Clean Energy Committee
MINUTES (Approved)
May 9, 2007
Eleanor Buck Wolf Nature Center, Wethersfield, CT
In attendance: Ginny Judson, Cindy Jacobs, and Judy Parker. Also in attendance: Mo McCarthy, Bill Leahy, and Christopher Shepard. Absent: Paul Lomardo.
Ginny called the meeting to order at 4:40 p.m.
- Minutes: Tabled.
- Public comments: None.
- Energy Conservation Strategies: Bill Leahy from the Institute for Sustainable Energy at Eastern Connecticut State University presented a benchmark analysis of the Wethersfield Public Schools' electricity use. He compared our buildings to other comparable buildings in the EPA's Energy Star database and found them to be about average with other New England schools. If all buildings improved to score at 50%, the estimated annual energy savings would be about $181,899 or 13% of current costs.
Possible next steps include:
- Recommend that the Town adopt the Energy Star standard and strive to improve all buildings to 50%.
- Walk through low scoring buildings and analyze them further for opportunities to improve (where the work is done through a bond or third party funding with costs limited to the amount of savings expected). Cindy moved to have Bill's summer interns perform the walk through, Judy seconded, and unanimously approved.
- Ask Mike Turner to do the same for Town buildings. Cindy moved, Judy seconded, and unanimously approved.
- Connecticut Clean Energy Options Program: 111.5 sign ups to date; no change.
- Renewable Energy Earned: Tabled.
- Renewable Energy Purchase: Tabled.
- Community Innovations Grants Program: Tabled:
- Publicity: Tabled.
- Announcements: None.
- New Business: Discussed the need for more household hazardous waste collections or specifically light bulb collections due to the mercury content of compact fluorescent bulbs.
The meeting adjourned at 5:40 p.m.
Next meetings: Wednesday, May 23, 2007, 4:00 p.m., at the Eleanor Buck Wolf Nature Center. June 13 rescheduled to Wednesday, June 20, 2007, 4:00 p.m., at the Eleanor Buck Wolf Nature Center.
Respectfully submitted,
Christopher Shepard