This document discusses how Massachusetts municipalities can create a greener energy future through the state's Green Communities program. It outlines the program's goal of reducing municipal energy use by 20% within 5 years. It then provides examples of energy reduction projects undertaken in various municipalities, including buildings improvements in Harvard that achieved a 32% reduction, converting streetlights to LEDs in Easthampton for a 20% reduction, and installing variable speed drives for pumps in Athol's water and sewer system for a 6% reduction. The document discusses common challenges in achieving the 20% goal and ideas for overcoming issues with reducing vehicle and other energy uses.

1. Helping Massachusetts Municipalities Create a Greener Energy Future
Green Communities:
Leading the Way
Aimee Powelka
Municipal Efficiency Coordinator
Green Communities Division
COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS
Deval L. Patrick, Governor
Timothy P. Murray, Lt. Governor
Ian A. Bowles, Secretary
Phil Giudice, Commissioner
Massachusetts Sustainable
Communities & Campuses
Conference
April 24, 2013

2. Helping Massachusetts Municipalities Create A Greener Energy Future
20% Energy Reduction
 Reduce energy use by 20% in 5 years
 20% is not the same for all communities
– Some just starting with efficiency
– Some think they can’t make 20%
 Categories
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3. Helping Massachusetts Municipalities Create A Greener Energy Future
Buildings + Open Space
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Green Community Baseline Energy Use by Category

4. Helping Massachusetts Municipalities Create A Greener Energy Future
+ Streetlights
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5. Helping Massachusetts Municipalities Create A Greener Energy Future
+ Vehicles
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6. Helping Massachusetts Municipalities Create A Greener Energy Future
+ Water/Sewer
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Green Community Baseline Energy Use by Category

7. Helping Massachusetts Municipalities Create A Greener Energy Future
Annual Progress Reports
 GCs report annually on energy use
and energy projects for Criterion 3
 Many GCs report energy use
directly through
 FY2012: Data for 44 Green
Communities was considered
complete in time for this
presentation
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8. Helping Massachusetts Municipalities Create A Greener Energy Future
Common Energy Reduction Challenges
 Limited staff capacity
 Most Green Communities focus on
buildings
 Vehicles are a challenge
 Baseline year selected was too early
– GC thought had done enough projects
recently to make it worth it, but in reality
shortened 5-year timeframe too much
– Baseline year change allowed once, must
be formal request, contact your Regional
Coordinator
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9. Helping Massachusetts Municipalities Create A Greener Energy Future
Harvard – Buildings @ 32% Reduced
 Bromfield High School:
– Boiler hot water VSDs, pneumatic controls
conversion, DCV, BAS upgrade,
retrocommissioning, RTU fan VSDs, lighting
– $127k in utility incentives towards $300k total
cost; annual savings $108k and 32% energy
savings
 Hildreth Elementary School:
– Lighting, convert to gas, replace boiler, boiler
hot water VSDs, DDC
– $91k GC designation grant funds plus $49k in
utility incentives towards $216k total cost;
annual savings $32k and 42% energy savings
 Town buildings
– Lighting, boiler at fire station used $10k in GC
grant funds plus $20k in utility incentives
towards $38k total cost; annual savings $8k
– savings $32k and 42% energy savings
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Graph Source: Town of Harvard
Energy Advisory Committee,
10/11/2011, as published in The
Harvard Press, 10/14/2011
 Using remaining $88k in GC designation grant funds
on more boilers, insulation, air sealing, recommissioning in town
buildings

10. Helping Massachusetts Municipalities Create A Greener Energy Future
Easthampton: Streetlights @ 20% Reduction
 469 streetlights converted to LED
 This is approximately 1/3rd of lights
in town
 Saved 20% of the streetlight
energy overall
 Used GC designation grant and
incentives from WMECO towards
total project cost ≈ $222,000
 Projected savings of $23,735 from
175,000 kWh/year reduced
 Done in 2011, LED prices have
dropped significantly during this
project and even more since
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11. Helping Massachusetts Municipalities Create A Greener Energy Future
Vehicle Efforts
 Incorporation of Global Positioning System (GPS) in
water department vehicles – Cambridge @ 10%
reduction
 “Fuel-efficient vehicle replacements for both non-
exempt and exempt vehicles; junking gas-guzzlers”
– Melrose @ 8% reduction
 2012 Ford Escape MP replaces 2001 Ford Contour
for Buildings Dept Inspectional Vehicle – Acton @
7% reduction
 2011 Ford Escape replaces 1996 Jeep Cherokee;
2013 Ford Explorer replaces 2002 Jeep Tahoe -
Mashpee @ 4% reduction
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12. Helping Massachusetts Municipalities Create A Greener Energy Future
Thinking Outside the Box with Vehicles
 Downsize your vehicles – will a smaller vehicle do?
 Change your fuel type – electric vehicles
– Massachusetts Electric Vehicle Incentive Program
(MassEVIP)
 Behavioral program? Competition?
 Tracking and GPS required
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Photo credit: Cambridge Community
Development Department

13. Helping Massachusetts Municipalities Create A Greener Energy Future
Athol: Water & Sewer @ 6% Reduction
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 12 ECMs at 9 sites
 Addressed building envelope
at all 9 sites
 VSD for pumps – main source
of savings at 285,000
kWh/year and $30,000/year
 Used utility incentives of
$23,500 towards total cost of
$68,500
 Leaks in FY11-FY12 offset the projected energy savings
from the VSDs
 2 new propane furnaces for well building funded through
GC designation grant of $13,600; annual savings of $3,500
and 1,100 gallons of propane

14. Helping Massachusetts Municipalities Create A Greener Energy Future
Thanks to all the Green Communities!
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Google: Faces Green Communities

15. Helping Massachusetts Municipalities Create A Greener Energy Future
Questions?
 Aimee Powelka
– Aimee.Powelka@state.ma.us
– 617-626-7356
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