HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - Energy Committee - 09/10/2015
South Burlington Energy Committee
575 Dorset Street
South Burlington, VT 05403
(802) 846-4106
www.sburl.com
facebook.com/SouthBurlington
Thursday, September 10, 2015
6:30 pm
Public Works conference room, Patchen Road
SPECIAL MEETING AGENDA
6:30 PM Convene Meeting
• Recruit scribe, timekeeper
• Review and approve meeting agenda
• Approve previous meeting minutes (August 6, 2015)
6:35 PM Invite Public to Speak
6:40 PM South Burlington Energy Prize updates – Committee members
• Treasurer’s report
• Discuss, advise, help, and approve requests for projects
8:45 PM Other Business
8:50 PM Adjourn
South Burlington Energy Prize monthly update for September 10th 2015
Outreach/Events, by Karen Mckenny, Don Cummings, Patty Tashiro
Accomplishments:
Twitter tweets:25 followers (including GUEP) 35 tweets
Newsletter out 259 subscribers
Facebook at 576 likes,total reach 901. Daily posts.
City Fest August 15th
Farmer's Market Aug 9 (Karen) and Aug 30 (Keith)
Block Party (Todd Lockwood and Sun Common) August 23rd
House Party Prospects: Emails sent to Paul Conner, Michelle Keefler, Gwen Carmolli, Beverly
Keim (stonehedge).
Help needed:
workshop topic for November? Building Energy Solar heat pumps. Repeat July topic or do
something on weatherization? Suggestions for house party candidates.
Plans:
House Party Maida 9/17
SBBA mixer 9/18
Block Party Spear Street (Sophie) 9/20
Workshop Sept 21 VGS
Meeting with Paul Markowitz re house parties
Meeting with Lee Krohn re photography after 9/14..TBD
Workshop for October VEIC 10/26
Presentation at Young at Heart 10/14
City Fest, by Don Cummings
Accomplishments: CityFest was a big Success! Many people came to our and our
vendors boots to learn how to save energy. Current estimate is that expenditures came in at
about$1200 vs $1500 authorized. Many prizes remain to be used for future public events. See
report sent to EC members for more detail
Help needed: None
Plans: None
Marketing, by Don Cummings and Keith Epstein
Accomplishments: The team produced 2 new ads intended to show residents "actions"
they can take to save energy. Summer project changing LED light bulbs and Harry Bliss cartoon
with cat and dog hanging laundry.
Help needed: Ideas for ads that can convey, in a simple way, actions that residents can
take to save.
Plans: Produce more "action" ads
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EVT & GMP Targeted Marketing, by Don Cummings (additional notes by Keith Epstein)
Accomplishments: Continued discussions with EVT Management, Jason Lenihan and
Liz Gamache) to get EVT to work with us to identify & market alternatives to users of electric
water heater and electric heat. Targeted marketing was a project that was of very high interest
to the other 3 Vermont GUEP communities at the meeting in Waterbury on 9/1. GMP is also
working with software to identify users of electric water heaters and space heaters, according to
Todd LaMothe at GMP.
Help needed: None
Plans: Continue to work to persuade them to go after these high uses of electricity.
VGS Projects, by Don Cummings
Accomplishments: No response from VGS month about progress
Help needed: None
Plans: Encourage VGS to develop some tracking metrics to see how their projects are
going and to pursue improvements in the "sales" process to increase the number of audits that
end up with weatherizations.
$5 million prize working group, by Keith Epstein
Accomplishments: Met with Tom Chittenden to discuss next steps. He informed me that
he is too busy to lead this effort, so no progress has been made.
Help needed: Do I drop this project until a year from now, or spend time and effort to
revive it with a new leader?
Plans: Nothing or keep forging ahead, depending on your opinion.
Neighborhood Energy Mapping, by Keith Epstein
Accomplishments: Gave feedback to EVT on the latest draft. They explained the project
to the 3 Vermont GUEP communities at the meeting in Waterbury on 9/1, so they are committed
to it.
Help needed: Possibly review the next draft when it comes out
Plans: Get an updated version from EVT
Utility Data Reporting, by Keith Epstein
Accomplishments: Q2 2015 data was submitted by Efficiency Vermont and Vermont
Gas. GUEP released a new version of the dashboard with some improvements, but it still needs
a lot of work. When they solicited feedback on the latest draft, they said it would be released in
a week or two. But after receiving significant feedback, they have delayed the public release
until the end of September, and it will include Q1 and Q2 2015 data.
Help needed: None
Plans: Review the dashboard and our ranking when it is released.
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Fundraising for Marketing Outreach, by Patty Tashiro
Accomplishments: Sam had the biggest accomplishment this month, as he was able to
find a grant ($2000) we could apply for from Ben & Jerry's foundation without 501 c 3 status.
Bought LED light bulbs from Lowes at a discounted rate for CityFest and for house parties.
Help needed: Any leads on organizations, businesses or individuals that we could
approach. Assistance with grant writing.
Plans: Apply for B&J grant.
SBBA promoting energy efficiency, by Patty Tashiro
Accomplishments: SBEP will be tabling at the next SBBA meeting on September 18th.
Will spread the word on SBEP and ask for support and donations.
Help needed: In preparing for the event, we were wondering if it would be worth having a
window seal that says, 'We support the SBEP' with our logo... It would be a way to get the word
out and build support.
Plans: Increase support of SBEP by businesses.
Hardware store outreach, by Patty Tashiro
Accomplishments: Have gotten good support from Lowes for the lightbulbs and have
been talking to them about doing a weatherization display.
Help needed: None
Plans: Try to get a DIY weatherization endcap with our banner…
Fruitfull Energy, by Patty Tashiro
Accomplishments: To update from the 'soft launch' in January. Registered company, got
general liability insurance, got BPI certified in March, got inventory for direct installs (pipe
insulation, light bulbs, shower heads, advanced power strips,), assisting Burlington Electric and
Vermont Gas with energy coaching and direct installs, done assessments in SB, Burlington,
Williston, and Jericho. Done seven assessments on Brewer Parkway after Energy House Party.
Have a website, www.fruitfull.energy, and a facebook page. Am working on marketing outreach.
Have one client who has gone through the VGS audit and is booked for weatherizing. 3 more
who are interested. One customer going solar. Provided assessment for Burlington Tennis Club,
installed 8 lowflow shower heads there (They are in SB, so that will reduce water treatment for
SB!)
Help needed: Any referrals for assessments would be appreciated. Total number of
assessments in SB is still quite low. I am working on outreach. Making interesting wooden,
stenciled yard signs to put in front of houses after an assessment. Trying to push the 'don't be
the last on the block' with this sign in front of your house angle. Would like to get some coverage
in The Other Paper or elsewhere.
Plans: Approach people who have just purchased a home, get yard signs going, and try
to get into The Other Paper... and get more assessments done…
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Solar Initiative, by Linda McGinnis
Accomplishments:
1. Solar Team meeting (Aug 19): outlined key accomplishments in first 6 months
* Total new installations since Dec 1 = 39, of which 30 are Suncommon, 6 Montvert, 2
Steve Webster, 1 Building Energy
* Current community project value = $1180
* Solar consortium established (10 members)
* School Solar projects: HS Graphic Arts Lawn Sign Contest; MS Solar Mapping project
tiny.cc/sbsolar
* Library workshops
* House Parties
2. New Suncommon rep = Kelsey Jonat
* Responsibilities include greater focus on SB
* Will be tabling at Healthy Living
* Will look into progress on specific neighborhoods that have expressed interest: Dorset
Farms, Queen City, Four Sisters
Help Needed:
1. SBEP Materials for Healthy Living Suncommon table (Don)
2. Volunteer for House Parties (SBEP members suggest one name each?)
3. Pass the solar mapping testimonial project to friends (SBEP members suggest two friends
each?) tiny.cc/sbsolar
4. Create a 'Meet your neighbors' handout to show SB residents who their neighbors are who
have gone solar and why going solar makes sense for the pocketbook and the planet. (possible
HS project?)
5. Reach out to the active religious communities to see who might be interested in saving
money through solar (Temple Sinai, St John Vianney, others) (Sam Swanson?)
6. Find people to table for the SBEP at the Farmer's Market and possibly the mall (Note: this
could dovetail with a potential SBHS project to table. Also Suncommon is considering bringing a
bouncy castle)
7. Reach out to builders about solar ready roofs or joining CSAs (Steve Roy)
8. Identify Energy Heroes for Fred’s stories
•Tanya Stone (Linda)
•Steve Roy
Plans: See help/advice needed
Landfill Solar Array, by Ilona Blanchard
Accomplishments: Solar City's offer has not been accepted. This frees up our partner,
Encore Redevelopment, to bring other offers forward.
Help needed: None at this time.
Plans: Review any offers from Encore, and as appropriate bring to the City
Council/School Board for approval to negotiate and execute contracts.
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