Medfield Energy Committee from 2/28

Approved as amended, April 30, 2019.

Medfield Energy Committee Minutes for February 28, 2019

Attendees: Pete Peterson, Fred Davis, Paul Fechtelkotter, Cynthia Greene.

Meeting was chaired by Fred in Lee’s absence.

1. The meeting began with a moment of silence to honor Mike S.
2. Minutes of previous meeting were approved as submitted.
3. Green Communities report

Amy wasn’t able to attend the meeting but conveyed that she expected to begin working on the annual report during the 1^st week of March.  Her immediate focus is on providing the documentation required to receive money for the grants that were previously approved .  The committee agreed that it was imperative that either Amy or someone else from the town administration (similar to what Jerry M used to do before leaving) needs to attend the meetings on a regular basis.

Actions

• Pete to reach out to Kristine to her direction as to who from the town administration will attend each meeting.
• Fred to reach out to Amy via email to arrange meeting in March to assess progress and address questions.

4. LED

Fred stated that the LED fixtures were on order. There were changes in fixture pricing, service costs, projected energy savings and rebates from the original financial case. However, the combined effects resulted in a more positive financial outlook that the original case.

Actions

• Pete will reach out to George on the costs of adding a new fixture around the Pfaff Center to cover an existing dark spot.

5. Following up on Kelly Brown’s suggestion for a conference call with DOER on development of Medfield State Hospital (MSH)

Actions

1. Pete Peterson will check with Sarah Raposa to determine the Development Committee’s status on review of the responses to the RFI submissions and next steps. Where and with whom can MEC insert a vision/requirements for energy and the development.
2. Ask Sarah Raposa if she would like to be on the call with DOER
3. Doodle poll for a meeting with MEC, Sarah Raposa (if she agrees she would like to be on), Ian Finlayson, Paul Ormand, Kelly Brown. Agenda for the call

• Energy efficient development. Standards to suggest minimum of 55 HERS, adding EUI into the architectural bids,
• PV ready, solar orientation, and EV charging stations.
• Potential for microgrid and Municipal Energy Technical Assistance grant for feasibility of a microgrid .

4. Pete will ask Kristine Trierweiler if it is in Amy Colleran’s job description that she participate in the              energy committee and if not ask that it be added.
5. Energy in the townwide master plan

Pete and Cynthia are both on the master plan committee that kicked off on 2/27/19.   Cynthia will be searching other town master plans to see if they include any energy visions.  We could consider a net zero goal.  Fred discussed the Boston energy plan that was recently released and how it relies on deep retrofits and going to electrification.  Fred is also interested in finding out if MAPC could help us in developing a mitigation plan much like they assisted in the development of a climate adaptation plan.

Actions:

1. Cynthia will send the green communities plan to Sarah Raposa to include in the documents to be considered as background information in the master plan.
2. Fred will contact Camy Peterson at MAPC to see if they do any mitigation planning for communities.
3. Next meeting we will discuss an energy forecast and vision for Medfield into the future.

6. Ground mounted solar at 120 N Meadows.

Fred talked to Haskel at SDA and he said that the SMART solar program https://www.mass.gov/solar-massachusetts-renewable-target-smart could be used if the town owned the land.  Then the town could put solar on the land and be the consumer of the energy produced.  The town would need to have enough energy consumption to offset the solar production.  We need to determine if there is at least 4 acres with no wetlands included and access to the site that does not cross a wetland.   Then a feasibility study would have to be done (SDA could do).  Other towns that have done this are Lincoln, Swansea, Cambridge and Beverly.  There is time urgency in that the SMART program is under review and there could be additional land use restrictions added.   Pete also wondered if there may be other town land we should consider – behind Wheelock that an investor at one time wanted to use for PV, West street by the railroad tracks that is currently wooded, school parking lots such as Wheelock.   We also asked about the status of the solar canopy between the high school and the middle school.

Actions:

1. Pete to speak with Dave Strimus to see if he would give/sell the land to the Town
2. Leslie Willett from the Town would then have to see if there are 4 acres available without wetlands or crossing wetlands that could be used.
3. For the next meeting agenda – possible town owned land for solar and status of the canopy.
4. COA Lighting issues.

Fred was asked to assist in why the COA lighting around the building and parking lot is too dark.  After trying to determine what could be the issue – possibly that the Kingsbury Club added lighting. Andrew had contacted him for advise on swapping out of the light bulbs  at the COA and the parking lot across the street from the Town Hall and upgrading them to corn cob LEDs.  He has an email chain with Andrew on this topic.  Fred had counseled Andrew not to do a replacement without changing the fixtures, but Fred believes Andrew did the bulb swap and does not know what light bulbs Andrew put in.  These bulbs could be dimmer, incompatible, of lesser quality and /or  deteriorating light quality.

Actions:

1. Fred to try and determine what is there now and possibly suggest a study of what fixtures are needed or possibly what bulb replacements might fix the problem.
2. Historical society audit.

Fred, Marie and Cynthia gave David Temple advise on what to look for in the audit.  The society is looking into an audit after they paid $11 K for an oil burner replacement.  We do not know if it happened.   Pete said the BOS voted to pay their water bill as it is a town building.   The society pays all other costs.

Action:

1. Cynthia will contact David Temple to find out if the audit happened.
2. Statewide Sierra Club municipal climate summit on March 16.

Topics include renewable energy, local solutions and advocating.  The committee decided this was not a conference we had to participate in.  Fred also recommended a NEEP newsletter on climate.  Here is their site https://neep.org/news.

Next meeting.  We discussed 3/21 and 4/4 and a desire to have a standard time.   Cynthia will put out a doodle poll.

Meeting adjourned 9:20 pm

Minutes respectfully submitted by Paul Fechtelkotter and Cynthia Greene