Category Archives: Energy Committee

The Medfield Energy Committee Chair, Marie Zack Nolan, has written an eloquent and persuasive letter to the state to support state adoption of a newly revised stretch building code.  A copy of that letter follows –

March 4, 2014

Mr. Mark Sylvia, Commissioner
Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources
100 Cambridge Street, Suite 1020
Boston, MA 02114

Dear Commissioner Sylvia,

As a building professional and resident of Massachusetts, I am writing to express my support for the adoption of the update to the Stretch Code.

The Commonwealth should move in an expeditious manner in developing and adopting the updated Stretch Code. In July 2014, when the IECC 2012 goes into full effect, the current Stretch Code will be essentially equivalent to the new base energy code in terms of energy efficiency. The Green Communities Act requires that “Green Communities” set requirements to minimize life-cycle costs for new construction, which largely has been accomplished through the adoption of the Stretch Code by these municipalities. The delay in the adoption of an updated Stretch Code is causing confusion as to the status of Green Community designations, along with undue complexity for the design professionals of Massachusetts dealing with uncertainty as to future requirements in the Green Communities.

The adoption of the current Stretch Code has made Massachusetts a national leader in energy performance. The adoption of an updated Stretch Code will support the efforts of the Clean Energy and Climate Plan for 2020 (2010), which references the Stretch Code and identifies significant greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions savings associated with its adoption. The adoption of a Stretch Code will help to realize the 9.8% GHG reduction by 2020 that the Commonwealth has hoped to achieve from the building sector.

The Stretch code concept aligns with the USGBC and our efforts to transform the market using the LEED building rating system. We support efforts to continue raising the bar on energy efficiency in a constructive manner that will continue to help shift the market and our building stock towards a future goal of zero-net energy and positive energy buildings.

The Commonwealth should align the updated Stretch Code with the newly-finalized 2015 IECC. Since the Commonwealth is required to adopt the 2015 IECC within a year of its publication this spring, writing a Stretch Code that is incompatible with the 2015 IECC would necessitate another update as soon as next year. It is our hope that developing the Stretch Code in advance of the adoption of its concurrent base code would set a precedent for future code cycles, thereby eliminating the issue we are currently facing due to the delay in adopting an updated Stretch Code. We appreciate the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources past leadership on the Stretch Code, and would like to support the swift adoption of an updated version.

Sincerely,
Marie Zack Nolan
Project Manager, The Green Engineer, Inc.
Chair, Medfield Energy Committee

Medfield Energy Committee Meeting Notes for Tuesday February 11, 2014

Attendees:  Fred Davis, Fred Bunger, Emre Schveighoffer, Mike Sullivan, Pete Peterson, Cynthia Greene

1.  Meeting minutes from the January meeting were not ready and so were not discussed.
2. OATA study – Fred D. gave the application for the State to Mike S. for signatures.  The letters that will go out to five potential consultants for the town were reviewed.  Fred D. will email the final letter to Mike S. so that it can go out February 14.  At the Massachusetts Municipal Association meeting  on January 24 and 25^th Fred D. met Beth Greenblatt from Beacon Integrated Solutions http://www.beacon-llc.com/

and she will become the 6^th consultant the RFP will be sent to the week of February 17.

1. Sagewell letter that will be sent to homes using oil-heat was reviewed and the changes Pasi suggested were accepted.  There will be no signature on the letter but it will say it is from the Medfield Energy Committee and all questions will go to Mike S.  The letter will be on one page and it is expected that it will go out to 1,000 homes in Medfield.   Fred D. will confirm that the letter will be copied and sent by Sagewell and will ask if a brochure with house photos will go out with the letter.
2. GCA designation – Fred B.

• PV bylaw written by Sarah Rapossa town planner, sent to Kelly Brown for comment.  The State says that it complies, but asked why it is an overlay district and a designated area (basically West Street).  Fred B. stated that we will know after the solar study is completed what the overlay district will be.  Marie and Fred B discussed the PV bylaw with the Planning Board and they are reviewing it.  The planning board will conduct a hearing on 3/17/14, but the planning board does not want to sponsor the bylaw.  Pete Peterson asked if we would like it to be sponsored also by the Board of Selectman and all agreed we would like that support.   The PV bylaw will be on the warrant and in order to pass it will need a 2/3rds majority.
• The Stretch code was discussed and Fred B. stated that it only applies to homes over 3,000 square feet.  It will be on the warrant and only needs 51% to pass.  Pete also offered to see if the Board of Selectman will support this as well.  70% of energy use in Medfield is residential and the stretch code will be in effect till July 2014 when a new stretch code will take effect.  Fred B. is working on how to describe this to the community.
• Expedited permitting – Mark Cerel will write.
• 20% reduction of energy plan will be due in August.  Cynthia G suggested looking at water reductions and Mike S stated that the rerouting of some water piping will require less pumping and that we could take credit for that energy reduction. The plan has to be specific for 15% of the reductions.  The Board of selectman and the School Board need to sign off on the plan.
• The auto purchase policy is still being written.

1. Marie helped Mike S. write the energy manager grant that will go in on February 14, 2014.  Mike S. said that if the town receives the grant that it would bring in an energy manager and then make him or her an energy and buildings business manager as well at the end of the two years when the grant funding runs out.  The state grant would pay 50% the first year and 75% the second year for a part time position.
2. Public safety building.  Adam Graber has not been able to make their meetings and Marie is the back up.  They are going into the final design.  Mike S. will get the schedule for the meetings so that others might be able to go.  Their next meeting is 3/19 at 7 am.
3. Next meeting Monday March 3, 2014.  It was suggested that we ask Kelly Brown to join us.

Adjourned 9:15 pm

Respectfully submitted by Cynthia Greene

This from Fred Bunger of the Medfield Energy Committee –

Green Communities Process Status Report 2/12/14:

1. Kelly Brown DOER Green Communities Area Coordinator confirmed Medfield would be eligible a $148,000 grant if it meets the 5 criteria for Green Communities Act (GCA) in 2014.
2.  To met GCA criteria #1 and #5, the Medfield Energy Committee is sponsoring two articles on the Warrant for the April 28, 2014 Annual Town Meeting.
   1. Overlay district for solar PV installation
   2.  Adoption of the BBRS Stretch Energy Code.

Selectman Peterson will request the Medfield Select Board to be Co-Sponsors of these two warrant articles.

1. A By- Law for Large-Scale Ground-Mounted Solar Photovoltaic installations drafted by Town Planner Sara Raposa and Town Counsel Mark Cerel.  The By-Law is under review by the Planning Board.  Kelly Brown has had the DOER expert review and comment on the Medfield By-Law.  It meets the requirements for GCA Criterion 1.  After Planning Board Review, the By-Law will be sent to DOER for review of the updates.   The Planning Board has scheduled the required Public Hearing on the Solar By-Law for Monday March 17.
2. In preparation for the Town Meeting, the Medfield Energy Committee GCA activity will concentrate on education and information to secure passage of the two GCA articles.  I will prepare for meetings with local community groups.  I will also prepare a set of talking points and FAQs for all members of the Medfield Energy Committee to use.
3. The 2009 Massachusetts BBRS Stretch Energy Code will become the base Building Code for the State in July 2014.  A new Stretch Energy Code will be presented by the BBRS in 2014.  When Medfield adopts the 2009 code in April, it will also be expected to comply with the 2014 code when it is presented.

The concern that the Town in the future would be subject to an energy code currently in development must be countered by a strong campaign to explain the purpose and benefits of the energy code: to reduce the life-cycle costs of owning and operating a residence.   The added investment to comply with a more energy efficient code would be balanced by the savings in energy costs over the life of the residence.  Kelly Brown has offered the resources of the DOER to conduct public information sessions to explain the Stretch Energy Code and the benefits to homeowners.  I have asked Kelly to provide example costs and savings for a typical 3000 square foot home in our area.

Adoption of a building code to encourage energy efficiency is important to Medfield. Over 70% of community energy consumption is for residences. By encouraging up-front investment in making homes more energy efficient, homeowners pay less in energy costs over the lifetime of the home.

1. Medfield permitting process meets the GCA criteria for expedited permitting.  A letter from Town Counsel Mark Cerel to DOER will complete this criteria.
2. The other 2 GCA criteria (Energy Efficient Vehicle Purchase policy and Plan for 20% reduction in municipal energy use) will be worked on after Town Meeting.  These two criteria require approval by the Select Board and School Committee.

Medfield Energy Committee

September 16, 2013

AGENDA

7:30 pm in Town Hall, Warrant Room

I.  Accept minutes of last meeting – August 14, 2013

 II. GCA designation for 2014

 III.  Solar PV and PPA’s on municipal sites / OATA Application

 IV. Public Safety Building Project– status report / list of potential EE/GB measures

 V.  Solarize Massachusetts – Discussion

 VII. Other Business

 VIII. Set Date and Agenda for next meeting

The Medfield Energy Committee met last night.

• looking to proceed to have Medfield opt to become a Green Community at the next annual town meeting (ATM) under the 2008 Massachusetts Green Communities Act.  The GCA requires a (1) commitment to a plan to effect 20% savings on energy use, (2) as of right for energy projects, (3) use of energy efficient vehicles, (4) adoption of the stretch building code, and (5) adoption of expedited permitting for energy saving items.  In exchange for becoming a Green Community, the state awards grants, usually around $100,000 the first year.  Being a Green Community is the right choice both to save the town monies, as well as to reduce the town’s carbon footprint.
• solar PV installations – a municipal installation on land at the Waste Water Treatment Plant, and an exploration of other sites.  They will apply for a state DOER Owner’s Agents Technical Grant of $12,500 for assistance in determining best locations to site solar PV arrays in town.
• executed a plan to provide for energy saving inclusions in the planned municipal buildings – a list of items will be created and shared with the Building Committee, an da member will attend Building Committee meetings.
• since the Medfield Energy Committee started work in 2008, the town has reduced its energy usage by about 28-29%
• interesting websites = DSIRE.org (lists all incentives available via energy saving items)

These are the minutes from an active 7/10/13 Medfield Energy Committee meeting –

Medfield Energy Committee (MEC) Meeting Minutes

July 10, 2013, 7:30 P.M. Town Hall Warrant Room

Present: Marie Nolan, Cynthia Greene, Lee Alinsky, Fred Davis, Fred Bunger, David Temple, Charles Kellner, Osler Peterson, and Michael Sullivan.

I. Meeting called to order at 7:30 pm  The minutes of the May 22, 2013 meeting and the April 23, 2013 meeting, as amended, were approved unanimously. 

II. Medfield Permanent Planning and Building Committee (MPP&BC) update on capital projects – John Nunnari of the MPP&BC provided an update on both the Town Garage Project and the Public Safety Building Project:

            Town Garage – Town DPW has been doing the site development work for last 4 months. Castagna Construction, the GC, will start in September 2013; the construction period is expected to last 12 months.  Energy efficiency is built into the design. The building will not be LEED certified. Full project costs for the 38,000 sf building is $11 million (includes design costs, $8.5-9 million for building construction and an 8% contingency).

The garage has been designed to accommodate solar and meet 2009 IECC requirements.  VE changes included downsizing the generator and changing the AHU’s.  Energy recovery wheels were considered but value engineered (VE) out because they are expensive and the committee thought there were better ways to heat the building. Radiant heating will be in the office and garage has heat from above.  LED lighting is planned for the building.

The roof will be solar ready, however solar arrays are not part of the construction project. (The roof can structurally handle PV panels). Nunnari suggested that the Town do a PPA or partner with the private sector to install solar panels on the town garage roof as a separate project if PV is desired. 

            Public Safety Building – Project Feasibility Study is finished. Three candidates are shortlisted for Owner’s Project Manager, having an OPM is a state requirement for the project.  In September, the OPM will prepare an RFP for architectural services to start Schematic Design. October/November is when the engineers will discuss sustainable measures such as possible credits from a LEED Scorecard, PV, ground source heat pumps and other energy efficient options.

            Stretch Code Update–John Nunnari is Executive Director of AIA MA and a BSA lobbyist and government affairs committee member, and as such, is familiar with the state energy stretch code requirements and the latest developments on its renewal/update. The 2006 Green Communities Act mandated that 1) MA must adopt the latest version of a national model energy code within a year of its publication and 2) jurisdictions seeking designation as “green communities” must enforce more efficient energy standards, such as the “stretch code”.

The stretch energy code was added to the state building code in 2009 as Appendix 115 AA.  The stretch code provides a more efficient alternative to the standard energy provisions of the code that a municipality can adopt.

The MA Board of Building Regulations and Standards (BBRS) voted yesterday (July 9) to adopt the 2012 IECC with MA amendments. Generally speaking, the IECC took our stretch code and made it their base code, so currently the MA stretch code equals the base code.  Nunnari thinks that this should be an advantage when soliciting support for GCA designation for Medfield.

Nunnari recommends getting the support of all the committees in town for the stretch code and other GCA requirements before Town Meeting in 2014.

MPP&BC meets twice a month at 7 AM, first for Public Safety Building and then 2 weeks later for the Town Garage.

Nunnari recommends the MEC prepare a wish list of energy efficiency/green building measures for the MPP&BC to consider for the Public Safety Building for October/November.

III. Solar PV and PPA’s on municipal sites

As per the last MEC meeting’s request, Fred Davis spoke to Kelly Brown, our GCA regional coordinator.  He learned of an Owner’s Agent Technical Assistance grant coming out in the Fall.  The application is for up to $2,500 for technical assistance to plan a solar PV project no less than 15 kW (approx. 2,000 sf) for a roof or ground array.

It was suggested that we consider releasing an RFP for a PPA like the Town of Dartmouth.  Peterson remembered that David Cressman, the Dartmouth Town Manager who attended an MEC meeting last year, said that Dartmouth paid $5,000 for help in the process.  Cressman recommended retaining a lawyer to help structure the RFP and process.

Rules of Thumb:  1 kWh requires 100 sf of open land.  1 MW needs 4 – 5 acres.

Nolan reported that Selectman DeSorgher asked for the MEC to research hand dryers for municipal buildings, especially the schools.  Nolan provided some information to the Town Manager and the Schools Finance Director.  MEC members asked for the information to be sent to them as well.  Charles Kellner stated that he is researching their feasibility in the schools as compared to paper towels.

Nolan reported that she is researching solar carports at REI in Framingham and Massport Logan for possible applications to the Medfield site with information at a later date.  Greene stated that there are solar panels along a pedestrian walkway at Foxboro Stadium. 

Nolan reported talking to Rob Garrity, Norfolk Selectman, on his town’s landfill solar project that has recently received press (Boston Globe West dated July 7, 2013). Its solar array is one year old. Garrity said that the PV panels lie on top of a pad on the landfill and do not hurt the cap in any way.  The town building inspector and selectmen were the project’s biggest champions.

Garrity thought that the biggest hurdle will be that the MA solar carve out program is getting full.  DOER says it will have new regulations / incentives by next January.  He recommended lining up our project so that it is ready to go when state incentives are available.

If a town is putting a PV array on a landfill site, then the town will have to get DEP approval because a post-closure permit and site assignment is needed.  Garrity found that the DEP was very helpful and that the process was quick. However, Norfolk had its landfill closed for 20 years already.  Garrity suggested putting in the RFP that the respondent will have to do all the post –closure work.  Garrity will send their RFP and PPA agreement that Nolan will pass on to MEC members.  Rob said that Constellation Energy is a good resource/vendor on solar power installations.  Contact Rick Kilbourne at richard.kilbourne@constellation.com or 410.470.2518

Nolan checked in with the Medfield WWTP department about its progress on siting a solar array on its property.  It appears that the solar project is being put on hold as the site is being used for a staging area for the construction of the town garage next year.

IV. GCA designation for 2014

Fred Bunger and Lee Alinsky will put together a plan of action and schedule for seeking GCA designation in 2014.  Nolan will send a link to the recent DOER webinar on the GCA process for municipalities.

V. Progress on updating Town Energy Use and Reductions since 2008

Charles Kellner reported on the Energy Star ratings for the school buildings for this year as compared to the base December 2008 per Portfolio Manager

Wheelock:  Site Energy Intensity reduced 10.9%; Portfolio Manager Rating went from 89 to 96.

Memorial:  Site Energy Intensity reduced 23.0%; Portfolio Manager Rating went from 47 to 78.

Dale St.:  Site Energy Intensity reduced 31.7%; Portfolio Manager Rating went from 39 to 75.

Middle School:  Site Energy Intensity reduced 34.0%; Portfolio Manager Rating went from 30 to 76

High School:  Site Energy Intensity reduced 74.0%; Portfolio Manager Rating went from 14 to 76.

 He noted that as of April 2013 (the latest data available to be input into Portfolio Manager) all five of the schools are eligible for the Energy Star designation.

 VI. MEC website

Nolan reported that the Assistant Town Manager updated the MEC webpage.  See:  http://www.town.medfield.net/index.cfm/page/Medfield-Energy-Committee/pid/21398

 Nolan asked members to provide any suggestions to improve the webpage and its links for the next meeting.

 VII. Other Business

  Kingsbury Pond Grist Mill waterwheel-  Fred Davis reported on his conversation with the grist mill committee.

   DOER Electric Vehicle Incentive Program – not discussed.

 VII. Next MEC meeting will be August 14 or 21 at 7:30 p.m.

 Meeting ended at 9:50 pm.

 Respectfully submitted by:

Marie Nolan

The Medfield Energy Committee meeting last night had a lengthy and meaty report from John Nunnari of the Building Committee on the new garage and the planned public safety building.  The Medfield Energy Committee members were especially interested in the opportunities to provide input into the public safety building, which is still in the planning stages.  The garage was already in the construction document phase before town committees began to review it, so that changes could mainly only economically be made only at the edges.

The Medfield Energy Committee had a long discussion of town solar PV installations.  Norfolk was recently written up in the Globe as making $200,000 a year off its year old PV array on their closed landfill.  Mike Sullivan wants to wait another seven years before doing an array on our closed landfill as then it will be 30 years since its closure and will be deemed officially closed.  The fear is that before that time the DEP may require us to cap it anew.  The Medfield Energy Committee chair, Marie Zack Nolan questioned whether we should invest in a consultant report of our landfillt o determine whether it has been propely closed, so that we could go ahead with a PV array sooner.

The Waste Water Treatment Plant site will be available in about a year, after the DPW gets into their new garage, and the consensus was that it made sense to start the planning for a PV array on that site now.

Charlie Kellner, the Business Manage for the schools reported on the energy use reductions for the schools from 2008 to 2012.  The decreases in energy use ranged by school from about 20% (Wheelock) to three in the 30%’s range to 74% (MHS, but Charlie said because of the construction it was not a good measure for the MHS).

There was consensus that the Town of Medfield should become a Green Community.

The Grist Mill hopes to become the only water wheel generated electricity on the grid.