greenhouse gas emissions by 2020.” The hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle has low emissions and energy use on the road, but converting natural gas or gasoline into hydrogen requires substantial energy use and emits greenhouse gases.

Obstacles: Hydrogen Fuel Cell vehicles are still being developed, and are not yet

available for purchase. Once the first generation becomes available, just as with electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles, and with environmental changes in internal combustion engines, many problems will have to be worked out, and costs will be higher than traditional vehicles. This proposal is meant to identify the future of green vehicles, and should serve as a long-range planning item. .

Is the Proposal an Idea the City Should Do? The City of Owasso should monitor the hydrogen fuel cell vehicle development process, watching for opportunities to evaluate the vehicle for the City’s use. Is the Proposal an Idea the City Can Do? These vehicles are not available, but should be monitored as they develop.

84


Category: Fuel Efficient Tires

Proposal: Research and purchase Fuel Efficient Tires Cost Savings: Much of the research indicates a savings on more efficient tires, which is

consistent with properly inflated tire research. Savings are largely to be determined.

Benefit: Vehicle tires show a wide variation in fuel efficiency based on their

composition and design. Research conducted by the California Energy Commission suggests that low rolling resistance tires could improve the fuel economy of passenger vehicles by approximately three percent and even more for diesel trucks with heavy loads.

Obstacles: Tires manufactured and marketed specifically for fuel efficiency are not

widely available yet and further performance, safety and consumer research is currently underway in California. However, if the fuel efficiency potential proves to be real, the City can add the tires as another efficiency strategy. This proposal is meant to identify the future of green vehicle operations, and should serve as a long-range planning item.

Is the Proposal an Idea the City Should Do? The City of Owasso should monitor the development of fuel efficient tires, and seek opportunities to incorporate these fuel savings devices in future purchases. Is the Proposal an Idea the City Can Do? These tires are not yet widely available, but should be monitored as they develop for the various uses on the City’s fleet.

85


Category: E-85 Ethanol Fuel

Proposal: Research E-85 Ethanol Fuel to determine the beneficial times to use the fuel, either for E-85 price compared to gasoline or use in specific vehicles.

Cost Savings: Alcohol is widely believed to be more beneficial to the environment, but

does not product cost savings unless the price separation of alcohol to gasoline is at a certain spread. If the spread is reached, the research would determine which application to employ E-85 can be accomplished.

Benefit: Researchers at the University of California at Berkeley examined six

major studies of ethanol production and concluded that using ethanol made from corn instead of gasoline would lead to a moderate 13 percent reduction in greenhouse emissions. However, the researchers note that more dramatic reductions are possible if technology advances make it economical to make ethanol from cellulosic materials such as switchgrass, a crop currently grown by some U.S. farmers to control erosion on idle fields. Using cellulosic ethanol, they project, could result in 88 percent less greenhouse gas emissions.

Obstacles: E-85 may be better for the environment and the American farmer, but it has some drawbacks:

• The first is price: ethanol prices fluctuate on a different cycle than gasoline, meaning that ethanol is sometimes cheaper but sometimes more expensive. Past trends have E-85 selling in the Midwest for nearly 30 cents less per gallon than conventional gasoline. During some of those times, filling up with ethanol on the West Coast or in the Mid-Atlantic States cost a driver as much as 40 cents more per gallon.

• The second drawback is ethanol, regardless of the price you pay for it, contains less energy than gasoline. This means that a vehicle won't go as far on a gallon of E-85, and the fuel economy will decrease by 20-30 percent. Even if the price of E-85 at the pump is cheaper than gasoline, using ethanol may not be less expensive in the end.

• Another issue is that E-85 is not widely available. The DOE lists several hundred E-85 stations in the United States, but nearly half of those are in two states: Minnesota and Illinois. Other areas, even populous ones, have little E-85 infrastructure.

Is the Proposal an Idea the City Should Do? The City of Owasso should continue to monitor developments in the prices and technology of using ethanol fuel. Is the Proposal an Idea the City Can Do? Some of the City’s fleet is capable of utilizing E-85 fuel, should the determination to use this alternative become more feasible.

86

Lawn Mowing and Land Maintenance Equipment:

The purpose of the Lawn Mowing and Land Maintenance Equipment section is to seek

opportunities to reduce the operating costs and environmental impact of maintaining open and

park lands, and areas around City facilities.

Each year aging gasoline powered lawn mowers and lawn care equipment emits

thousands of tons of polluting chemicals and particles into the air. These pollutants create urban

smog which can lead to chronic illnesses such as eye irritation, asthma, and headaches. Mowing

the average lawn in the United States creates as much air pollution as driving the family car on a

200 mile trip. It also submits the operator and neighbors to a large amount of noise pollution.

Small yards (up to 1/2 an acre) can be mowed with commercially available electric powered

push mowers that are quieter and use only locally non-polluting electricity. The operation can be

made totally non-polluting by supplying the electricity with solar electric panels.

The EPA states that 54 million Americans mowing their lawns each weekend with

gasoline-powered mowers may be contributing as much as five percent of the nation's air

pollution. The EPA estimates that 17 million gallons of fuel - mostly gasoline - are spilled each

year while lawn equipment is being refilled. That is more than all the oil the infamous Exxon

Valdez spilled (10.8 million gallons) in the Gulf of Alaska in 1989. In addition to groundwater

contamination, spilled fuel evaporates into the air and contributes to smog-forming ozone when

cooked by sunlight and heat.

Gas-powered lawn mowers, leaf blowers and edgers are not only a source of noise

pollution; they also spew oily clouds of “debris dust” that are harmful when inhaled and can

produce the same amount of air pollutants in an hour as driving a car from Washington, D.C. to

87

Atlanta. Every weekend, 54 million Americans cut their grass with gas-powered mowers,

consuming 800 million gallons of gas each year and producing tons of CO2 emissions.

The Green Vehicle Lawn Mowing and Land Maintenance Equipment Section includes

the following recommendations:

1. Purchase Electric and Solar-powered lawn care equipment 2. Purchase Compressed Natural Gas lawn mowing equipment 3. Use of catalytic converters on lawn mowing equipment 4. Mulching Mowers

88


Category: Electric or Solar-powered Lawn Care Equipment

Proposal: Purchase Electric or Solar-powered lawn care equipment where possible Cost Savings: Although there are limited options for solar-powered or electric

equipment, savings over the use of gasoline can be realized. Benefit: On average the pollutant emissions from an electric lawn mower can be 5

to 9,000 times less than the respective emissions from a gasoline powered mower. Because much of the smaller handheld gasoline equipment contains 2-cycle engines, electric is an especially wise choice. Two-Cycle engines are run and lubricated by a mixture of gasoline and oil. While the engines are extremely powerful for their size, they are inefficient in their use of the fuel mixture. Approximately 25%-35% of the fuel escapes from these engines unburned. This allows an excess of hydrocarbons to be released into the atmosphere, contributing to illnesses and environmental problems. One 1996 study by the Electric Power research Institute (EPRI) showed that the average hydrocarbon emission from a 2-cycle engine is 48.04 grams per hour, that is about one quarter of a pound of hydrocarbons for every two hours of use from just one small machine.

Obstacles: Electric mowers traditionally operated with long extension cords which

were often a safety hazard or a nuisance. Today much of the smaller handheld garden equipment is powered by an extension cord. However, most of the new electric mowers operate with a rechargeable battery that runs for approximately 45 to 90 minutes, depending on mowing conditions, before needing to be recharged. The battery pack costs approximately $140 and needs to be replaced about every 5 years. These batteries contain heavy metals and therefore must be disposed of properly. To finish a mowing job in one charge, the cutting area should be no larger than 1 acre, the grass should not be wet and the height should not be more than 2” taller than your intended cut length. In other words, these mowers are ideal only for small businesses or light applications.

Is the Proposal an Idea the City Should Do? As part of a holistic green approach, the City should consider role modeling the purchase of Electric lawn care equipment for smaller applications. Is the Proposal an Idea the City Can Do? Electric lawn care equipment is affordable and will produce a positive image for small lawn care jobs.

89


Category: Compressed Natural Gas-Powered Lawn Care Equipment

Proposal: Develop a plan to Purchase Compressed Natural Gas lawn mowing equipment

Cost Savings: CNG-powered equipment saves money over the use of gasoline-powered

equipment, but will cost more until the industry develops more applications and opportunities to purchase alternative fuel equipment.

Benefit: Natural gas is a cleaner burning fuel and many cities and towns across the

country are changing over their fleets of vehicles and machines to run on this fuel. Since natural gas is plentiful in the US, demand for natural gas mowers will only grow as natural gas becomes easier to obtain for the average property owner.

Obstacles: Filling portable CNG powered equipment is problematic, and requires the

equipment to be transported to area CNG filling stations. The cost of CNG-powered equipment is relatively high, as the technology is still new in lawn care equipment.

Is the Proposal an Idea the City Should Do? Once the City of Owasso established a CNG filling station, this lawn care equipment will be more feasible than it currently is without the station. The expense is still relatively high, considering that only a few manufacturers offer CNG lawn mowers, but the image alone during Ozone Alert days would benefit the City. Is the Proposal an Idea the City Can Do? CNG-powered lawn equipment would be beneficial in new equipment purchases as a more ecologically friendly method of maintaining open areas.

90


Category: Catalytic Converters on Lawn Mowing and Lawn Maintenance Equipment

Proposal: Research and determine the best applications for the use of catalytic converters on lawn mowing equipment

Cost Savings: More than a savings opportunity, catalytic converters reduce greenhouse

gas emissions on lawn care equipment.

Benefit: Gallon for gallon lawn mower engines contribute 93 times more smog-forming emissions than cars, according to the California Air Resources Board. In California, lawn mowers provided more than 2 percent of the smog-forming pollution from all engines. Catalytic converters for lawn mowers would produce the same ecological benefit realized in the 1970s when these emissions-reducing devices were added to automobiles.

Obstacles: Catalytic converters on lawn mowers will increase the price of lawn mowing equipment by up to 30%. The major concern for catalytic converters on lawn mowers is starting wildland fires in dry or arid areas of yards and around facilities, just as automobiles do in fields.

Is the Proposal an Idea the City Should Do? The catalytic converter on lawn mowers is not an idea that should be pursued until technology and science catch up with the idea. Although emissions would be reduced, cost and safety are still being debated. Is the Proposal an Idea the City Can Do? There are commercial lawn mowers available that have catalytic converters, but because California is the only State that requires the addition, nation-wide availability is sparse.

91


Category: Mulching Blades

Proposal: Use Mulching Mowers or Blades on Lawn Care Equipment Cost Savings: More than increased efficiency and cost savings, mulching grass serves to

reduce the amount of debris that ends up in local landfills. Benefit: Mulching blades or mowers cut grass blades then suck up the clippings in

a specially designed housing where they drop down to be cut over and over again. The grass blades are reduced to fine clippings before they settle on the soil surface. The mulching mower reduces the grass blades so small that their leaf surface is 10 fold greater than cut from a conventional mover. These small pieces of grass will decompose much faster and return quality plant material and nutrients to the ground. There are three major benefits to mulching grass during lawn care. The first is that the mulched grass reduces time spent moving, due to not having to empty the grass catching bag. Secondly, the mulched grass serves as the fertilizer for a lawn, and reduces the need to apply more dangerous fertilizers. Finally, the bags of grass clippings are kept out of the local landfill.

Obstacles: Mulching mowers prove to be difficult to use when the grass level is high.

Since clippings are cut over and over, thick or high grass bogs the mower down.

Is the Proposal an Idea the City Should Do? The City should continue to use mulching mowers or mulching blades in all applications, as opposed to bagging grass clippings. Is the Proposal an Idea the City Can Do? Mulching blades come in all sizes, and work on all mowers and would allow for reduced contribution to local landfills.

92

GREEN DEVELOPMENT

The Green Development section of the report addresses the opportunities and obstacles

regarding Owasso’s private development regulations, and includes reference to increasing the

environmentally friendly nature of these development regulations. Included in this section are an

examination of the City of Owasso’s development regulations, from the zoning code and the

subdivision regulations to the building permitting fees.

The Green Development section of the paper is divided into four categories, under which

several ideas and opportunities are explored. The four categories for the Green Development

section are:

1. Greening Owasso Construction Guide - create a construction guide to serve as a reference for comprehensive information for greening construction projects for new projects or renovations as well as ongoing operations of existing buildings.

2. Conservation Development – revise the existing PUD chapter of the Zoning Code

and seek opportunities to develop in a more ecologically-friendly manner through conserving areas within development projects.

3. Wind Energy Turbine Regulation – consider, develop, and implement a chapter in the Zoning Code addressing the erection, installation, and operation of wind turbines in the City of Owasso.

4. Construction Permits and Fees to Encourage Green Development – consider,

develop, and implement a fee restructure for Building and Development fees if builders and developers build green.

93

Greening Owasso Construction Guide

The purpose of the Greening Owasso Construction Guide is to act as a resource guide

for the building industry to assist in reducing energy consumption and costs, improving the

working environment of new facilities, and reducing the environmental impacts of the

construction operations.

The proposed Greening Owasso Guide is divided into five sections, each of which

addresses opportunities for consideration of building greener buildings in the City of Owasso.

The categories are:

1. Rationale provides an overview of this guide, how it is structured and its purpose. 2. Environmental and Energy Decision-Making introduces the critically important

process of integration in design, and reviews economic and environmental analysis. Information that a builder can use to justify difficult and sometimes expensive decisions in an era of budgetary concerns.

3. Site and Landscape Issues examines how a building fits into a broader land use

context of the region in a manner that minimizes environmental impact as well as addresses specific greening measures relating to the site landscape.

4. Building Design covers design practices to maximize building energy performance,

to minimize energy use, and to make use of renewable energy systems, including solar thermal energy, passive solar energy, wind energy, and day lighting. While these measures are often geared to new construction, they will also be useful for existing facilities undergoing significant modifications or renovations. This section also addresses specific technologies and products that can be used to reduce energy consumption.

5. Material Selection presents information on materials that are specified as sustainable

material from structural building components to floor coverings to paints and wall coverings.

The Greening Owasso Construction Guide Section includes the following

recommendation:

1. Develop and Implement a Greening Owasso Construction Guide

94


Category: Greening Owasso Construction Guide Proposal: Consider, Develop, and Implement a guide for the construction industry to

build or remodel green buildings within the City of Owasso. Benefit: The use of such a guide would place key energy and environmental

information at the fingertips of the building industry to assist in decision making as buildings are constructed within the City of Owasso. Provide the construction guide on the city web site, and advertise that the document is available for reference.

Obstacles: Even if the guide was developed and distributed to all of the local building

industry, the change in philosophy of constructing for unrecognizable benefits to the environment; energy savings to future occupants versus threats to construction profits; and misunderstandings of building greener buildings would serve to limit widespread adoption of green building habits.

Is the Proposal an Idea the City Should Do? The construction guide would serve as a great tool to inform the public on green building ideas.

Is the Proposal an Idea the City Can Do? The guide has been drafted and could be implemented very easily. (See Appendix 1)

95

Conservation Development

The purpose of the Conservation Development section is to explore opportunities to

educate and enact opportunities for Conservation Development within new development areas

by revising the Planned Unit Development (PUD) chapter of the Zoning Code.

A conservation subdivision is a housing development characterized by compact lots and

common open space, where natural features of land are maintained to the greatest extent

possible. The purpose of a conservation district includes:

1. Promoting the safe and efficient use of specific roadways by controlling access and other traffic measures.

2. Encouraging the redevelopment of an area consistent with a particular design theme.

3. Minimizing the detrimental impact on hillsides, watercourses and other significant

natural features.

4. Giving special attention to landscaping, buffering, signage, lighting and building setbacks in those districts identified as needing special attention.

5. Giving special attention to the existing architectural style or to the style that is

planned, so as to create an easily identifiable area in those areas identified as architecturally significant.

An environmentally-friendly zoning code would allow developments to be denser than

conventional zoning allows by removing the minimum lot size and lot yield requirements and

regulating instead by the amount of common area required.

The Conservation Development Section includes the following recommendations:

1. Revise the Planned Unit Development (PUD) Chapter of the Zoning Code to promote land conservation within developments.

96


Category: Conservation Development Proposal: Revision of the PUD Chapter of the Zoning Code to promote land

conservation within developments. Benefit: Conservation Development provides greater flexibility in the design of

buildings, yards, courts, circulation and open-space than traditional design through the strict application of other district regions.

Obstacles: Conservation development reduces the developable area of a development

project, therefore reducing profit opportunities within these projects. Is the Proposal an Idea the City Should Do? The PUD chapter should be amended to allow for conservation development. This would allow for the development of lands that are unique in nature due to environmental obstacles to allow for more open space and recreational areas.

Is the Proposal an Idea the City Can Do? The ordinance has been drafted and could be easily implemented. (See Appendix 2)

97

Wind Energy Turbine Regulation The purpose of the Wind Energy Turbine Regulation in the Zoning Code section is to

explore opportunities to regulate the wind harvesting appliance installation within the City of

Owasso.

City of Owasso staff has been approached recently by a local church and a local business

about the possibility of installing wind turbines to provide a supplemental source of electric power.

Although the opportunity to harvest energy from the wind is exciting, City regulations do not

currently address the erection of the wind harvesting equipment. Therefore, a proposed policy has

been developed, that would essentially add a chapter to the Zoning Code allowing for and regulating

wind turbines in the City of Owasso.

The requirements of this ordinance would apply to all small wind energy systems and

commercial wind energy systems proposed after the effective date of the ordinance. The

ordinance would establish the minimum requirements for small wind energy systems and

commercial wind energy systems as defined herein.

The Wind Energy Turbine Regulation Section includes the following recommendation:

1. Create a chapter for the Zoning Code that addresses the erection, installation, and operation of wind turbines for energy use in the City of Owasso.

98


Category: Wind Energy Regulation Proposal: Draft and incorporate a chapter to the Zoning Code to allow for wind

turbines within the City of Owasso, and to regulate the construction, height, material, and other necessary features of wind turbines.

Benefit: Allow for and establish minimum requirements for small wind energy

systems and commercial wind energy systems used on buildings and facilities within the City of Owasso, thus reducing the public-provided electric energy consumption.

Obstacles: None Is the Proposal an Idea the City Should Do? This proposal would allow wind turbines and set minimum regulations for insulation and land use.

Is the Proposal an Idea the City Can Do? The ordinance has been drafted and could be implemented immediately. (See Appendix 3)

99

Construction Permits and Fees to Encourage Green Development

The purpose of the Construction Permits and Fees to Encourage Green Development

section is to explore opportunities to reduce fees for developers and builders who choose to

follow LEED regulations within the City of Owasso.

LEED is an internationally recognized green building certification system, providing

third-party verification that a building or community was designed and built using strategies

aimed at improving performance across all the metrics that matter most: energy savings, water

efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of

resources and sensitivity to their impacts. The U.S. Green Building Council has provided LEED

certification for individual buildings since 2005.

The U.S. Green Building Council is now preparing similar guidelines for developments at

the subdivision scale. City of Owasso staff is monitoring the changing LEED principles, and

intends to use these principles to encourage future subdivision developments in Owasso to

encourage more environmentally-friendly development.

The Construction Permits and Fees to Encourage Green Development Section includes

the following recommendation:

1. Restructure Building and Development Permits and Fees to reward and encourage green development.

100


Category: Construction Permits and Fees to Encourage Green Development Proposal: Restructure Building and Development Permits and Fees to reward and

encourage green development. Benefit: Encourages builders and developers to go green. Obstacles: None Is the Proposal an Idea the City Should Do? This proposal would encourage private construction and development to be more environmentally friendly.

Is the Proposal an Idea the City Can Do? The resolution has been drafted and could be implemented immediately. (See Appendix 4)

101

GREEN UTILITY RESOURCES

The Green Utility Resources section of the report addresses the alternative utility

resource options for the public and private sector. Included in this section are proposals for re-

use of the wastewater discharge (recycled water), renewable energy such as solar/wind

alternatives, and sludge composting for the use of fertilizer and landscape opportunities.

The Green Utility Resources section of the report is divided into three main categories,

under which several ideas and opportunities are explored. The three categories for the Green

Utility Resource’s are:

1. Recycled Water – opportunities to re-use one of the most precious resources on the earth.

2. Renewable energy – opportunities to explore the benefit of using alternative energy, in terms of the cost benefit and the environmental impact.

3. Sludge Composting – opportunities to reduce the amount of sludge dumped at the landfill, thus reducing the environmental impact, as well as wasting a useful product.

102

Water Recycling:

The purpose of Water Recycling section is to determine potential customers and their use

of recycled water. Water recycling is a critical element for managing water resources. Through

water recycling, environmental needs can be met and alternative water sources provided for

internal and external customer use.

Through the natural water cycle, the earth has recycled and reused water for millions of

years. Water recycling is often characterized as “unplanned” or “planned.” A common example

of unplanned water recycling occurs when cities draw their water supplies from rivers, such as

Verdigris River and the Arkansas River that receives wastewater discharges upstream from other

cities. Water from these rivers has been used, treated, piped into the water supply a number of

times before the last downstream user utilizes the water. Planned projects are those that are

developed with the goal of beneficially reusing a recycled water supply. Recycled water

(planned projects) is most commonly used for non-potable (not for drinking) purposes, such as

agriculture, landscape, public parks, and golf course irrigation. Another non-potable application

includes cooling water for industrial processes.

Water recycling has proven to be effective and successful in creating a new and reliable

water supply, while not compromising public health. Non-potable reuse is a widely accepted

practice that will continue to grow.

The Water Recycling Section includes the following recommendations:

1. Water Recycling (Internal & External Customers) a. Wastewater Treatment Plant Clean Up Procedures b. National Steak & Poultry - Boilers c. Irrigation – City Facilities, Public and Private Golf Courses

103


Category: Water recycling for use at the City Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP)

Proposal: Develop a distribution system that provides recycled water to be used at the Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) for Clean-Up Procedures.

Cost Savings: In 2008, the WWTP’s annual potable water usage was 36 million gallons

at a cost of $75,000 per year. Primary use of the recycled water will be for clean up procedures for the clarifiers and sludge press equipment. Recycled water can be used to perform this maintenance procedure resulting in a reduction of water usage of 60% at a cost savings of $45,000 per year.

Benefit: Additional water treatment is not necessary. Therefore, significant savings

in the use of recycled water can be realized. Using recycled water also reduces the daily demand on the potable water distribution system.

The City would need to budget for the engineering design. Based on the engineer’s recommendation, the City would purchase the required material such as piping, pumps, pre-cast concrete structures and electrical components. In addition, installation would be performed by City employees to reduce start-up costs.

The actual maintenance procedure will not change. However, the product used to perform the required procedure will. Thus, implementation will be an easy transition for the operators.

Obstacles: The start-up cost associated with the engineering design, materials and

installation cost. However, the investment will pay for itself after the first year of implementation.

Is the Proposal and Idea the City Should Do? With significant cost savings and reduction in the daily potable water demand, the City should accomplish this proposal. Is the Proposal an Idea the City Can Do? This proposal is feasible, and would offer long-term savings opportunities over the use of treated (potable) water in the wastewater treatment process.

104


Category: Water Recycling Sale to Private Industry

Proposal: Develop and implement a plan to distribute recycled water to private industry, such as National Steak & Poultry for use in their Boilers.

Cost Savings: This proposal would reduce the consumption of potable water, and

provide National Steak and Poultry a savings opportunity by purchasing recycled water.

Benefit: Recycled water is anticipated to be more cost effective to treat than

potable water. Thus, the private sector would possibly benefit because of the reduction in cost. In addition, there will be a decrease in the daily potable water demand.

The City would need to budget for a portion of the funds and apply for a grant for the engineering design and construction contract. The construction would consist of a sand filter and chlorination equipment at the Wastewater Treatment Plant Facility. In addition, the necessary piping would need to be installed from Wastewater Treatment Plant to National Steak & Poultry.

Obstacles: The start-up cost associated with the engineering and construction cost

will be significant. Is the Proposal and Idea the City Should Do? Overall by providing an additional source of water, water recycling can help us finds ways to decrease the diversion of water from sensitive ecosystems. In addition, water recycling can help us find ways to decrease wastewater discharges and reducing and preventing possible pollution. Is the Proposal an Idea the City Can Do? Opportunities to sell recycled water currently exist in Owasso; there may be additional future possibilities. Use of recycled water would provide an opportunity to sell water to customers for which the City of Owasso did not have to purchase in the first place, thus creating a revenue opportunity that is set by the City of Owasso’s need, not the City’s supplier.

105


Category: Water Recycling for Irrigation at City Facilities and Parks

Proposal: Develop and implement a plan to construct a distribution system to deliver recycled water for irrigation use at City facilities and parks, and private golf courses.

Cost Savings: Cost savings on using potable water for land irrigation. Benefit: Recycled water is anticipated to be more cost effective to treat than

potable water. Thus, the private sector would possibly benefit because of the reduction in cost. In addition, there will be a decrease in the daily potable water demand.

The City would need to budget for a portion of the funds and apply for a grant for the engineering design and construction contract. As a result of the complexity and cost, the recycled water conveyance system would need to be constructed in phases.

Obstacles: The start-up cost associated with the engineering and construction cost

will be significant. Is the Proposal and Idea the City Should Do? Overall by providing an additional source of water, water recycling can help us finds ways to decrease the diversion of water from sensitive ecosystems. In addition, water recycling can help us find ways to decrease wastewater discharges and reducing and preventing possible pollution. Is the Proposal an Idea the City Can Do? The City can establish a distribution system for recycled water to be used at facilities and parks as a source for irrigation. This system would resemble the use of raw water source irrigation for some areas, including Stone Canyon and the City of Sand Springs golf course.

106

Renewable Energy The purpose of the green renewable energy investigation is to seek opportunities to

reduce carbon dioxide emissions, water consumption, and utility costs. In addition, renewable

energy sources do not contribute to acid rain, urban smog, mercury contamination, or other

toxic pollution associated with the extraction, transport and combustion of fossil fuels.

Climate concerns, dwindling fossil fuel resources and utility costs are driving an

increasing demand for renewable energy solutions. Increased use of wind, solar and other

renewable energy sources will protect consumers from price spikes, supply shortages associated

with global fuel markets, and dramatically reduce the pollution that is warming the planet.

Wind and solar energy are becoming a mainstream source of electric power. In May of

2008, the U.S. Department of Energy released a major report documenting the potential for wind

to provide at least 20% of the nation’s electricity by 2030. Wind power at this level could save

consumers $128 billion through lower natural gas prices, reduce electric utility coal consumption

by 18% and cut greenhouse gas emissions as much as removing 140 million automobiles from

the road.

In 2007 and 2008, the Department of Energy launched partnerships with 25 large U.S.

cities to develop comprehensive, city-wide approaches to accelerating solar energy adoption.

Local governments can demonstrate leadership qualities by integrating solar energy technologies

into government facilities and properties. Leading by example is an excellent way to encourage

area residents and business owners to tap into renewable energy sources.

The Green Renewable Energy Section includes the following recommendations:

1. Utilize solar power as a source for renewable energy. 2. Utilize wind turbines as a source for renewable energy.

107


Category: Utilizing Solar Power Proposal: Utilize solar power to provide electricity to city owned buildings and

infrastructure. Cost Savings: The City currently spends approximately $360,000 a year in electric cost

between the Wastewater Treatment Plant and City Hall. Benefit: Solar power will help address climate concerns, shortages of fossil fuels

and rising utility costs.

To implement such a proposal the City would need to seek a professional for the design of Solar Power energy. There are organizations that provide a free site evaluation and consultation that could be utilized.

Obstacles: The expenses and obstacles can be determined upon consultation from a professional specialized in the field of solar power. The expenses expected for implementation of the proposal would be approximately $3.5 million. The city could apply for grants, issue bonds or look into a (PPA) power purchase agreement with a third party to help with funding the proposal.

Is the Proposal an Idea the City Should do? With climate concerns and rising utility costs, the City of Owasso can take a leadership role by integrating solar energy technologies into city facilities and infrastructure. Leading by example is an excellent way to ignite local industries, encourage area residents and business owners to seek renewable energy alternatives. Is the Proposal an Idea the City Can Do? There are numerous examples of applications where solar power can offset electricity consumption. Therefore, the City can benefit from solar energy as a power source, even if incremental implementation only offsets the cost of electric use.

108


Category: Utilizing Wind Power Proposal: Utilize wind power to provide electricity to City-owned buildings and

infrastructure. Cost Savings: The City currently spends approximately $360,000 a year in electricity

cost between the Wastewater Treatment Plant and City Hall. Benefit: Wind power will help address climate concerns, shortages of fossil fuels

and rising utility costs. Harvesting Wind Energy tends to show great promise at off-setting the amount of electricity purchased to operate the Waste Water Treatment Plant. Other opportunities to supplement energy consumption with Wind Energy include smaller operations, such as Animal Control and a automotive mechanic facility.

To implement such a proposal the city would need to employ a professional firm to design a Wind Power solution.

Obstacles: One obstacle associated with the implementation of wind power is Owasso’s geographical location. Wind speeds generated in this area are considered poor. FAA regulations and budgeting are also some expected obstacles. Many of the obstacles and expenses will need to be discussed, after consultation from a professional specialized in the field of wind energy.

Is the Proposal an Idea the City Should do? With climate concerns and rising utility costs, the City of Owasso can take a leadership role by integrating wind energy technologies into city facilities and infrastructure. Leading by example is an excellent way to ignite local industries, encourage area residents and business owners to seek renewable energy alternatives. Is the Proposal an Idea the City Can Do? The City of Owasso has an opportunity to initiate the use of wind energy as a power source in some of the City facilities or applications. As an example, the Animal Control Facility, because of the size and use of the facility, could be used to demonstrate the application of wind and/or solar energy to offset the use of electricity.

109

Composting

The purpose of the process of composting is to find opportunities to reclaim the bio-solids

produced by the treatment of wastewater.

Composting the sludge (solids) produced in wastewater treatment process can prove

beneficial to the public and the environment. Several communities in Oklahoma are now

composting the solids from the waste water treatment process, thereby reducing the amount of

waste sent to landfills. Reducing wastes sent to landfills that can be recycled provides more

space at landfills for materials that cannot by recycled.

Composting produces a product that can be used to enhance crops and vegetation by

providing a rich nutrient source. Composting solid wastes creates an endless supply of beneficial

fertilizer can be used at vegetation nurseries, sod farms, golf courses, and parks.

In 2008, the City of Owasso hauled 356 loads (over 4,200 tons or 3,560 yards) of

sludge to the land fill. By composting, carbon emissions to the environment would be reduced

along with lower fuel consumption by the City. Through composting, the City will also be able

to remove large amounts of yard waste from the environment and the landfill. Yard waste is one

the primary components to composting, by mixing wood chips, twigs, and grass clippings with

the sludge, a mixture is created that will generate a Class A sludge that can be sold or given to

the public for composting needs.

Another benefit to composting is the potential to generate a profit through the sale of the

finished compost material. Selling compost can potentially pay for the process of creating

compost, and would reduce the expense of disposing of both the solid and yard wastes.

The Green Process of Composting Section includes the following recommendations:

1. Use of bio-solids to protect the environment and opportunities to produce multi beneficial product to community.

110


Category: Composting Proposal: Use of bio-solids to protect the environment and opportunities to produce

a multi beneficial product for the community. Cost Savings: Through composting several saving opportunities exist, including saving

on land fill fees ($40,000 per year), fuel costs, and attrition on vehicles. Benefit: As a result of composting, the City would reduce the impact to the local

landfill. In addition, products for customers that can be used to provide opportunities to generate extra income for businesses and in return potential income for the City to offset the cost.

The City would need to budget or apply for grants to perform the necessary design and purchase the necessary equipment to compost. In addition, the City would train employees in composting procedures and the benefits of composting. Furthermore, the City would educate the citizens and potential consumers about composting.

Obstacles: The start-up cost associated with the engineering design, materials and installation cost. However, the investment will pay for itself after the first year of implementation.

Is the Proposal an Idea the City Should Do? The ecologically friendly idea of composting materials that provide benefits to other processes should be explored and undertaken. Composting has long been recognized to provide both the benefit of nutrition and the reduction in landfill space. Therefore, the City should evaluate the prospect of initiating a composting process. Is the Proposal an Idea the City Can Do? The City has the key ingredient for the compost along with the work force to implement the program and make it successful.

111

GREEN EDUCATION & INFORMATION The Green Education and Information section of the report provides information that will

help promote and encourage environmental responsibility in a two pronged approach. One

approach is to increase public awareness and thus build public support for the initiative and

ensuing efforts. The second is to increase municipal staff participation and support of green

efforts, including energy conservation, reducing waste, and recycling.

The City has been successful in increasing public awareness of the Character Initiative

since its inception. Part of the success of that program has been due to the public education

performed through the efforts of the Character Coordinator and Character Council. It is the goal

of the Public Education committee to mimic some of the same efforts in the Character Program

in order to promote and provide education about the Go Green initiative.

To succeed in building awareness and acceptance of the Go Green! initiative, both

internally and externally, it is necessary to consistently provide relevant, useful information that

can be easily grasped, as well as present opportunities to go green at work and home. The first

priority will be to promote the goals of the initiative in order to build the support necessary to

make significant changes that impact its success. Going Green often results in decisions that

expend more funds than traditional practices to achieve the environmental responsibility.

The Education and Information section includes the following recommendations:

1. Website Component, Twitter, and YouTube 2. Owasso Go Green! Facebook Fan Page 3. Utility Fliers and City Connection newsletter 4. Public Speaking 5. School and Classroom Education opportunities 6. Green Tips 7. Green Character Component 8. Yammer green Forum

112


Category: Public Education Proposal: Website Component, Twitter and YouTube Benefit: Posting detailed information on the City website regarding the goals of the

Go Green! initiative, specific concepts and efforts, as well as tips residents can implement at home will help educate citizens, provide transparency, and promote support of the initiative. Sending regular tweet updates continues to promote the information on the website. Video content regarding Green tips and initiative successes can be placed on a City YouTube Channel and then embedded on the website.

Obstacles: This will require a great deal of information on the benefits of a Green

initiative, as well as the specifics of the City’s efforts. It will take much time and effort to format and present the information on the website.

Is the Proposal an Idea the City Should Do? The website has become a primary tool for providing information to the public. The feedback is also positive of using this media to disseminate information to Owasso citizens. Is the Proposal an Idea the City Can Do? The City has staff committed to updating and developing the City website.

113


Category: Public Education Proposal: Owasso Go Green! Facebook Fan Page Benefit: Many of the target audience are avid users of Facebook and other social

media sites. Facebook provides another resource for providing information and receiving feedback on efforts and suggestions from citizens.

Obstacles: Time setting up and maintaining the Facebook presence are the biggest

obstacle. It is imperative that the website and all social media efforts be in sync for a consistent message.

Is the Proposal an Idea the City Should Do? Efforts on the website and other social media outlets support the need for a presence of Facebook. Is the Proposal an Idea the City Can Do? As with the Green tips for employees, a member of the Public Education committee will have the responsibility of maintaining the Facebook site, once it has been set, up by working closely with the web team. The web team will be the primary decision makers regarding information that will be promoted through the various social media sites.

114


Category: Public Education Proposal: Utility Fliers and City Connection newsletter Benefit: The fliers and newsletter provide a means of providing tips and updates on

City efforts, along with promoting the information available on the website and through social media.

Obstacles: Developing content, printing and distributing. Is the proposal an Idea the City Should Do? The City should include a Green section in the newsletter. A flier insert in utility bills is contradictory to being environmentally responsible. However, printing a green tip on the utility bill is a possibility. Is the Proposal an Idea the City Can do? The City can accomplish both of these public education efforts without additional resources.

115


Category: Public Education Proposal: Public speaking Benefit: City staff will soon become experts in their area of responsibility for the

Green initiative and should take advantage of providing information and education through public speaking opportunities. The Chamber of Commerce and civic clubs provide opportunities to present information in public settings.

Obstacles: Some staff are inexperienced in public speaking and may be reluctant to

participate or seek out opportunities. Is the Proposal an Idea the City Should Do? Yes, but perhaps at least a year into the effort. It will be necessary for staff to gain adequate experience with the initiative before having relevant information to present. Is the Proposal an Idea the City Can Do? Staff can collect data and prepare presentations to promote and educate the public on the success of the initiative.

116


Category: Public Education Proposal: School/Classroom Education Benefit: Providing a vision for children of the positive impact this initiative can

have on their future is one of the best ways to educate and implement change. Children will take the information home and request the participation of parents and other adults they influence. The classroom education component is a combination of a web presence geared toward elementary students, classroom speaking opportunities, and field trips to show students the efforts of the City to promote environmental responsibility.

Obstacles: The City must work to gain the acceptance of the schools to provide

information to students. Is the Proposal and Idea the City Should Do? This City should pursue any opportunity to educate Owasso children, to instill a sense of responsibility for the environment in children to impact the greatest long term change. Is the Proposal an Idea the City Can Do? As long as the City gains acceptance of the schools, this proposal can be accomplished.

117


Category: Employee Education Proposal: Green Tips Benefit: Green Tips will be provided weekly to employees help promote awareness

in the workplace of activities that lead to environmental responsibility. These tips will provide practical solutions for employees to implement, tips such as alternatives to printing and copying reminders of cost savings from turning off lights in unoccupied rooms, or the impact on the environment by choosing to bring a coffee cup to work and not use Styrofoam or paper cups.

Obstacles: Locating accurate practical information to pass on to employees will take

time, as well as a practical method of distribution. Email distribution reaches the largest number of employees, but not all employees.

Is the Proposal an Idea the City Should Do? This proposal would be simple to implement by assigning the responsibility to a member of the Public Education committee. Therefore, it is a proposal the City should pursue. Is the Proposal an Idea the City Can Do? The biggest task is finding adequate Green Tip information. It costs nothing more than time to distribute Green Tips via the City email, as well as the City website and social media. Therefore, this is an idea the City can do.

118


Category: Employee Education Proposal: Green Character Component Benefit: By tying Go Green! education to the Character program, the City has the

ability to promote this initiative within an already accepted program. The two go hand in hand in many instances. When discussing certain character traits, it is easy to ask the question, “How does this character trait support environmental responsibility and the City’s Green efforts?” Incorporating Green Education in the Character Program is similar to comparing Fish with the Character Program and recognizing how each compliments the other.

Obstacles: Not every character trait can easily be linked to environmental

responsibility. It will also be time consuming to develop good examples of Green topics that tie to Character traits.

Is the Proposal an Idea the City Should Do? The Character program is a proven success in the organization. By finding similarities to link the two, the Green initiative has a greater chance of catching on in all levels of the organization. Therefore it is something the City should do. Is the Proposal an Idea the City Can Do? Staff working on Go Green issues would be good resources to provide examples relating to character traits.

119


Category: Employee Education Proposal: Yammer Green Forum Benefit: Yammer is an internal social media tool that allows staff to exchange ideas

and engage in discussions on a variety of topics. The benefit of having a Green Forum through Yammer is that many users can share experiences, successes, as well as frustrations in implementing Green concepts, in an environment where they can support one another’s efforts. This provides an opportunity for a creative exchange of ideas and for innovative suggestions to be spread through all levels of the organization.

Obstacles: While many of the City staff are familiar with social media and would

quickly embrace the use of Yammer, there are still many who might be reluctant to engage in this medium. There is also concern that it may provide too great a distraction for those who enjoy communicating or chatting at the detriment of fulfilling other duties.

Is the Proposal an Idea the City Should Do? It is important to weigh the negative impact implementing Yammer across the organization could have and how employees would spend their time using this tool. Yammer could provide benefit, as well as be misused and become detrimental. Is the Proposal an Idea the City Can Do? Yammer is available and is simple to set up and use.

120

RECOMMENDATIONS

Numerous City staff representing all City Departments have now become acquainted

with the Go Green! philosophy. Most of these participants, if not all, have contributed to

reducing refuse through recycling, saving energy or water through simple efforts, or considered

the ecological impact of their decisions and/or purchases. But now, as a result of this process,

City staff members are consciously aware of the impact of corporate and personal decisions as

they impact the environment in and around Owasso. Therefore, the Go Green! philosophy, and

all of the hours spent in this process should be considered a paradigm shift, instead of a research

report writing event.

Through the research effort, a myriad of ideas have emerged that will positively impact

the delivery of the City’s services. But, better than that, ideas continue to emerge that are not

included in this initial effort due simply to timing. This philosophy, although axiomatic, is and

will continue to be a process more than an event.

Through the initial effort, the ideas that have been identified in each of the categories can

serve to reduce the ecological footprint of the City government, as well as improving the costs

associated with operating the local government machine. As an example, the Owasso Fire

Department has reduced utility costs by nearly one-half for three consecutive months due to

some of the ideas originated within this report. Obviously, three months does not constitute a

trend, and utility usage results will vary depending upon climatological conditions, but none of

the savings would have occurred without the research conducted in this report.

Research into best practices, technology advances, and model opportunities have

produced the initial ideas identified within this report. The City staff that have participated in

121

this process have assigned a numerical recommendation to each idea, that should serve as a

recommendation for the future of each individual proposal. The numerical scale utilized to begin

this quantification is as follows:

1. The proposal should become part of the long-term planning processes of the City. The proposal will include extensive research or design. A funding source will need to be identified. And/or the technology may have to continue to improve to make this proposal feasible.

2. The proposal should be considered within the next five years as an opportunity. Funding

will need to be determined, and planning efforts should begin to ready the proposal for consideration.

3. The proposal should be considered in the next year or two, and should be actively

planned and budgeted for, as it is predicted that the proposal will provide benefit in either reducing the ecological footprint, or provide a reduction in expenses.

4. The proposal should be undertaken immediately, and is predicted to have immediate

results in either reducing the ecological footprint of the City, or will reduce the costs associated with operating the City government.

The tables that follow in this section are the results of the survey instrument provided to

the staff. Although the results are recommendations, these opinions of the staff should have

some merit, as a better understanding exists in the research of not only the what, but the how of

each proposal.

122

Green Facilities Rating Mode Est. Cost

Water Consumption Reduction Ideas

Water Harvesting - Retention ponds 2.14 2 $500,000

Water Harvesting - Rain Barrels 2.50 3 $1,000/ea.

Drip Irrigation 2.79 3 $50/use

Timing for Watering 3.14 4 $0

Energy Consumption Reduction Ideas

Energy Star Appliances 2.79 3 $0

Tankless Hot Water Heaters 2.50 2 50% over traditional

Strategic Tree Planting 3.00 3 $25-1000/ea

SEER Ratings on HVAC Units 2.86 2 25% over traditional

Interior Lighting Energy Audit 3.36 3 $20,000

Interior Lighting Lamp/Ballast Replacement 2.86 2 $75-200/ea.

Interior Lighting Occupancy Sensors 3.21 4 $30-100/ea.

Exterior Lighting Energy-Efficient Fixtures 2.79 2 $200-1,000/ea.

Energy Efficient Park Lighting 2.57 2 $30,000

LED Street Lights 2.29 2 $800-1,200/ea.

LED Traffic Lights 2.57 2 $135,000/ea.

Landscaping

Native Plants 3.29 4 $0

Hardscaping 3.00 4 $1,000/bed

Fixtures and Furnishings

Use of Recycled Building Materials 2.79 4 varies

Use of Green Paint 3.00 4 Same as

traditional

Use of Green Flooring 2.71 4 50% over trad.

Use of Green Roofs 1.79 1 $25,000-75,000

Develop a Purchasing and Disposal Policy 3.14 3 $0

LEED and Energy Audits

Seek LEED Certification on City Facilities 2.50 3 $10,000

Conduct an Energy Audit 3.36 3 % of savings

123

Green Processes Rating Mode Est. Cost

Paperless

Laptops for Meetings 2.93 4 $2,000/ea

Reduce Paper Forms, Reports, etc. 3.86 4 $0

Enhance Electronic Storage 3.86 4 $0

Recycling

Solar Powered Trash Compactors 2.36 3 $4,000/ea

Office Paper Recycling 3.93 4 $20/ea

Battery Recycling 3.86 4 $5-10/ea

Vampire Electric

Power Strips to Cut-off Electric 3.64 4 $5,500

Intranet

Develop and use an Intranet 3.21 3 $0

Reusable Products

Styrofoam Cups 4.00 4 $0

Hand Driers 2.93 3 $150-450/ea

Copier Paper/Toner Purchases 3.64 4 $0

Printing

Perform Copier/Printer Analysis 3.57 4 $0

Green Cleaning Supplies

Use Green Cleaning Supplies 3.86 4 10% over traditional

124

Green Vehicles Rating Mode Est. Cost

Cleaner Operating Vehicles

Alternative Fuel - Compressed Natural Gas 2.57 3 10-20% over

traditional

Alternative Fuel - Bio-Diesel 2.07 2 10-20% over

traditional

Electric Vehicles 2.00 2 Not widely available

Segways 2.14 1 $7,000/ea

Increased Vehicle Efficiency

Hybrid Electric Vehicles 2.79 3 25% over traditional

Reduce Vehicle Idling 3.93 4 $0

Vehicle Maintenance 3.86 4 $0

Right Vehicle for the Job 3.86 4 $0

Eliminate Excess Vehicles 3.79 4 $0

Hydrogen Fuel Cell Cars 1.29 1 Not yet

available

Fuel Efficient Tires 3.07 3 Not widely available

E-85 Ethanol Fuel 2.36 2 Varies

Lawn Mowing Equipment

Solar-Powered Lawn Care Equipment 2.14 2 Comparable to

traditional

CNG-Powered Lawn Care Equipment 2.36 2 50% over traditional

Catalytic Converters on Equipment 2.64 3 30% over traditional

Mulching Mowers 3.50 4 $0

125

Green Development Rating Mode Est. Cost

Greening Owasso Development Guide

Develop and Implement Guide 3.29 3 $0

Conservation Development

PUD Chapter Regarding Conservation 3.14 3 $0

Wind Energy Turbine Regulation

Zoning Code Chapter Development 3.07 3 $0

Fees for Green Development

Restructure Fees to Encourage Green 3.29 3 $0

Green Utility Resources Rating Mode Est. Cost

Water Recycling

Use of Recycled Water for WWTP 2.43 2 $50,000

Use of Recycled Water for NSP 2.21 2 $1,000,000

Use of Recycled Water for Irrigation 2.50 3 $750,000

Renewable Energy

Solar Power for PW Operations 1.79 2 $3.5 million

Wind Power for PW Operations 1.50 1 $3.5 million

Composting

Use of Bio-Solids 2.36 2 $150,000

As a result of the quantification process, the following scale is proposed in

considering the timeframe for each proposal:

3.50 to 4.00 – Should be immediately considered

3.00 to 3.49 – Should be planned within the next budget cycle or two

2.50 to 2.99 – Should be considered Medium Range Planning

1.00 to 2.49 – Should be considered Long Range Planning

The following tables sort the individual proposals into these planning categories:

126

Immediate Average Mode Est. Cost

Styrofoam Cups 4.00 4 $0

Office Paper Recycling 3.93 4 $20/ea

Reduce Vehicle Idling 3.93 4 $0

Reduce Paper Forms, Reports, etc. 3.86 4 $0

Enhance Electronic Storage 3.86 4 $0

Battery Recycling 3.86 4 $5-10/ea

Use Green Cleaning Supplies 3.86 4 10% over

traditional.

Vehicle Maintenance 3.86 4 $0

Right Vehicle for the Job 3.86 4 $0

Eliminate Excess Vehicles 3.79 4 $0

Power Strips to Cut-off Electric 3.64 4 $5,500

Copier Paper/Toner Purchases 3.64 4 $0

Perform Copier/Printer Analysis 3.57 4 $0

Mulching Mowers 3.50 4 $0

127

Near Future Average Mode Est. Cost

Interior Lighting Energy Audit 3.36 3 $20,000

Conduct an Energy Audit 3.36 3 % of savings

Native Plants 3.29 4 $0

Develop and Implement Guide 3.29 3 $0

Restructure Fees to Encourage Green 3.29 3 $0

Interior Lighting Occupancy Sensors 3.21 4 $30-100/ea

Develop and use an Intranet 3.21 3 $0

Timing for Watering 3.14 4 $0

Develop a Purchasing and Disposal Policy 3.14 3 $0

PUD Chapter Regarding Conservation 3.14 3 $0

Fuel Efficient Tires 3.07 3 Not widely available

Zoning Code Chapter Development 3.07 3 $0

Strategic Tree Planting 3.00 3 $25-1000/ea

Hardscaping 3.00 4 $1,000/bed

Use of Green Paint 3.00 4 Same as

traditional.

128

Medium-Range Planning Average Mode Est. Cost

Laptops for Meetings 2.93 4 $2,000/ea

Hand Driers 2.93 3 $150-450/ea

SEER Ratings on HVAC Units 2.86 2 25% over traditional

Interior Lighting Lamp/Ballast Replacement 2.86 2 $75-200/ea

Drip Irrigation 2.79 3 $50/use

Energy Star Appliances 2.79 3 $0

Exterior Lighting Energy-Efficient Fixtures 2.79 2 $200-1000/ea

Use of Recycled Building Materials 2.79 4 varies

Hybrid Electric Vehicles 2.79 3 25% over traditional

Use of Green Flooring 2.71 4 50% over traditional

Catalytic Converters on Equipment 2.64 3 30% over traditional

Energy Efficient Park Lighting 2.57 2 $30,000

LED Traffic Lights 2.57 2 $135,000/ea.

Alternative Fuel - Compressed Natural Gas 2.57 3 10-20% over

traditional

Water Harvesting - Rain Barrels 2.50 3 $1,000 per use

Tankless Hot Water Heaters 2.50 2 50% over traditional

Seek LEED Certification on City Facilities 2.50 3 $10,000

Use of Recycled Water for Irrigation 2.50 3 $750,000

129

Long Range Planning Average Mode Est. Cost

Use of Recycled Water for WWTP 2.43 2 $50,000

Solar Powered Trash Compactors 2.36 3 $4,000/ea

E-85 Ethanol Fuel 2.36 2 varies

CNG-Powered Lawn Care Equipment 2.36 2 50% over traditional

Use of Bio-Solids 2.36 2 $150,000

LED Street Lights 2.29 2 $800-1,200/ea

Use of Recycled Water for NSP 2.21 2 $1 million

Water Harvesting - Retention ponds 2.14 2 $500,000

Segways 2.14 1 $7,000/ea

Solar-Powered Lawn Care Equipment 2.14 2 Comparable to

traditional

Alternative Fuel - Bio-Diesel 2.07 2 10-20% over

traditional

Electric Vehicles 2.00 2 Not widely available

Use of Green Roofs 1.79 1 $25,000-75,000

Solar Power for PW Operations 1.79 2 $3.5 million

Wind Power for PW Operations 1.50 1 $3.5 million

Hydrogen Fuel Cell Cars 1.29 1 Not yet

available

130

In conclusion, there have been several ideas identified that will have the potential to

reduce the ecological footprint of the City, as well as potentially offer ways to reduce the costs

associated with delivering City government services. Ideally, this report will serve as a starting

point, as new ideas will be discovered by all of the City staff. Additional research and

investigation will continue to provide ideas that should be identified, measured, and incorporated

into the City’s planning processes.

owasso go green initiative

Documents

city of owasso

city employees

city departments

delivery of city services

local city government

green philosophy

government services

citys services