Category Archives: Energy Committee

MSBA – please fund energy efficient schools

Posted on April 21, 2021 | 1 comment

As part of the celebration of Earth Day, I asked to have my signature as a Town of Medfield Select Board member added to the letter below, going to the MSBA tomorrow. Medfield Energy Committee members and other may join too. –

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April 22, 2021

Deborah Goldberg, Chair
Anne Brockelman
Sean R. Cronin
Matt Deninger
Terry Kwan
Greg Sullivan
Sheila Vanderhoef

Via email to ______

Dear Treasurer Goldberg and members of the MSBA Board,

We are writing to encourage the MSBA to require that all school building projects funded by MSBA be fully electrified, and climate resilient.

The MSBA is to be commended for its track record of helping cities and towns replace or
renovate school buildings in an environmentally sustainable manner.

As your website notes,


The MSBA’s Green Schools Program provides incentives to a district to increase the
energy efficiency and sustainability for new construction and major renovation/addition
projects, by exceeding Massachusetts Energy base code by 20% for 2 additional
reimbursement points. All projects are required to register for the most recent version of
LEED-S or NE-CHPS and exceed Massachusetts Energy base code by 10%.

The MSBA’s updated Accelerated Repair Program provides a new opportunity to apply
sustainable standards to specific building systems such as roofs, boilers and window
systems. The MSBA’s green programs aim to encourage a high standard of
sustainability for all MSBA-funded projects. The MSBA continues to monitor the
effectiveness of its sustainable policies and make recommendations for
improvement, with an emphasis on energy and cost savings, resulting in direct
operational savings for school districts. [bold added]

As municipal leaders interested in speeding the transition away from fossil fuel dependency, we were particularly pleased to see the highlighted above, as it demonstrates an interest in continuous improvement in the area of sustainability and carbon emissions reduction. We are following up on your interest in improvement to encourage you to tie school building funding to the following requirements for all new or renovated schools:

  • Heat and cooling should be supplied by clean all-electric heating and cooling systems, not oil, propane, or gas-fueled systems.
  • Parking lots should offer electric vehicle (EV) charging stations for staff and/or visitors.
  • Schools built on or near historic wetlands or in floodplains should take into account
    precipitation modeling for 2070 and beyond; this may entail a raised structure or building in an alternate location.

How do these recommendations fit into the Commonwealth’s climate goals?

• Massachusetts has a greenhouse gas reduction mandate of 80% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and a commitment to be net zero by 2050; many cities and towns have more aggressive goals. The IPCC issued a report in 2018 noting that to keep global temperatures from rising more than 1.5 degrees Celsius — a goal of the Paris climate agreement — anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions would have to be on a path to fall by about 45 percent by around 2030.
• Massachusetts also has a goal of 300,000 EVs on the road by 2025.œ As HVAC systems are built to last for at least 20-30 years, that means we must act now to eliminate this significant source of fossil fuel energy.
• The National Climate Assessment projects that the Northeast will see dramatic increases in precipitation and flooding.

Why is all-electric the more environmentally beneficial choice? Under state law, the electric grid is powered by an increasing amount of renewable energy every year. In contrast, an oil or gas boiler is running on fossil fuels from day one until the day it is retired.

School building electrification is not a new concept. In fact, schools across the state are
converting to 100% clean electricity to save money, improve air quality for students, teachers and staff, and advance climate goals.
• Lincoln is about to break ground on a Net Zero K-8 renovation school project.
• Wellesley has one net zero ready elementary school in the design phase and is in the feasibility phase of a second.
• Brookline passed a Warrant Article in May 2019 requiring that all new school buildings be fossil fuel free.
• Westborough has approved and is moving forward with a net-positive energy elementary school.
• Arlington is about to break ground on a new all-electric high school where heating and cooling systems will utilize heat pumps.
• Several Cambridge schools have been rebuilt all-electric: Martin Luther King School, King Open School and the Cambridge Street Upper School, as well as the Valente Branch Library and a new administrative building for the entire school department; the Tobin/Vassal-lane school will be rebuilt all-electric.
• Construction is underway on the new Belmont Middle and High School which will be net zero and all-electric with heating and cooling by a geothermal heat pump system.
• Amherst passed a bylaw in 2017 requiring zero energy new municipal and school buildings.
• Concord is at the end of Feasibility for a net zero design for a new middle school and expects to start Schematic Design in the next few months (there was a CV-related delay).
• Lexington’s Select Board and School Committee adopted a building policy calling for construction of all-electric buildings, maximizing onsite renewable energy, and setting high standards for indoor air quality. Lexington’s Hastings Elementary School and Lexington Children’s Place pre-school are both expected to be net positive buildings when the solar energy systems that have been approved are completed later this year.

Energy efficient all electric schools are cost-effective to build and operate, while providing a healthier and safer learning environment for students and teachers alike.

Schools built on wetlands are more likely to suffer from mold and poor air quality, and need expensive repairs, especially as our region sees more frequent and intense rainfall.

Thank you for your consideration of our views. From the Green Communities Program to the Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Program to the Complete Streets grants and more, we are so appreciative of the Commonwealth’s partnership in supporting cities and towns efforts to advance our transition to a clean economy and make our communities more resilient as we face a changing climate. We would welcome the opportunity to speak with you in more detail about these recommendations and help you build support to enact them.

Sincerely,

Amherst
Darcy Dumont, Town Council, District 5
Dorothy S. Pam, Town Council, District 3
Patricia De Angelis, Town Councilor

Andover
Maria Bartlett, Member of Green Advisory Board

Arlington
Joseph A. Curro, Jr., Select Board Member
Adam Chapdelaine, Town Manager

Ashland
Robert Scherer, Select Board Member

Barnstable
Gordon Starr, Town Councilor, Precinct 1

Becket
Alvin Blake, Planning Board

Bolton
Jonathan Keep, Select Board Member

Boston
Kenzie Bok, City Councilor
Annissa Essaibi-George, City Councilor (At-Large)
Ed Flynn, City Councilor
Matt O’Malley, City Councilor

Braintree
Julia Flaherty, Town Council, District 1
Kelly J. Cobb-Lemire, School Committee Member

Brookline
Raul Fernandez, Select Board Member
Werner Lohe, Climate Action Committee (co-chair)

Burlington
Martha Simon, School Committee Member

Cambridge
Patricia Nolan, City Councilor
Quinton Zondervan, City Councilor

Concord
Charles Parker, Middle School Building Committee Member

Dalton
Robert Bishop, Select Board Chair
Cheryl Rose, Conservation Commission
Henry Rose, Commissioner, Conservation Commission
Joseph Fish, Chair, Green Dalton Committee

Dedham
Jessica Portee, Planning Board Member

Framingham
Geoff Epstein, School Committee Member, District 6

Gloucester
Jennifer Holmgren, Councilor-at-Large

Hopkinton
Jeffrey S Barnes, Conservation Commission (Chair)
Lakeville
Jesse L. Medford, Open Space Committee (Chair)

Lawrence
Jonathan Guzman, School Committee Member – District F

Lexington
Mark Sandeen, Select Board Member

Marlborough
Samantha Perlman, City Councilor

Medford
Zac Bears, City Councilor
Nicole Morell, City Councilor
Paul Ruseau, School Committee Member
Jenny Graham, School Committee

Newton
Susan Albright, City Council President
Alicia Bowman, City Councilor
Deb Crossley, City Councilor
Andreae Downs, City Councilor
Maria Scibelli Greenberg, City Councilor
Bill Humphrey, City Councilor
David Kalis, City Councilor
Josh Krintzman, City Councilor
Marc Laredo, City Councilor
Rick Lipof, City Council Vice President
Julia Malakie, City Councilor
Chris Markiewicz, City Councilor
Emily Norton, City Councilor
John Oliver, City Councilor
Holly Ryan, City Councilor

Northampton
Bill Dwight, City Councilor at Large
Alex Jarrett, City Councilor
Karen Foster, City Councilor, Ward 2
Susan Voss, School Committee Member
Chris Mason, Energy & Sustainability Officer

Pittsfield
Mary Stucklen, Commissioner – Green Commission

Reading
Vanessa Alvarado, Select Board Member

Somerville
Will Mbah, City Councilor
Ben Ewen-Campen, City Councilor
Katjana Ballantyne, City Councilor
Kristen Strezo, City Councilor-at-Large

Taunton
Phillip Duarte, City Councilor

Wakefield
Mehreen N. Butt, Town Councilor
Julie Smith-Galvin, Town Councilor
Susan Veilleux, School Committee Member
Rob Darnell, Environmental Sustainability Committee (Chair)
Mary Hajjar, Environmental Sustainability Committee (Vice Chair)
Robin Greenberg, Environmental Sustainability Committee
Jennifer Kallay, Gas & Light Board Commissioner
Elizabeth Sheridan, ESC Student Liaison

Watertown
Caroline Bays, Town Councilor
Angeline B. Kounelis, Town Councilor
Tony Palomba, Councilor-at-Large

Wellesley
Lise Olney, Select Board Member

Williamstown
Anne O’Connor, Select Board Member

Winchester
Michael Bettencourt, Select Board (Chair)

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Posted in Energy Committee, Green, Schools, State

Earth Day letter from MEC

Posted on April 20, 2021 | Comments Off on Earth Day letter from MEC

Fellow Medfielders,

As we recognize Earth Day 2021, global responsibility is clearer than ever, and local action more urgent than ever.

Some Medfielders have already made the transition, but now all households need to go EV, HP, PV:Subscribe

  • EV: for anyone who must own a car, start driving Electric when it is time to buy the next Vehicle.
  • HP: when the boiler or furnace starts to fail, go electric with a HeatPump system.
  • PV: putting PhotoVoltaics on the roof is a very profitable step.

For each of these decarbonizing steps, yes, there are considerations, as with any change. But, the transition is not usually particularly burdensome, and often is surprisingly advantageous.

The three steps are the transition to low-carbon that is needed. Beyond them, there are indeed many other wonderful things Medfielders can and should do to benefit the environment. But
taking any of these three steps, by far, will have the largest climate impact. These steps are also absolutely essential to meeting local, state, national, and global climate goals. And, no
one is likely going to force anyone to take them.

Literally, it is up to us.

Medfield Energy Committee (MEC) and Medfield Environment Action (MEA) are recommending passage of a number of key Warrant Articles at Town Meeting aimed to responsibly help accelerate the decarbonization transition locally. Your support will be appreciated.https://f58f435f01693e6841d462c24030fa4b.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html

It should also be mentioned that an unexpected outcome, after a year of Covid quarantining, is that we each now have a better idea of what other carbon-reducing efforts will work for us, in our
post-pandemic lives. Awful as it has been, we have learned what might help us come-back-carbon-better.

Medfielders making these careful and caring consumer choices is exactly what is necessary to prevent the worst climate cataclysm for our children and grandchildren.

It’s what will make for a great Earth Day.

Sincerely,

Fred Davis, Chair – Medfield Energy Committee

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Posted in Energy Committee

Elementary School Project – Sustainability Forum 7PM Thursday

Posted on February 24, 2021 | 1 comment

Elementary School Project

Sustainability Forum this Thursday

Zoom Link:

https://medfield-net.zoom.us/j/83347163639?pwd=N0phSWk0ZlViS3BPQlQ2TlhkdXBrdz09Hear from Arrowstreet, the new Elementary School Project architect, about the design considerations to be made over the next two months related to energy efficiency and net zero emissions:What is it?Why do it?Where is MA headed?Case StudiesOther Agenda Items:Utility incentives New Elementary School ProcessOther Building Types & Net Zero/Energy Efficiency Incentives for residential users Q&A/Break-out discussions  A net zero building uses only as much energy as it can generate and being able to achieve that is a function of the building design. 
 Please join us to learn more on Thursday!
 Sponsored by the the Sustainability Subcommittee of the Dale Street School Building Committee and the Medfield Energy Committee.

Please follow and share our Facebook page and visit our Elementary School Project website for updates.  Any questions: email DaleStreetSchoolProject@gmail.com.

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Posted in Buildings, Energy Committee, Green, Schools

GCAR submitted today

Posted on November 6, 2020 | Comments Off on GCAR submitted today

The Green Communities Act requires the town to submit an annual report of what energy conservation measures (ECM’s) have been done and what are planned to be done. Yesterday I reviewed and signed off on the final report for this year. Filing the annual report is a prerequisite to getting the generous Department of Energy Resources (DOER) annual grants, so an important annual step. The Medfield Energy Committee and Amy Colleran, Facilities Director have championed getting the report prepared and filed, this year with the assistance of an Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) consultant obtained with grant monies.

The full report can be found here

gc-annual-report_medfield_11.5.2020-final-draftDownload

I found this spreadsheet (partial copy below) listing about 100 ECM’s the most interesting (lots has already been accomplished and lots is still planned). Note how much of what is planned will be paid for by the DOER grant monies.

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Posted in Energy Committee, Green, State

Small businesses get energy saving opportunity

Posted on September 16, 2020 | Comments Off on Small businesses get energy saving opportunity

Eversource press release announces energy saving assistance for our town’s businesses –

Eversource Energy : Partners with Medfield to Launch Energy Efficiency Campaign for Small Businesses

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09/15/2020 | 02:55pm EDT

Energy company helps business owners identify specific ways to save on building’s operating costs now and in the future

BOSTON September 14, 2020 – Eversource is working with Medfield next month on the Main Streets energy efficiency initiative to help local, small businesses reduce their energy costs, save money and have a positive impact on the environment. From September 14th until September 18th, energy experts from Eversource-approved contractor, Rise, will be in the community meeting with businesses, scheduling no-cost energy assessments and answering questions about energy-efficient equipment upgrades and improvements.

‘Energy efficiency provides businesses of all sizes with a competitive edge and directly impacts their bottom line through energy savings,’ said Eversource Vice President of Energy Efficiency Tilak Subrahmanian, ‘Many small businesses are facing financial hardships right now, and this effort will help connect small business owners with ways to save on their energy costs.’

Medfield is one of 15 communities chosen for this initiative in 2020. In 2019, Eversource visited nine communities and helped small business owners reduce their energy use by more than 2.7 million kWh and save more than $400,000 as a result of this initiative.

The Main Streets energy efficiency program begins with a no-cost, no-obligation energy assessment identifying energy-saving opportunities for small businesses, such as new lighting, occupancy sensors, programmable thermostats, refrigeration controls, insulation and more. Some of the improvements, such as installing aerators and spray valves, happen on the spot at no cost to the customer. Larger improvement projects, like HVAC equipment upgrades or the installation of energy-efficient motor controls, are scheduled for a future date. For a limited time, Eversource has increased incentives for a range of energy-efficiency improvements to further offset the cost of upgrades, and interest-free financing is available for any remaining costs.

Local, licensed electricians contracted by Eversource will complete approved projects, ensuring minimal disruption to daily business operations. All contractors are required to follow state-of-the-art health and safety guidelines to minimize the spread of COVID-19, and all high-efficiency products installed as part of the program will include warranties for both materials and labor.

Eversource has delivered postcards with more information about the program to Medfield businesses. For more information about the program and to schedule a free assessment at a convenient time, businesses should contact Eversource’s contractor, Rise, directly at 401-784-3700 x 6158.

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Posted in Business, Downtown, Energy Committee, Green, Uncategorized

Medfield awarded $139,316 in GCA grant

Posted on August 27, 2020 | Comments Off on Medfield awarded $139,316 in GCA grant

Email from the Medfield Energy Committee Chair, Fred Davis –

Announced today: Medfield is being awarded $139,316 in Green Communities funding from the Massachusetts Dept. of Energy Resources.

Congratulations and appreciation to Director of Facilities Amy Colleran, and MEC members for all the work the grant application entailed.

Leveraged with expected utility incentives of $28,858, the effort will result in a total funding of $168,174 for energy-efficiency projects.

All the work will be done at no cost to the Town.

This is the first Green Communities funding that Medfield has applied for since its initial funding as a Green Community. The initial round of projects involved upgrading to LED lighting in Town buildings, along with upgrade of the Blake Middle School controls system.

Most of this next work will involve upgrading two other control systems in the schools. Additional measures involve lighting, gas traps, weatherization, hot water.

The projects are expected to bring about reductions in greenhouse gases: gas and electricity consumption to decline by 2,107 MBtu/year, with about 3/4 of that being reduction in gas heating.

Dollar savings are projected at $41, 286 each year.

In addition, $13,490 of the funding is allocated for professional development and administrative support.
— Fred Davis
Chair, Medfield Energy Committee

——– Forwarded Message ——–

Subject:FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Baker-Polito Administration Awards $13 Million in Green Communities Grants
Date:Thu, 27 Aug 2020 14:39:16 +0000
From:Brown, Kelly (ENE) <kelly.brown@state.ma.us>

Good morning Green Communities,

Below is the Competitive Grant 2020 press release announcing $13 Million in grant awards to 103 communities. Over the next week you will receive more information from the Green Communities Division on next steps. Congrats to all the awardees!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 27, 2020CONTACT
Eric Noreen
Eric.Noreen@mass.gov
Baker-Polito Administration Awards $13 Million in Green Communities Grants103 Communities Receive Funds for Energy Efficiency and Clean Energy Projects BOSTON – The Baker-Polito Administration today awarded $13,000,558 in Green Communities competitive grants to 103 municipalities across Massachusetts to fund clean energy projects. With today’s announcement, the Department of Energy Resources (DOER) has awarded over $136 million to Green Communities in Designation Grants and Competitive Grants since 2010. “The Green Communities program continues to make significant progress in helping municipalities reduce their carbon footprint and save on energy costs,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “Our administration is committed to supporting clean energy and energy efficiency efforts that make the Commonwealth’s cities and towns cleaner, healthier, and more affordable places to live.” “As we work to meet our net zero by 2050 emissions goals, the Green Communities program gives our dedicated municipal partners the resources they need to continue making progress in increasing energy efficiency and lowering energy costs,” said Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito. “We look forward to seeing the continued growth in energy innovation and energy savings that these grants will enable in towns and cities across the Commonwealth.” Under the Green Communities Act, cities and towns must meet five criteria to be designated a Green Community and receive funding. 271 Massachusetts cities and towns have earned the Green Communities designation, which accounts for 84 percent of the Commonwealth’s population. This ninth annual round of DOER Green Communities competitive grants is awarded to existing Green Communities that have successfully invested their initial designation grants and previous competitive grant awards. The grants provide financial support for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects that further the designated communities’ clean energy goals. Grants are capped at $200,000 per municipality. Funding for these grants is available through proceeds from carbon allowance auctions under the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). “The Green Communities program helps cities and towns make important investments at the local level to combat climate change by reducing emissions,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Kathleen Theoharides. “Air-source heat pumps, ventilation system upgrades, and electric vehicle charging stations are just some of the exciting new projects that these grants will fund in order to increase energy efficiency and clean energy innovation in municipalities across the state.” “Municipalities play a crucial role in achieving the Governor’s ambitious net zero by 2050 emissions target,” said Department of Energy Resources Commissioner Patrick Woodcock. “Today’s announcement is a testament to the hard work and dedication of both the Green Communities team and the many hardworking and dedicated municipal partners across the state who successfully implement these projects that lower energy costs and provide long-term greenhouse gas savings.” The grants announced today fund a range of projects from ventilation system upgrades and high efficiency lighting to the installation of insulation and energy management systems at municipal buildings and facilities. Also included are the installations of air-source heat pumps, hybrid police cruisers, and electric vehicle charging stations. The following municipalities received grant awards: 

. . . Medfield $139,316 . . .

  All Green Communities commit to reducing municipal energy consumption by 20 percent over five years. These commitments amount to collective savings of 2,534,787 MMBtu, energy use equivalent to heating and powering nearly 20,000 homes and reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 233,640 tons, equivalent to taking over 45,000 cars off the road. For additional information on awarded projects and funding amounts, please see here.

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Posted in Energy Committee, Environmental, Green, State

MEC 8/24

Posted on August 21, 2020 | Comments Off on MEC 8/24

Your Medfield Energy Committee has tons of irons in our local fires – Zoom in next Monday at 7 PM to hear and see what is happening

  • Medfield Environment Action – new group
  • Community Aggregation – for next town meeting
  • Climate Goals – for next town meeting
  • Solar Projects – e.g. Kingsbury Club solar is large enough to be a power plant
  • New Dale St. School – building to net zero can save the town money
  • Green Community Act – (Municipal) Operations – how state grants are being used to make our town better

The agenda and Zoom link are below:

TOWN OF MEDFIELD MEETING NOTICE Posted in accordance with the provisions of MGL Chapter 39 Section 23A, as amended Due to the COVID-19 emergency, this meeting will take place remotely. Members of the public who wish to view or listen to the meeting may do so by joining via the web, or a conference call. 1. To join online, use this link: a. https://zoom.us/j/98488657066?pwd=U1FsZVR5SFYzRlV5bmRwdENBVlBxdz 09 b. Enter Password: 221674 2. To join through a conference call, dial 929-436-2866 or 312-626-6799 or 253-215-8782 or 301-715-8592 or 346-248-7799 or 669-900-6833 a. Enter the Webinar ID: 984 8865 7066 b. Enter the password: 221674 Medfield Energy Committee Board or Committee PLACE OF MEETING DAY, DATE, AND TIME Remote Meeting held on Zoom Monday, August 24, 2020 7:00 pm 1. Report from the Chair – Fred 2. Approval of minutes from past meeting: 7/20 – Penni 3. Committee Roster update – Cynthia 4. Medfield Environment Action – Megan Community Forums: CCA, Climate Goals 5. Community Aggregation – Megan / Bob / Paul / Jeremy a. Warrant Article – wording b. Jul 22 Public Forum, other publicity Posted: 6. Climate Goals – Jim a. Warrant Article – wording b. GHG Inventory tool – Hilli c. Aug 17 Public Forum, other publicity 7. Solar Projects – Penni a. PPA vs ownership; SDA b. Kingsbury Club: zoning c. DPW roof: grant application – Hilli d. Old landfill e. Other sites 8. New Dale St. School – Alec a. Arrowstreet: Acton-Boxborough b. Eversource funding available (Cullinane; Thornton Tomasetti?) c. BoS support of NetZero goal d. Sandeen analysis tool – Megan 9. MassEnergize – joint MEA-MEC meeting 10. MSH Subcommittee: MSH Development Committee activity 11. Municipal and Community Partnership with Eversource – Tricia 12. Liaison with other orgs: MCAN, CRGC, MAPC, IECC 13. Medfield Long-Range planning process – Cynthia 14. Green Community (Municipal) Operations – Amy a. 2020 Green Communities Funding-- $139,316 applied 5/1; answered q’s 6/19 b. Exterior and Interior lighting controls at High School, Middle School c. High School: Trane / ESPO / interval data / scoping study – Alec d. MAPC Regional Energy Planning Assistance Funding – Paul $2500: Help prep, complete annual report $1500: Competitive grant prep e. Consumption during shut-down? f. LED Streetlights: invoices adjusted g. Energy Management function: Susan McPhee to be invited to BoS And, any additional business that came in after the deadline that must be discussed prior to the next meeting.

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Posted in Buildings, Energy Committee, Green, Medfield State Hospital, Schools

Medfield climate goals forum at 7:30 on 8/17

Posted on August 5, 2020 | Comments Off on Medfield climate goals forum at 7:30 on 8/17

From Helen Dewey of Medfield Environment Action –

CLIMATE GOALS: Think Globally, Act Locally Learn more at the Virtual Community Forum Monday, August 17th at 7:30pm hosted by Medfield Environment Action and Medfield Energy Committee • What are climate goals? • Why are they important for Medfield? • How does Medfield align with MA climate goals? • What would the development of a Net Zero Action Plan for Medfield entail? Climate Goals for Medfield will be a Warrant Article to be voted on at Town Meeting in the fall (date TBD) Monday, August 17th at 7:30pm via Zoom Registration required Register via email at MEAMedfield@gmail.com

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Posted in Energy Committee, Environmental, Green

Guest Column: Why pursuing a net zero school building for Medfield makes sense

Posted on June 13, 2020 | Comments Off on Guest Column: Why pursuing a net zero school building for Medfield makes sense

Fritz Fleischmann is a resident, a professor at Babson College, a member of the Medfield Energy Committee, and an activist on greening Medfield.  His article below first appeared in this week’s Medfield Press  –

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Guest Column: Why pursuing a net zero school building for Medfield makes sense

By Fritz Fleischmann

Posted Jun 11, 2020 at 7:00 AM
   

At its meeting on June 2, the Medfield Board of Selectmen listened to an intriguing presentation from Mark Sandeen, a member of the Select Board in Lexington. In February, Lexington had opened its new Hastings Elementary School as a net-positive building: an all-electric building that uses no fossil fuels and that generates more energy than it consumes in its operation. Mr. Sandeen had been invited by Fred Davis, chair of the Medfield Energy Committee, to be part of a presentation by the MEC to the Board of Selectmen. The MEC asked the board to charge the MEC and Arrowstreet, the Dale Street Planning Committee architectural firm, to figure out together whether a new school building for Medfield could be constructed as a fossil fuel-free building, at a total lifecycle cost that equals (or is less than) that of a more conventional building.

In his introductory remarks, Fred Davis pointed out that this is already proven technology, implemented in a number of schools in Massachusetts.

As Mark Sandeen explained, the Hastings School is an 110,000-square-foot elementary school building that is going to house 645 students on a regular basis, the second (and larger) of two net-zero school buildings now operating in Lexington. Several features enable the building to produce more than enough energy to meet its own needs: a tight envelope reduces those needs by 50%; in addition to solar panels on the roof, solar canopies were erected on the parking lots around the building. An electric heat pump will move heat from the ground during the winter months, and it will cool the building during the summer by pumping heat out of the building back into the ground. The annual energy needs of the building were calculated at 970,000 kilowatt hours of electricity; the solar installations on the rooftop and the canopies are projected to produce 1.1 million kilowatt hours per year. An extensive battery system was installed to lower peak demand in the building.

An additional benefit of this design is that the Hastings School is the healthiest school building ever erected in Lexington; increased and improved air circulation creates an environment that is most conducive to student learning.

The Lexington facility will, on an annual basis, produce more energy than it consumes. The net-zero-energy features, along with incentives from the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources, provide substantial net dollar benefits to the town from Day One. Under a worst-case scenario (if revenue is lower than expected and expense higher than expected), Sandeen projects a net income to the town (annual dollar benefits exceeding annual bond payment) in the range of $30,000. Under moderate conditions, the projection of net benefit goes up to around $100,000/year.

Mr. Sandeen’s talk is available as part of the video taken of the Selectmen’s meeting on June 2, which has been posted on YouTube by Medfield TV (the MEC presentation begins at 57.53).

As Medfield’s project is just entering the design phase, this is the perfect time to think about making the Dale Street School an all-electric Net Zero building. At the end of the presentation, the Selectmen were definitely interested in the concept and charged the MEC and Arrowstreet with creating scenarios informed by Mr. Sandeen’s presentation.

The MEC is working on a number of fronts to reduce carbon emissions in Medfield. If you would like more information or to help with these efforts, contact Fred Davis, MEC chair.

Fritz Fleischmann is a resident of Spring Street.

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Posted in Buildings, Energy Committee, Green, Schools

MEC – make new Dale Street School net zero

Posted on May 26, 2020 | Comments Off on MEC – make new Dale Street School net zero

RESOLUTION OF MEDFIELD ENERGY COMMITTEE
RE DALE STREET SCHOOL
ADOPTED 5/21/20

We highly recommend that the Dale Street Committee move forward to
make this project net zero carbon emissions.

Constructing a new building for zero fossil fuels must be done now, or
systems will have to be reconfigured at very high expense in the not too
distant future. Medfield is planning Dale Street for the town’s future so we
must incorporate a net zero goal at this time.

Governor Baker has committed to a close-to-net zero carbon emissions in
2050 for all of Massachusetts. The time is now to make this commitment in
Medfield and to design for the future.

By this document MEC is showing that other communities have made a
commitment to Net Zero buildings, and that many new schools are
explicitly modeling for this objective.

As options are reviewed with costs, financing, incentives, and energy
expenses projected, we are optimistic that, as has been demonstrated in
other towns, Medfield can construct a net zero building at a very
reasonable net cost, or even net profit. This is an exciting time for
innovation in this field and making this happen will require many in the
community to learn about new technology. Doing this for this large and
important school construction project will allow Medfield to take a major
first step in moving toward a net zero footprint.

Please let us know where and when we can further discuss this topic and
when this commitment can be included in the planning for Dale Street and
how it will be evaluated.

The MEC stands ready to help research and support this component of the
project.

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Posted in Buildings, Energy Committee, Green, Schools, Select Board matters