HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - Energy Committee - 07/30/2014S. Burlington Energy Committee
Special Meeting to Discuss Solar Ready Roof in Revised LDRs
Draft Meeting Minutes for July 30, 2014
Meeting called to order by Chair Don Cummings at 8:35am
Members/Staff in the Conference Room: Sam Swanson, Don Cummings, Ilona Blanchard
Members Calling In: Keith Epstein, Karen McKenny, Marc Companion, Brendan Taylor
Committee discussed the provisions of the proposed new LDRs addressing concerns that the regulations
as written may not effective in achieving the stated purpose of encouraging solar ready roofs in new
building construction in South Burlington.
The Committee discussed changes to the draft regulations to address the concern that the solar ready
feasibility analysis be available for effective consideration by the builder and the Development Review
Board (DRB) when the solar ready design option could be effectively considered and adopted, before
construction was authorized. The Committee identified two ways to ensure that the solar ready
feasibility analysis is considered by the builder and the DRB before they complete deliberations on
permits for the building. One option ensures that the results of the solar ready feasibility analysis are
available for consideration before permits authorizing building construction are granted. The second
option accomplishes this by prescribing criteria that would mandate solar ready roof construction.
Sam moved and XXXX seconded that the committee ask the Committee Chair to communicate the
Committee position making the following points:
• The Energy Committee strongly supports the provisions in the draft regulations to define the
meaning of solar ready and to encourage buildings to be made solar ready. The Energy
Committee is concerned, however, that the requirement to conduct a solar ready analysis must
be aligned with the permit granting process so that the information provided by the solar ready
feasibility analysis may be considered by the Development Review Board (DRB) before permits
are granted allowing the building to be constructed. The Committee offers two alternative
approaches to address this:
o That the solar ready feasibility analysis would be completed and available to the DRB
and the builder for consideration before the DRB provided the authorization necessary
to proceed with construction.
or
o That the regulation would offer prescriptive criteria (e.g., cost and available solar
exposure) that would determine whether each building should be constructed to
enable roof mounted solar energy generation, ensuring that the permits addressed the
result of the solar ready feasibility analysis.
Keith suggested that we offer the second option first, a suggestion that Sam accepted as an amendment
to the motion.
Motion approved by: Sam Swanson, Don Cummings, Keith Epstein, Karen McKenny, Marc Companion,
Brendan Taylor. There were no Abstentions or No votes.
Meeting adjourned by Chair D. Cummings at 9:30am.
Submitted by Don Cummings on 7/30/14.