Category Archives: Energy Committee

LED streetlights

Posted on February 11, 2016 | Comments Off on LED streetlights

LED streetlights

Fred Davis runs a company in town that specializes in supplying lighting products.  Fred is both extremely knowledgeable about how to save energy and about lighting products.  Fred presented to the Energy Committee at a recent meeting on the savings the town could affect by buying our streetlights and installing LED fixtures.

The town can get a 3.6 year payback on the cost to buy and refit, then we save almost $20K/year going forward.  The maintenance contract cost was not known, but is guessed to be about $5K/year.

Additionally, one gets a better and therefore safer illumination for all residents.

This was Fred’s analysis –

LED Streetlight Replacement - Medfield - Fred Davis - 2016

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Posted in Energy Committee, Uncategorized

MEC on 1/13/16

Posted on February 9, 2016 | Comments Off on MEC on 1/13/16

MEC Meeting Minutes-January 13, 2016

Attendance:  Fred Bunger, Andrew Seaman, Alan Peterson, Lee Alinksy, Cynthia Greene, Pete Peterson, Maciej Konieczny, Marie Nolan

 

1.       Presentation on LED Streetlighting by Fred Davis

a.        Outlined various options for LED conversion including smart controls, various types of fixtures and costs/savings associated with this project.

2.       Energy Manager Report

a.       WWTP Solar progressing with no issues.  Panels are mounted, cable trench dug and wiring continues.  Estimated substantial completion date of February 11.

b.      Other town solar projects:

i.      Public Safety Building-Permanent Building Committee has elected to submit an RFI for a change order to install solar at the PS Building.  Should have an estimated cost by end of February.

ii.      DPW Garage-Exploring a PPA at this site.  Greenskies to submit proposal and A. Seaman to review with MEC at next meeting.

iii.      Generating interest in solar at the landfill.  Still in the fact-finding phase and will report on any additional progress.

3.       MHS meeting with Environmental studies students regarding solar at MHS.

a.       Discussed various options for the school and other town sites.  Students were excited to see progress being made and wanted to see how they could be advocates for this progress.  Since most of the class are seniors and over 18 they would be eligible to vote at Town Meeting, so Fred and Andrew asked them to initiate a Get Out and Vote campaign at school before the Meeting.

4.       Community Electricity Aggregation Program

a.       Committee felt it was not the MEC place to promote this program and should come from Selectmen.  Selectman Peterson will bring this up at a future Selectmen meeting.

5.       Green Communities

a.       Vehicle Policy-Selectmen and School Board have approved the Policy

b.      Stretch Code – Warrant Committee presentation went well.  Appears most members are in favor of adoption.  Timeline for their vote is by the end of February.   Other Town Committees to discuss Stretch Code include COA, , MSHPC, MEMO, Planning, and Permanent Building.

Next Meeting Thursday, February 11th at 7:30 at the Town Garage

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Posted in Energy Committee, Uncategorized

Solar PV at WWTP

Posted on December 7, 2015 | Comments Off on Solar PV at WWTP

WWTP solar

This is a photo from Facilities Manager, Andrew Seaman, of the new solar array going in behind the Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP), and going in fast.  It is scheduled to be operational in January.  This is the installation that will be revenue positive and make the town money from day one.  THE electricity generated will supply about 40% of the WWTP’s electric needs.

WWTP solar-2

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Posted in Energy Committee, Water & Sewer

Solar PV at WWTP

Posted on December 7, 2015 | Comments Off on Solar PV at WWTP

solar pv

This from the Medfield Press –

 

Construction on the 237kW solar photovoltaic array at Medfield’s Wastewater Treatment Plant began on Nov. 27. The general contractor, Greenskies Renewables LLC of Middletown, Connecticut, was awarded the contract in the amount of $492,483. Funding for this project was approved at the Special Town Meeting in March. After accounting for the planning and design costs, and receipt of the $180,000 state grant, the Town’s share will be approximately $360,000. The projected completion date is February 2016.

The array will consist of 765 panels, each rated at 310W mounted on top of a fixed tilt rack system. In the first year of operation, the panels will produce an estimated annual output of 299,600 kWh, or 40 percent of the total 750,000 kWh needed to run the plant. This will lower the operating costs of the plant by $48,000 per year and also generate annual income of an estimated $68,000 from the sale of Solar Renewable Energy Credits.

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Posted in Energy Committee, Water & Sewer

Solar interest survey

Posted on November 3, 2015 | Comments Off on Solar interest survey

solar on house

Energy Committee has a four question survey to determine level of residents’ interest in solar PV on their homes –

Below is a link to a short four-question survey that the Medfield Energy Committee has put together to help assess Medfield residents’ interest in participating in a Solarize Massachusetts program (where group purchasing of PV panels and installation result in discounts for everyone participating). Mass CEC recommends that we do one of these as part of our application process.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LJJGBXW

thanks!

Marie

Marie Zack Nolan, LEED AP BD&C

Project Manager

The Green Engineer, Inc.

O: (978) 369-8978

C: (508) 361-8786

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Posted in Energy Committee, Green

Solar PV begun at WWTP

Posted on October 28, 2015 | 2 comments

The construction of the town’s solar photovoltaic installation at the Waste Water Treatment Plant began today.  This email below about it this afternoon –solar pv

 

I am pleased to announce that site work has started this morning.  Local contractor Angelo Santucci Landscaping has begun clearing the site of vegetation.  Tree removal will begin next week along with grading and seeding.  If all goes well and the weather cooperates, they expect to be done by the end of next week.

As of now the structural post installation will begin November 23, with panel installation to begin early-mid December.  We are still on schedule for system start-up in mid-January.

I’ll keep you all updated on the progress!

Regards,

Andrew Seaman

Energy and Facilities Manager

Town of Medfield

2 Comments

Posted in Energy Committee, Green, Water & Sewer

Solar PV bids received

Posted on July 16, 2015 | Comments Off on Solar PV bids received

The town Energy and Facilities Manager reported that the bids were opened for the town’s solar photovoltaic installation next tot he Waste Water Treatment Plant, and the bids were at the expected levels.  This was Andrew’s report –

The bids were opened at 10:00 this morning, with two respondents:
Green Skies  –$492,483,31 or $2.12/watt
Absolute Renewables – Post Driven Foundation – $577,914 or $2.49/watt
                                  Ballasted Mount – $679,636 or $2.93/watt
Solar Design Associates, along with Town Counsel, will be reviewing the responses for qualifications and to ensure MGL Ch 30 Sec 39M was adhered to.
The proposals are at the link below.  If you have trouble viewing the documents please let me know and I’ll be happy to send a hard copy:
​​
Thank you all for your hard work in bring this project to fruition. We’re not done yet but a major hurdle has been cleared!

Regards,
Andrew Seaman
Energy and Facilities Manager
Town of Medfield
Office: (508) 906-3013

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Posted in Energy Committee, Green

Bond sales

Posted on May 15, 2015 | Comments Off on Bond sales

This email came Wednesday from Mike Sullivan, but I was on trial at the time so I am only now catching up.  Read Mike’s email before looking at the PDF to make better sense of the PDF.  20150512-public safety & solar PV bond sales

 

Sale of Bonds for Public Safety and Solar Array

We opened the bids yesterday for the $18,700,000 of bonds authorized by the Special Town Meeting in March. We did well, although last week the bond market was reflecting rising interest rates, so it’s good we sold them quickly. The results were very confusing as the public safety issue was reduced to $16,375,000 and the Solar array issue was reduced to $610,000. The reason for the reduction in the public safety issue was that the low bid included about $1.8 million in premiums, so we used most of that premium to reduce the amount of bonds issued from $18 million to $16.375 million. The rest of the premium on this particular issue will be used to cover the cost of the bond issuance costs. As for the solar array issue, the cost estimates has gone down because of the falling prices for solar panels and, also, bond counsel wanted us to reflect the fact that we had already received $90,000 in grant funds from the state for this project. What really confuses this issue is that we then received a premium of about $89,000 on this issue, which is almost the same as the $90,000 reduction in the amount of bonds issued. After covering its share of the bond issuance cost, the remaining $80,000 will be used to pay a portion of the annual debt services costs for this issue or about $8,000 per year in premium amortization funds.

 

We received six bids, which was low and a bit of a surprise, considering the last bond sale we had. we received 11 bids. I think this reflected the uncertainty in the bond market this week. The low bidder was Janney Montgomery Scott LLC, Philadelphia PA. The interest rate on the public safety bonds (twenty years) was 3.055% and the interest rate on the solar array (ten years) was 2.015 for a combined interest rate of 3.033. These rates are below what we projected at the town meeting so we’re in good shape as far as not underestimating our borrowing costs. I’m scanning the debt schedules for the two projects, along with the bid results and sending them in a separate email.

 

Hopefully Georgia will make sense of all of this when she comes to the Selectmen’s meeting on the 19th.

 

Mike Sullivan

20150512-public safety & solar PV bond sales

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Posted in Budgets, Buildings, Energy Committee, Fire Department, Police Department

STM says yes and yes again

Posted on March 24, 2015 | Comments Off on STM says yes and yes again

Both articles passed last night at the Special Town Meeting (STM) by overwhelming majorities, that were with one close to being unanimous, and with the other was unanimous.  The public safety building must still get a majority vote at the regular municipal election next Monday, March 30, to proceed.

The first STM vote, to fund the $700,000 construction costs of a money making solar photovoltaic installation behind the Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP), was unanimous.  As soon as the town’s new Energy and Facilities Manager, Andrew Seaman, who was presenting on behalf of the Energy Committee, mentioned that the array will be revenue positive starting in its first year, the Moderator jokingly interrupted to call for a fast vote.  The presentation may have continued, but the wisdom of a money making project was clear in the unanimity of the ultimate vote.  The array is projected to save the town $726,509 in electricity charges at the WWTP over 20 years.

Conversations with Energy Committee member Fred Davis after the meeting disclosed that the MEC’s solar consultant is already recommending to the town to proceed as fast as possible with other installations before the state subsidies for solar end in the next couple of years, which will change the economics dramatically.  The roof of the Highway Garage has already been recommended, but the old landfill is also being eyed.  Few old landfills remain without solar arrays, and there is even grant money to support such an installation.  Medfield never properly closed the landfill, so the closure may need to be revisited, but the economics may still make the project attractive.

Vote 2 to fund the almost $19m. construction costs of a new public safety building seemed to find the vast majority of attendees grudgingly, if realistically  accepting of the need for us to pay more in property taxes to allow for the new building.  This observer guesses that perhaps 20-40 people voted against proceeding.  There is no disagreement over the inadequacy of the old facility, and only minor issues verbalized over the size and scope of the new building and the lack of options presented.

Selectmen meet again this evening, to hear from all three of our legislators.

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Posted in Buildings, Energy Committee, Fire Department, Police Department, Select Board matters, Town Meeting

Climate change forums

Posted on January 12, 2015 | Comments Off on Climate change forums

 

 

Fred Davis of Medfield and our town Energy Committee, has organized a series of forums on how we can deal with climate change, which take place on four Sundays at 11:15am at Temple Beth David in Westwood, the first of which was yesterday.  This is the email from Fred –

 

Hello Medfielders —
Just a reminder that the Acting on Climate Concerns workshop series begins tomorrow Sunday 11:15am at Temple Beth David in Westwood. This program is open to all, and any house of worship might benefit. I notice there are a number of members of Westwood Environmental Action Coalition attending, but no MEC members beside myself.
It’s an exciting and ambitious undertaking: our challenge is to explore actions which can achieve an 80% reduction in fossil fuel use.
There is still room for last-minute attendees, all are welcome.
— Fred Davis

Acting on Climate Concerns

Climate science is alarming; some call the potential for ecological calamity “the undoing of Creation.” Jewish values guide us to a new environmentalism informed by a need for an 80% reduction in fossil-fuel use. Such a goal is radical yet feasible with changes that are ethically just and economically sound. Coordinated by efficient-lighting expert Fred Davis, this workshop-style course will review actions we can take now to ameliorate climate change. We’ll also address exciting projects happening now. A series of top experts will advise us on three action areas of the crisis:

 

Jan. 11:  What is our responsibility as stewards of our congregational facility?


Jim Nail, President, Massachusetts Interfaith Power & Light; also Medfield resident

Vincent Maraventano, Executive Director, Mass. Interfaith Power & Light

 

Jan. 25: How can we significantly reduce the carbon footprint of our individual households (assessing opportunities for energy conservation and solar)?


Rachel White, Performance Manager at Byggmeister Design/Build; also former Meah instructor, vice-chair of BuildingEnergy15 Conference of Northeast Sustainable Energy Association

 

Haskell Werlin, Director of Business Development and Government Relations, Solar Design Associates

 

Feb. 1:  What actions can we take in the greater community (carbon tax/fee, ethical investing)?


David Schreiber, David Schreiber, Progressive Asset Management Group/FWG

 

Rabbi Judy Weiss, Citizens’ Climate Lobby, Boston Chapter Co-leader

 

The task is great…but we are not free to abandon it.

Course co-sponsored by Boston Jewish Climate Action Network.

Dates: 1/11, 1/25 and 2/1. 11:15 a.m.  (Optional fee for book)

All are welcome. Part of Limmud Temple Beth David, Westwood.

Simply register by emailing info@templebethdavid.net.

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Posted in Energy Committee, Environmental