AVON CLEAN ENERGY COMMISSION
SELECTMEN’S CHAMBER #1 TOWN HALL
MINUTES
MAY 4, 2011
I. CALL MEETING TO ORDER
The meeting was called to order at 7:05 PM by Acting Chairman Bernard Zahren in the Selectmen’s Chamber, Building 1 Town Hall. Members present: Acting Chairman Bernard Zahren, Martin Kaplan, Jeffrey Bernetich, Brian Glenn, Brian Preleski and new member Lisa Levin. Member absent: Linda Meyers. Advisory members present: Giorgina Paiella and Diane Zhao. Advisory member absent: Jonathan Craig. Also in attendance were staff members Steve Bartha, Assistant to the Town Manager, Ann Dearstyne, Town Clerk, Peter Gaski, BOE Director of Facilities and Steven Weisman, Vice President of Peregrine Energy Group.
II. APPROVAL OF THE PRECEDING MEETING MINUTES – APRIL 13TH
Mr. Zahren requested a change be made to page 1 under Old Business, paragraph 1 and page 2 under Old Business, paragraph 4.
VOTE: Mr. Kaplan motioned, Mr. Glenn seconded and all agreed to accept the April 13, 2011 minutes with the changes. None opposed. Ms. Levin missed the vote.
Mr. Zahren relayed a suggestion made by Ms. Dearstyne that the members should elicit comments by the two student advisors earlier in meetings as they need to leave the meetings by 8:00 PM. He added that he was very proud of Ms. Paiella’s Sierra Club sponsored Eco Night event recently held at the high school. She arranged for guests to attend, including Flamig Farm, with organic vegetables and pizza, the Sierra Club from Canton, with displays, and Mr. Zahren. He asked Ms. Paiella and Ms. Zhao what they’d like to see Avon accomplish over the next decade relating to energy and sustainability. Ms. Paiella wished to see energy use reduction in the schools. She added that the energy contest showed waste in the cafeterias for example. Ms. Zhao would like to see an increase in solar panel use and see all people
convert to clean energy. She’d like to see more public education around clean energy use. Mr. Zahren added that he’d like to see emphasis around sustainability with the eco systems, water and green spaces as well clean energy. Mr. Zahren attended a lunch in Washington D.C. recently, with the Secretary of the Navy telling of plans to increase the navy’s commitment to 50% non-fossil fuel use by 2020. He added that personnel in Afghanistan use portable solar panels to charge equipment in the field. He’d like the Town of Avon to be at the forefront of clean and renewable energy. Mr. Kaplan asked the students what their parents thought about clean energy. Ms. Paiella said her family is very enthused and uses clean energy at her home. Ms. Zhao answered that her parents don’t know much about it and has encountered difficulty in trying to explain it.
III. COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE AUDIENCE
None.
IV. OLD BUSINESS: a. Regional Grant Update, i. Introduction meeting with Peregrine, ii. Review and Discuss Project Scope, iii. Review and Discuss Draft Trip Report, iv. Discuss Next Steps, 1. Articulate Values, 2. Identify Objectives, 3. Discuss mid-range and long-term goal setting
Ms. Dearstyne swore in new member Lisa Levin. Originally from Wisconsin, Ms. Levin has been a resident of Avon for almost 8 years. She practiced environmental law before starting a family and is currently working for The Hartford in financial services. She’d like to return to her environmental interests in giving back to the community and looks forward to working with the commission. All welcomed Ms. Levin. Mr. Zahren added that the most important work of the commission is setting the roadmap for the future for the Town of Avon through the formulation of a formal comprehensive energy plan.
Mr. Bartha said the documents to procure the school lighting are almost ready. Mr. Gaski found that unfortunately there were no incentives associated with this. Mr. Bartha was pleased to say that there would be no additional purchasing requirements from the State and that local policies could be followed. Installation should be set for the summer. Mr. Zahren asked Ms. Dearstyne what the process was to publicize the great payback of choosing the lighting with the leftover grant funds ($25,000). She suggested that he could contact the web based Avon Patch.com or any of the local papers or Board of Education website. Anyone from the commission can draft the release. Mr. Bartha suggested the town quarterly newsletter as well and that October would be the next one.
Mr. Bartha introduced Peregrine’s Vice President, Steven Weisman, to the members. Mr. Weisman said the company was founded in 1992 and is based in Boston and has a diversified energy practice. The company works in energy efficiency and is the administrator in the Solar Business Association of New England, which is a trade association of solar installers, manufacturers and designers and other people interested in the future of solar. Mr. Weisman does wind feasibility work as part of his practice and also a good amount of regulatory work. He has the lead in municipal practice in the company and does extensive work in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and communities in Connecticut. He currently works in consulting. He was asked by Avon to create a comprehensive energy plan as part of the regional grant. The scope is to
focus on municipal assets, primarily targeting energy use reduction, energy efficiency increases and energy cost control, depending how the town elects to finance energy efficiency. The firm would also look at renewable energy opportunities with focus on the municipal side and perhaps look to town wide application. The granted amount was $50,000 but he felt the energy plan could be done for less with monies left over.
Peregrine began the process in meeting with town personnel to quantify building, vehicular and lighting energy use. First, there was a series of site visits to all of the school and town buildings in February. The trip report shows the findings and identifies the modifications that can be made. Mr. Weisman included the example of the town of Bloomfield’s trip report in his presentation showing an overview of its energy use. He added that as he works with Avon to develop a plan, the members need to identify objectives as there are many things that can be done. For example, Avon could choose to be more energy efficient or to become greener and may not have the money to spend or get other people in town to spend it for these items. Identifying the goals will help to identify “actionability.”
Members were given an opportunity to look at other town’s energy plans such as West Hartford, Wethersfield and Holyoke, MA to compare objectives. Mr. Weisman said that Holyoke was trying to compete for a State of Massachusetts designation as a green community in order to qualify for a sizable amount of grant money. He added that Holyoke elected to use performance contracting as a vehicle to finance the capital improvements. Mr. Weisman explained that there are contractors out there working with municipalities who will identify all the savings possible and then offer a package of improvements such as lighting, boilers or new controls with the premise that the total cost financed over time, say 15 years, would be less than the savings stream for that same period of time. He continued that you’d pay for the
project with savings from water and energy costs. From a budgeting point of view, you’re treating this as an operating and not a capital expense. He said you end up with a lot of equipment installed with a long payback. A boiler or chiller system is usually run until it fails, and with the entire savings going to pay off the investment; you’re really not creating a positive cash flow for the town. If you are trying to reduce carbon emissions, the new equipment will reduce it because it’s more energy efficient. You get the operational benefits with new equipment and controls, comfort, and reduced maintenance cost and you don’t have the expense of equipment replacement. Mr. Gaski said the town of Plainville just did this.
Mr. Zahren explained that having a third party finance an improvement would result in more of the savings earned from it ending up in their pocket and not the town’s. He suggested that finding grant money would be a better way to keep more. He looked to Mr. Weisman to help the town find monies this way as the better solution. Mr. Weisman answered that generally he does not recommend that his clients look for grants as a way to finance a project, as everyone is looking for grants, and that it could take a long time when equipment change could be needed sooner. He added too that performance contractors operate like any other contractor, that when the work is done they want to get paid. Ms. Levin asked for further clarification. Mr. Weisman described it as “design build” which means you hire a single
contractor to design, build and commission the project and guarantee the dollar and energy savings compared to the original equipment. Contractors will normally set standards for equipment such as set temperatures to achieve those promised savings. Normally, the financing works by a town bonding or financing an amount. Mr. Zahren asked if Peregrine had experience with determining the best way for a town to finance a project. Mr. Weisman said that it is always a better deal if you can raise the money yourself. He added the reason people turn to performance contracting is that they don’t know what to do or have the capacity to do the project management. He continued that they do not have the time to provide construction supervision or they’ll provide the financing out of the operating budget. Mr. Kaplan agreed that most towns don’t have the expertise.
Mr. Weisman continued by explaining that this is the way we’ll start the project for Avon by weighing these different things. The town of Bloomfield has asked for a capital improvement plan with their portion of the grant. Members will look at the trip report for technical information to determine policy for the energy plan. Mr. Weisman discussed renewable energy. The town could perhaps choose to install solar panels on its buildings. Mr. Zahren offered that cost has decreased from $8-10 per watt to below $4 in many places. Time of day metering and peak demand were discussed. Mr. Kaplan questioned if the entire town was to be included in their report and not just the buildings and schools. He also questioned whether the plan would be a living plan with continuing updates and public access. Mr. Kaplan questioned if
there was a software program available that could be updated and monitored such as The Sustainability Energy Solver or Energy Solve. Mr. Weisman added that a good energy plan does institutionalize responsibility for implementation and should be institutionalized in the governing body and not a volunteer group.
Mr. Weisman discussed charettes and has found that giving people something to react to works better than asking them what they think, and he suggested waiting until we have a baseline to show them. He’d like to take direction from the members too. Mr. Bartha suggested announcing the charette in the fall newsletter as a good time to generate interest and turnout. Ms. Dearstyne discussed Avon Day, which will be held Saturday, September 24th with a rain date the 25th. She questioned whether the commission should reserve a booth. Several members liked the idea and Ms. Levin suggested it as a good way to generate interest in the charette. Mr. Zahren agreed to reserve a booth.
Mr. Kaplan asked how to get in touch with Mr. Weisman. Mr. Weisman said it would be helpful to coordinate those days that he is in town meeting with the other town’s representatives. Mr. Bartha reminded that this was the reason we chose two members as liaisons who’d be flexible to meet with Mr. Weisman. Mr. Weisman added that he was still at the data gathering stage and wants the members to come up with their wants and needs on their own. Mr. Zahren would like to include the discussion of goals as an agenda item for the next meeting.
V. NEW BUSINESS
None.
VI. COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE COMMISSION
Mr. Preleski attempted to motion for a vote to elect Mr. Zahren as chairman of the commission. Other members cautioned that this was a decision to be made by the Town Council. Mr. Zahren responded that he felt comfortable with the new members and that with them now; the commission could get some things accomplished.
Mr. Bartha summarized the plan: take what was discussed tonight, take the three bullets from the agenda – articulate values, identify objectives and discuss mid-range and long-term goal setting – and use the next commission meeting to give him something he could craft and share and look to that following meeting to finalize some of those items.
Ms. Levin requested a copy of the Wethersfield Plan and was directed to an earlier email that had the link. Mr. Zahren thanked Mr. Weisman for attending the meeting. Mr. Weisman said the next deliverable the commission will receive is the report similar to the Bloomfield one highlighting the opportunities for Avon. Mr. Bartha said there was still some utility data to compile for the report and they’ll be meeting with staff members Mr. Trujillo and Mr. Foster. Mr. Weisman needs the missing information in order to create the entire energy footprint for the town.
VII. DO ANY BUSINESS TO COME BEFORE THIS MEETING
VIII. ADJOURN
VOTE: Mr. Preleski motioned, Mr. Glenn seconded and all agreed to adjourn the meeting at 8:50 PM. None opposed
Respectfully submitted: Acting Chairman Bernard Zahren
Attest: Susan Gatcomb, Clerk
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