| Local Policy Description: | Wood-Chip Heating System at Brattleboro Municipal Union High School (Proposed)
The Windham Southeast Supervisory Union is in the process of renovating the Brattleboro Union High School and Middle School campus on Fairground Road, with completion expected by Fall 2006. In addition to structural energy-efficiency improvements, there are plans to install a district heating system that burns scrap wood chips, replacing the current oil-fired system. These changes will help the school to achieve a 75-80% reduction in emissions. The estimated start-up cost for the wood-chip system is $600,000. However, 50% of the cost will be paid by the state of Vermont, bringing the initial local investment to $300,000. Assuming oil prices of $0.93 per gallon and wood-chip prices of $27 per ton and given preliminary estimates of the building heating loads, the wood-chip system is projected to save approximately $55,000 per year, resulting in a simple payback period of about 5.5 years.
Performance Contracting with an ESCO Municipal for Building Efficiency Upgrades
Town Energy: The Town of Brattleboro would contract with an Energy Services Company (ESCO) to perform energy audits and retrofits on town-owned buildings. The proposed costs of the work would be paid from the guaranteed energy savings resulting from the retrofits, and the ESCO would be responsible for maintenance. The town could also take advantage of financial incentives from Efficiency Vermont. Assuming a 10% reduction in energy use, the Town of Brattleboro would save $64,901 annually. The savings from this program could be used to establish a revolving energy efficiency fund, to pay for future energy investments in municipal buildings and operations that develop as technology improves.
Windham Southeast Supervisory Union (WSESU) Energy: The Windham Southeast Supervisory Union would contract with an Energy Services Company (ESCO) to perform energy audits and retrofits on WSESU-owned buildings, excluding Brattleboro Union High School and Brattleboro Area Middle School, which are undergoing renovation. The costs of the work would be paid from the guaranteed energy savings resulting from the retrofits, and the ESCO would be responsible for maintenance. WSESU could also take advantage of financial incentives from Efficiency Vermont. Assuming a 10% reduction in energy use, WSESU would save $14,489 annually.
Continue Usage of LED Traffic Signals
The Public Works Department installed LED (light-emitting diode) lights for the traffic signals at Canal Street and Fairground Road, High and Oak Street, Vernon and Morningside intersections in early 2002. This project was partially funded with a grant from Efficiency Vermont. LED lights use 80 to 90% less energy than conventional incandescent bulbs. In addition, LED lights last 5-6 times longer than conventional lights, needing replacement every 7-10 years, rather than every 1.5 years. The conversion resulted in an annual saving of $1500. If all Town-owned signals were converted to LED lights, the total annual savings would be at least $4900. Converting pedestrian signals in the downtown area to LED lighting would result in even greater savings.
Municipal Use of Solar Electricity (Proposed)
The installation of solar photovoltaic panels on municipal buildings could provide many environmental and economic benefits to the Town of Brattleboro. Photovoltaics provide electricity from the sun's rays using superconductor technology. Photovoltaic systems can be used to power lights, appliances, and business equipment. While the technology for municipal solar use exists today, there are many barriers, due mostly to the high cost of installation, that stand in the way of this measure. However, programs like the federal Million Solar Roofs initiative are working to overcome barriers such as the lack of consumer and professional knowledge about solar technologies, limited number of qualified solar installers, high system cost, limited financing options and infrastructure barriers to grid-tied systems. This measure anticipates that the Municipal Center will be installed with a 2 kilowatt PV system. The estimated savings is $320 annually.
District Energy for Downtown Brattleboro Community (Proposed)
District energy systems use one or more central plants to provide heat or cooling to multiple buildings. This approach replaces individual, building-based boilers, furnaces, and cooling systems. With a district energy system, thermal energy - in the form of hot water, steam, or chilled water - is distributed by underground pipelines from the central plants to each of the connected buildings. Energy is extracted at the buildings and the water comes back to the central plants, through return pipes, to be heated or cooled again. District energy plants can be designed to produce electrical power as well as energy for heating and cooling. This is called combined heat and power, or CHP. CHP plants are able to get more usable energy out of the input fuel than a plant that produces only electricity.
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