HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - Energy Committee - 02/04/2016
South Burlington Energy Committee
575 Dorset Street
South Burlington, VT 05403
(802) 846-4106
www.sburl.com
facebook.com/SouthBurlington
Thursday, February 4, 2016
6:30 pm
Police Station upstairs conference room, 19 Gregory Drive
AGENDA
6:30 PM Convene Meeting
· Recruit scribe, timekeeper
· Review and approve meeting agenda
· Approve previous meeting minutes (January 7, 2016)
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
8:55 PM Other Business
9:00 PM Adjourn
South Burlington Energy Prize monthly update for February 4th 2016
Outreach/Events, by Karen McKenny
Accomplishments:
Workshop with Fruitful Energy Jan 11
Newsletter out to 325 subscribers
Daily posts on Facebook (698 likes)
Rotary presentation on Vermontivate/SBEP Jan 28th
Workshop Feb 1st Vermontivate
Help needed:
Would like to discuss workshop speakers for spring.
solaflect, combo meeting with evt,gmp,vgs, combo lighting presentation, carbox tax, movie
showing, book author
School workshops: Is there someone who can coordinate this with VEEP?
George Donovan and another City Fest
Invitation by Parks and Recs for Kites in the Park party in May
Plans:
Set up March/April/May workshops
Push for house parties on FB, newsletter, workshops
Marketing, by Keith Epstein
Accomplishments: First January ad to promote programming your thermostat has been
developed and was in early January. Second January ad to promote weatherization was
developed and place in late January.
Help needed:Can always use new ideas for the action phase of the ad campaign.Still
need a professional photographer.
Plans: Rerun the ad to encourage people to weatherize their home and use the second
thermostat ad or a Valentine themed ad in February. Future ads will focus on Electric Water
heater replacements when EVT launches their program and ads to encourage unplugging spare
refrigerators and installing efficient shower heads.
EVT & GMP Targeted Marketing, by Don Cummings
Accomplishments: Met with EVT to encourage them to get moving and to discuss how the
Electric Water Heater Outreach letter will be phrased. EVT has concluded that they will wait until
late summer and early fall to begin the Electric Heat Targeted Marketing Campaign.
Help needed: None
Plans: Continue working with EVT & GMP to identify likely users of electric water heaters and
electric heat. Working with EVT on what the outreach letter will be like. Will flesh out our
promotion plan that we will do for this campaign (ads, articles, workshops & social media) as we
get closer to launching the program.
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VGS Projects, by Don Cummings
Accomplishments: Continuing to try to include VGS in the Hot Water Heater and Electric Heat
Targeted Marketing project
Help needed: Help to identify and recruit large landlords to use VGS efficiency programs
Plans: See Targeted Marketing above.
Neighborhood Energy Mapping, by Keith Epstein
Accomplishments: Got a static map showing 2% to 8% drop in electric usage in every
neighborhood in South Burlington from the weather adjusted expected energy usage. They are
working on all my requests and expect to have it completed by mid February
Help needed: None
Plans: Get the FINAL neighborhood energy map, besides regular updates throughout
2016.
Utility Data Reporting, by Keith Epstein
Accomplishments: According to most recent GUEP dashboard that included Q1 and Q2
2015, SB was ranked 38th. They announced that dashboard has been updated to include Q3,
but I have not been able to get into the dashboard yet. Our score is trending downward over
time (this is good), so we are on the right track. Our score is in the middle of the range between
best and worst, so we can still make a recovery and make it to the finals.
Help needed: Review the dashboard at guep.iconics.com and let me know what
questions you have so I can send to the GUEP team
Plans: Make sure EVT and VGS submit Q4 2015 data, and keep tracking the dashboard.
Maybe publish something in the Other Paper about it.
Outreach to Real Estate Agents, by Patty Tashiro
Accomplishments: Going well. Sold another 20 bags to Coldwell / Hickok and they are
asking how many more they would like for SB. Also looking into getting bags (totally at their own
cost) for locations outside of Burlington. Have asked us to present to their agents during one of
their weekly Wednesday meetings.
Help needed: If you know real estate agents that might be interested, put them in touch
with me and I will followup with them.
Plans: Presentation on the Energy Prize and importance of energy efficiency in the
housing market and possibly distributing more bags.
Fundraising, by Patty Tashiro
Accomplishments: Have drafted thank you letter to all donors from first year of energy
prize. Will send once we receive the window seals Keith organized through another donation.
Help needed: None at this time.
Plans: Send thank you and increase gifts for prizes.
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Schools, by Linda McGinnis
ES: Thor will be presenting the SBEP to all staff at Central School in February. Linda provided
him with a resources/presentations used at Orchard and FHTMS and contacts at VEEP
MS: Green Team has:
●i) completed minifridge project, identifying where to remove them;
●ii) science department is also introducing creative and sophisticated ways in which
students can learn how energy is used and how, through conservation and increased
efficiency, our energy related impacts can be reduced.
○One example was an electricity unit where students created spreadsheets of
different electronic devices and watts required to operate each of them. They
then studied how much was being used in their homes. The assignment? How
can each household reduce its electricity use without giving up needed services.
●iii) "Shack Challenge" Thermal Efficiency. Students built model shacks: high quality and
low quality, insulated and uninsulated. They then were given infrared imaging
thermometers to see how construction quality and insulation affected heat loss. The
students then had to improve and insulate the shacks in the most cost effective manner,
balancing energy savings within a limited budget. This project in Lutz's class was such a
success that ALL 8th graders will get this valuable energy and economics experience.
●iv) Public Service Videos: Students have also been producing 30second and 60
second public service videos to spread their newly acquired knowledge.
●
●v) Assistant Principal Paul Yoon works with students on waste reduction and
management issues, which not only reduce what goes to the landfill but also saves
energy
HS: haven't received update
UVM: two interns have been engaged to develop energy stories on the 6 pilot towns for the
Community Energy Dashboard between now and May, with a particular emphasis on stories
from Burlington and South Burlington
Help required from the EC: Please identify potential interviewees from the residential,
municipal, and business communities who could tell the energy transformation story in South
Burlington (efficiency and switching to renewables).
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