Energy Committee

The Energy Committee meets tomorrow evening at 7:30 PM.  These are the notes from the last meeting –

Medfield Energy Committee Meeting Notes
Date: October 14, 2014
Attendees: Fred Davis, Fred Bunger, Michael Sullivan, Marie Nolan, Pete Peterson, Dave Fischer, Richard DeSorgher , Lee Alinsky
1. Solar Design Associates
Margaret Campbell came to discuss the findings from the Solar Design Associates (SDA) Final Report on the prioritization among three municipal sites for Solar PV in Medfield – dated October 8, 2014.

SDA Recommendations:
• Solar PV cannot be installed on the old landfill, as the landfill is not currently capped.
• Both the WWTP and the Town Garage are well suited to receive solar PV systems and these systems provide financial benefit to the town.
• Given that the Town received a grant of $200,000 to install a town-owned solar PV system at the WWTP, SDA recommends that the Town own and operate the PV system at the WWTP.
• SDA recommends that the Town also install an approximately 212 kW dc solar PV system at the Town Garage.
• SDA recommends that the town enter into a PPA agreement to purchase the energy from the system at the Town Garage and have a third party actually own and operate the PV system. This limits the amount of capital that is needed to get the 2 systems installed before the tax and other financial incentives are no longer favorable.

Next Steps:
• MEC will consider preparing an RFP for a complete price to install a PV solar array system at the WWTP and for a Power Purchase Agreement and Lease payment for a PV system on the roof of the town garage. MEC will consider hiring SDA to prepare the RFP using the funds left over from the OATA grant.

2. FY 2015 Townwide Dashboard and Energy Management System
• Alan Peterson applied for $500,000 for grant under Community Innovative Challenge Grant Program.
• Application sent in October 10, decision announced in December.

3. Energy Manager position
• Town reposted ad for the Energy Manager position, deadline October 31.
• Salary $46-48K
• Another EM training by DOER to be held in mid November

4. Solarize Massachusetts
• Application due October 15 – http://www.masscec.com/solicitations/2015-solarize-mass-community-rfp
• Dave Fischer willing to act as Community solar coach, no co-coach was found at this time. MZN contacted Medfield Green and the Board of Selectmen and both were appeared supportive.
• MEC was interested in applying to be a solarize mass community but after studying the application requirements, the committee decided that there was not enough time to adequately address all the items/forms in the application such as submitting a community outreach plan.
• Our DOER GC coordinator recommended that the new Town Energy Manager could help work on a residential solarize program in the future. Also, some towns have developed similar solarize programs on their own, without the help of the state.
5. Sustainable Event on October 20, 7:30 – 9:00 pm
• First Parish to Host Panel on Environmental Tax Reform in Massachusetts. The Massachusetts bill for a revenue-neutral carbon tax, currently before the legislature, seeks to reduce carbon emissions and slow down climate change and, if passed, will also stimulate the economy and create benefits for households and businesses.
• Location: First Parish Vestry (entrance from the parking lot behind the church), 26 North Street, Medfield.

Meeting adjourned 9:15 pm
Next meeting November 11, 2014. Meeting to be held on the second Tuesday of every month.

Respectfully submitted by Marie Nolan