aeon energy,
dean environment
New England:
Cleaner Environment through
Energy Efficiency & Clean Energy
&EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency New England
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Res/dents of New England will enjoy a
healthier, safer environment when the
region uses less energy and cleaner
energy. Across these six northeastern
states, bus/nesses, towns and cities,
nonprofit groups and schools are reducing
their energy use and the threat of climate
change, and improving our air and water
quality.
Here at EPA New England, we have made
energy a priority, supporting programs
that cut energy use and reduce its impact
on our environment. EPA New England
has formed an Energy Team whose
members focus on energy's impact on air
qualify and public health. The team guides
energy-related policies and programs
meant to encourage energy efficiency and
renewable power. Conservation efforts
complement cleaner energy sources
to help New England meet the energy
demands of a productive region while also
maintaining a healthy environment.
Appliances, buildings and motor vehicles
that use less energy cut our energy needs
without changing the qualify of our lives.
Renewable energy, such as wind power,
and decentralized sources of energy, such
as fuel cells, help reduce our reliance on
foreign supplies. In this brochure, we
recognize the challenges New England
faces and the accomplishments of
organizations and businesses dedicated
to cutting energy use in this region.
C
The Capuano School,
Somerville, MA
Energy Efficiency
in Government
In Somerville, MA, the Michael E.
Capuano School uses 43 percent less
electricity and 24 percent less natural
gas than typical school buildings due
to energy efficiency measures. These
measures reduce energy costs to the
city by $60,000 each year.
The City of Rochester, NH, one of
New Hampshire's first participants in
EPA New England's Community Energy
Challenge, has become a model
for energy efficiency in municipal
operations. Rochester began a multi-
phase, $12 million project with Honeywell Energy Services in the mid-1990s to
reduce energy consumption in municipal operations. The city saved $4 million and
was partially funded by $7 million in state and utility aid. In addition, Rochester,
with a contribution from Waste Management of New England, bought two hybrid
vehicles for its Code Enforcement office. The city continues to expand its energy
initiatives through the Rochester Energy and Sustainability Committee.
The Bath Water District in Bath, ME, saves more than $30,000 a year thanks
to new variable frequency drives on two pumps. The drives adjust the speed of
the pumps according to the volume of water they need to pump to meet demand.
Before the upgrade, the pumps operated only at their maximum speed when in
use. The $60,000 project was subsidized by a $15,000 incentive from Efficiency
Maine, giving it a payback of 18 months. The facility saves about 376,000 kilowatt-
hours annually since the upgrades in 2003, which is equivalent to the amount of
energy used by 35 homes in a year. The project also has a tangible environmental
impact: The energy savings translate into a reduction of more than 208 tons of
carbon dioxide per year.
The Saco, ME, wastewater treatment facility slashed its energy costs through a
systematic approach to energy management. The utility incorporates an ethic of
energy efficiency into all facets of its operations. The payoff is one of the highest
possible rankings on the ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager benchmarking tool
and some of the lowest energy costs for a utility its size in the nation. As projects
are completed, new projects start. Upgrades are done when old equipment wears
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Government
Cities and towns across New England have found they can save money at the same time that they respond
to increased citizen interest in less polluting energy sources. Communities as big as Boston and as small as
Poultney.VT are saving millions of dollars each year with new energy efficiency programs and by using cleaner,
renewable energy sources. Among the highlights:
out or plant personnel notice a spike in energy costs. For example,
when ceramic diffusers on the plant's aeration system were clogging
frequently, the plant saw higher energy bills and switched to different
membrane diffusers. The utility is now looking to add renewable
energy to its portfolio. A solar thermal heating array and a 1.8-kilowatt
windmill are in operation, and future upgrades may include a larger
SQkilowatt windmill and a project to reuse waste heat from the plants
effluent wastewater.
New Hampshire's Department of Justice building uses 37 percent
less energy than average for a building its size, preventing annual
greenhouse gas emissions equal to 200 vehicles while saving more
than $24,000 a year. Built in 1955, this state building is one of 74
buildings in New Hampshire that received extensive upgrades as part
of the state's Building Energy Conservation Initiative. Together these
upgrades save New Hampshire taxpayers more than $1.1 million in
annual energy bills.
The Maine Public Utilities Commission Building in Augusta was
the first office building in Maine to earn the ENERGY STAR® label.
It uses 35 percent less energy than average for a building its size.
Built in 1942, the PUC building received several upgrades, including
efficient lighting and a solar hot air wall-mounted panel system. New
operating practices reduced energy use further while improving indoor
air quality and ventilation.
The Conn. Department of Environmental Protection building
in Hartford earned an ENERGY STAR® label after scoring 90 out of
100 on ENERGY STAR® 's national energy performance rating system.
Built in 1930 and renovated in 1995, it proves that older buildings
can be energy efficient. The DEP building uses one third less energy
than average for a building that size—saving taxpayers more than
$400,000 each year. It is one of more than 20 buildings upgraded by
the State Building Energy Conservation Program that together save
taxpayers millions of dollars.
Medford City Hall was the first city or town hall building in
Massachusetts to earn the ENERGY STAR® label. Completed in
1937, Medford City Hall has new lighting and controls, solar panels
for electricity, more efficient heating, and water conserving plumbing
fixtures. Medford City Hall uses 28 percent less energy than average
for a building its size.
In 2007, Town Hall buildings in Littleton, MA and Glastonbury, CT
also earned ENERGY STAR® labels.
Manchester, VT, replaced more than 40,000 incandescent light bulbs
with energy efficient compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) that use 75%
less energy. The town completed this in less than six months. Over
the lifetime of the bulbs, the project will save $1.7 million and 13,184
megawatt-hours of energy, enough to power nearly 1,600 Vermont
households for a year. It will also prevent 7,772 tons of carbon dioxide
emissions - the equivalent of taking 1,345 vehicles off the road.
New England Community Energy Challenge
The average New England town of 25,000 spends about
$1 million on energy per year. Given that typical buildings
waste as much as 30% of the energy consumed, there is a
significant opportunity for savings when cities and towns
take control of energy use in local schools, municipal
buildings, and wastewater treatment facilities.
Right now, municipalities across New England are taking
action to reduce energy waste, limit greenhouse gas
emissions and save money with EPA New England's
Community Energy Challenge. Through this program,
town managers and mayors commit to assessing energy
use in buildings, schools and/or wastewater treatment
facilities—using ENERGY STAR® tools to analyze
building energy performance, pledging to reduce energy
use by 10 percent or more, and promoting energy
efficiency and renewable energy among residents, local
businesses and nonprofit organizations.
In return for this commitment, EPA provides free training
and technical assistance, and offers national and
regional recognition through its awards programs.
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Northeast Diesel Collaborative
Emissions from diesel engines are a primary source of air
pollution in New England and can aggravate respiratory
problems. Two counties in Connecticut fail to meet air
quality standards for fine particles, and cities across New
England narrowly meet the standard. The northeastern
states have some of the highest asthma rates in the nation,
including a childhood asthma rate above 10 percent in
each New England state. Although EPA has taken steps
to ensure that diesel engines in the future are cleaner than
those operating today, older models of these engines that
are still being used could pose health and environmental
risks for decades. EPA New England, aware of the value
of working together to combat emissions, has joined with
EPA Region 2, the Northeast States for Coordinated Air
Use Management (NESCAUM) and the governments of the
eight northeastern states to establish the Northeast Diesel
Collaborative (NEDC). The NEDC combines the expertise
of public and private partners in a coordinated regional
initiative to significantly reduce diesel emissions from
existing fleets in five key sectors: municipal, transit, freight,
construction, and ports. Recent achievements by NEDC
and its partners include:
• As part of a landmark $22.5 million agreement between
the environmental protect/on and transportation agencies in
Massachusetts, regional transit and school buses statewide
will be equipped with advanced pollution controls.
• Four states have new laws requiring emissions controls
on public fleets, including school buses (CT, NJ, Rl),
garbage trucks (NJ), all state-owned or contacted vehicles
(NY), and municipal vehicles (NJ).
• NESCAUM, on behalf of NEDC, is retrofitting 500 to 600
utility company vehicles throughout the eight-state region.
The NEDC is joining other organizations in New England to help
local efforts to reduce diesel emissions. One such initiative,
Greater Boston Breathes Better (GB3), is working to reduce
air pollution from transportation and construction sources
in and around Boston. GB3 provides a range of options to
companies, institutions, and municipalities that want to reduce
air pollution and air toxics from mobile sources. Harvard
University, for instance, has developed contract language
requiring retrofits, cleaner fuels, and an anfr/dling policy to
be implemented on all construction projects. Both the city of
Boston and the city of Somerville are using a biodiesel blend
in all their dieseLpowered vehicles.
The Somersworth, NH, Housing Authority saves more than
$45,000 a year on energy bills, thanks to energy saving lighting
and other energy improvements at its 169 housing units. The
energy upgrades were done through a performance contract with
an energy services company that guaranteed the town $540,000
in savings over 12 years.
Clean Transportation
in Government
The Town of Natick, MA, worked with General Growth, the
contractor involved in the expansion of the Natick Mall that
began in 2005, to require the use of advanced pollution control
technology and low sulfur diesel fuel (ahead of the requirement)
and to enforce state idling regulations for construction vehicles
involved in the project.
The City of Boston, MA, has shown its continuing commitment
to sustainable transportation through the CleanAir CABS program
launched in April 2007. Through this program, city taxi owners will
be able to replace traditional gasoline taxis with cleaner vehicle
technology, including electric, hybrid-electric, compressed natural
gas and other low emission alternative fuel vehicles.
Clean Energy
in Government
In Hull, MA, a second wind turbine was built on the site of the
town's old landfill, saving the town's ratepayers $400,000 a year
on their electric bills. The first wind turbine has already cut the
town's electric bill by about $140,000 annually.
Charlemont, MA, has a municipal wastewater treatment plant
with a 15-kilowatt photovoltaic solar array that has reduced energy
costs by 54 percent since the panels went on line in mid-2005.
The project, which includes 96 solar panels mounted on eight
poles connected to three inverters, performs above its design
capacity and provides more than half of the plants electric needs.
The plant's average energy use in the month of June from 2001
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overnment
to 2004 was 2482 kilowatt-hours. Since 2005, the average June energy use
has dropped 62 percent to 950 kilowatt-hours. A grant of the Massachusetts
Renewable Energy Trust offset half of the $142,000 project cost. In addition to
the financial savings, the panels reduced the facility's carbon dioxide footprint
by nearly 17 tons in the first two years of operation.
Massachusetts Maritime Academy in Bourne, MA, and the International
Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Union in Dorchester, MA, built on-site
wind turbines to provide electricity to their facilities.
In New Haven, CT, a 200-kilowatt fuel cell at the city's wastewater treatment
plant saves the city nearly $700,000 a year in electric bills, while also
supplying the heat to run an expanded fats/oil/grease processing facility.
This expanded facility also pays the city $200,000 in usage fees each year.
Fuel cells produce heat and electricity by combining hydrogen and water in
an emission-free electrochemical process.
Burlington Electric Department in Burlington, VT, signed a 20-year
contract to buy electricity from a proposed 9-megawatt wind farm on Little
Equinox Mountain in Manchester. The wind project, slated to provide 7
percent of the city's electricity, is a major boost to the city's goal of reducing
greenhouse gas emissions by 10 percent by 2010.
Essex Junction, VT, installed a high efficiency microturbine to provide heat
and electricity to its wastewater treatment plant. This system will provide
about 40 percent of the plants electricity needs, saving the city approximately
$30,000 per year in electricity costs. The turbine runs on natural gas, but
in this case, the fuel is a renewable by-product of the wastewater treatment
process. This system will cut the plant's greenhouse gas emissions by more
than 250 tons a year, which is the equivalent of taking 42 cars off the road.
In late 2006, Brockton, MA opened one of the largest solar electricity facilities
in New England. This 425-kilowatt facility sits on a 3.7-acre brownfield site
formerly owned by Bay State Gas Corporation. This facility will help the city
avoid emissions of 600,000 pounds of carbon dioxide per year.
The Whitman-Hanson Regional School reduced its environmental
impact with a 51-kilowatt solar array, a well-insulated building envelope,
energy-efficient mechanical systems, a reflective white roof, high-efficiency
appliances and the best use of natural lighting. The 234,500 square-foot
Whitman school also includes a stormwater collection system that stores
rainwater in a 20,000 gallon storage tank for use in toilets and urinals. The
school is part of the Green Schools Initiative founded by the Massachusetts
Building Authority and the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative.
NE States Take Action on Energy
From energy efficiency to renewable power,
New England states are national leaders.
These six states made commitments
through the New England Governors and
Eastern Canadian Premiers' Climate Change
Action Plan to put in place policies that
are among the most aggressive in the na-
tion. New England states together commit
more than $250 million per year to energy
efficiency.
These investments—combined with ag-
gressive efficiency standards for home
appliances—are recognized as among the
leading efficiency programs in the US. In
addition, EPA's ENERGY STAR® program,
which encourages businesses to reduce en-
ergy use, has led hundreds of building man-
agers to use EPA software that measures
energy consumption and helps managers
cut demand in their buildings.
When it comes to renewable energy, New
England is also showing leadership. All six
New England states have enacted standards
calling for increasing amounts of electricity
sold in each state to be generated from
renewable resources such as wind, hydro
and solar power. In addition, Connecticut,
Massachusetts, and Rhode Island also have
programs that spend more than $25 million
a year to advance renewable energy tech-
nologies and businesses in their states.
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PA NE a National Leader
n Energy Efficiency
When EPA New England's laboratory in Chelmsford,
MA was constructed in 2001, it was the first
laboratory in New England - and the first EPA
building nationally - to be certified LEED Gold by
the US Green Building Council. Over the past three
years, the laboratory has complemented its energy
efficient design with improved energy management
practices like daily end-of-day walk-throughs to shut
down non-essential equipment. Practices like this
have collectively decreased energy consumption
in the facility by 31 %, reducing energy bills by
$207,000 in 2007 alone.
Energy Efficiency
in Business
'air
In addition, the installation of 23 fan-powered
terminals helped with heat distribution. The
operation of the building changed in
other energy-saving ways, including
turning down heating or air for
longer hours during weekends and
nights; closing down equipment
and processes that are not in
use; manually adjusting heating,
cooling and humidity controls
when necessary; reducing light
levels in common areas by using
emergency and natural lighting in building
hallways; and walking through the lab at the end
of each day to close fume hoods and turn off lights.
EPA hopes to achieve further energy savings at the lab
by developing expanded on-site renewable resources
to provide power.
Bringing Energy Efficiency to
New England's Lodging Industry
EPA has partnered with trade associations, building owners,
and utilities to bring the message of energy efficiency to New
England's lodging industry. Nationwide, hotels spend almost
$4 billion on energy every year, and are among the most energy
intensive commercial buildings. Across New England, 33 hotels have
earned the ENERGY STAR® label. Of these, 28 are in Massachusetts
and 5 in Connecticut.
EPA is collaborating with the lodging industry associations
throughout New England to help hotel owners manage their energy
efficiently. EPA staff members have presented at training
sessions hosted by the NH Lodging and Restaurant
Association, and worked with New Hampshire
utility staff to coordinate energy efficiency
incentive programs with a strategic energy
management approach. In Massachusetts,
EPA is working with Boston Green Tourism, to
promote strategic energy management, and
to recognize energy efficiency improvements
at these facilities. In 2007 alone, five Boston
area hotels—Doubletree Guest Suites Boston
and Boston Downtown, Hyatt Harborside and
Hyatt Regency in Boston; and the Royal Sonesta
in Cambridge—earned EPA's ENERGY STAR® label
by making significant energy improvements.
Jurys Boston Hotel significantly reduced energy consumption
with cost-effective measures ranging from upgraded guest room
lighting to an ozone laundry system. EPA estimates that the Jurys
Boston Hotel uses 28 percent less energy than similar buildings
with average energy performance, and saves more than $217,000
in energy costs each year. Jurys Boston Hotel also avoids more
than two million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions annually, the
equivalent of burning 109,712 gallons of gasoline or taking 207
cars off the road.
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Businesses
Businesses across New England have learned that cutting energy use is one of the
easiest, most effective ways to control costs. Companies also find they can be more
independent and predict costs with more accuracy by buying more of their power from
clean, renewable energy sources. Among the examples across the region:
Car dealership Planet Subaru in Hanover, MA, improved energy
efficiency by using operable windows, programmable thermostats,
passive solar heat, increased insulation and a specially-designed
garage door that closes rapidly to minimize loss of heated and cooled
air. The owners also upgraded exterior lighting, and created outdoor
lighting zones that run on timers and photo sensors. They also provide
bonuses and other recognition to employees who suggest energy
efficiency initiatives.
The company worked
with National Grid
power company to save
125,000 kilowatt-hours
and more than $22,000
each year.
John Hancock tower saves
$3.5 million in energy bills
The John Hancock
Tower, one of New
England's most
prominent buildings,
has become a symbol
of energy efficiency. In 2005, trie Hancock Tower and two other
buildings in its complex achieved EPA's ENERGY STAR® rating for
their building's energy performance. Compared to similar buildings,
EPA estimates the Hancock Tower uses one third less energy, saving
more than $3.5 million a year in energy bills, and avoiding more than
30 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions annually.
Stop & Shop Supermarket Company is one of the nation's most
energy efficient grocery chains. The company, considered a "top
performer" among ENERGY STAR® Leaders, earned a remarkable
energy performance rating of 91 (out of 100) for 552 of its Stop &
Shop and Giant stores. The company's retail outlets feature cutting-
edge elements like: skylights and natural lighting, high-efficiency
lighting, refrigeration systems witii variable-speed compressors and
lowenergy glass doors, occupancy sensors and reflective roofing.
The Business Council of Fairfield County, CT, and its member
companies have embraced energy efficiency to save money,
reduce air pollution and improve reliability of the region's antiquated
and overburdened electric system. The council and EPA together
developed an innovative program to improve energy efficiency in
large office buildings that was adopted by the Connecticut Public
Utilities Commission and put in place by Northeast Utilities and
United Illuminating. In the first round of the program, participating
companies received comprehensive energy upgrades in about 8
million square feet of office space. This saved them hundreds of
thousands of dollars and significantly reduced energy use. The pilot
was so successful it was expanded to address other buildings in a
second round.
Hannaford Bros. Co. of Maine avoids more than 52 million pounds
of carbon dioxide emissions a year, the equivalent of taking more
than 5,100 cars off the road, by energy efficiency changes made in
16 of its grocery stores. The store also earned national recognition
for its use of the ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager after it improved
energy efficiency by upgrading its lighting to T8 fluorescents and
LEDs; maximized natural lighting; reused waste heat; and automated
control of lighting, heating, refrigeration and air conditioning.
Progressive Plastics saves nearly $18,000 a year with energy
efficient hydraulic injection molding machines at its Williamstown,
VT, plant. In addition to cutting electricity use by 160,000 kilowatt-
hours a year, the more efficient machines reduced the company's
scrap rate from 5 percent to nearly zero and eliminated the labor
and environmental costs of dealing with hydraulic fluids in the old
machines.
Clean Transportation
in Business
IBM in Cambridge, MA, joined EPA New England's list of Best
Workplaces for Commuters in 2006. To help employees reduce air
pollution from their commutes, IBM offers an outstanding commuter
benefits package, including a transit subsidy, emergency ride home
program and a significant telecommuting program.
PlanetTran of Cambridge, MA, is the first auto service in the
country to exclusively use ultra fuekfficient hybrid vehicles.
In 2006, Oakhurst Dairy, an independent dairy company in Maine,
transrtioned 130 of its delivery trucks, or more than 90 percent
of its fleet, from petroleum diesel to a B20 blend of biodiesel
fuel. Oakhurst estimates the greenhouse gas emissions saved
on an annual basis by switching to biodiesel to be the equivalent
of avoiding the use of 137,628 gallons of gasoline each year.
1
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Clean Energy
in Business
In March 2007, New England's largest wind farm went into
service in Mars Hill, ME. Mars Hill Wind consists of 28 wind
turbines each of which is 389 feet tall from the ground to the
tip of the rotor. The wind facility, when operating at full capacity,
generates approximately 42 megawatts of power, enough to
power 45,000 average Maine homes. Even at 35% capacity,
the project generates enough power to accommodate at least
22,000 homes.
"Cow power programs" from Central Vermont Public Service
now use bio-gas from cow manure to produce electricity. Farms
in Bridport, Richford, Sheldon and St. Albans are expected to
produce between 1.2 and 3.5 million kilowatt-hours of electricity a
year from more than 2,500 cows at the four farms. Blue Spruce
Farm in Bridport with nearly 1,000 milking cows produces about
24 million pounds of milk a year and 1.3 million kilowatt-hours,
SmartWaySM Transport Partnership:
Bringing "Green" Principles to Shipping
EPA and the freight industry are working together through the
SmartWaySM Transport Partnership to both make this country
more secure and reduce air pollution and greenhouse gases.
The partnership challenges shipping companies, truck and
rail carriers, and logistics companies to minimize the pollution
caused by their operations.
By 2012, this initiative aims to eliminate 33 to 66 million
metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions and up to 200,000
tons of nitrogen oxide emissions each year. At the same
time, the program will reduce fuel use by up to 150 million
barrels of oil a year. SmartWay5", which has more than 650
partners, is developing new tools like innovative financing for
vehicle upgrades, certified tractors and trailers with fuel- and
emissions-saving features, and information and rewards for
using renewable fuels.
EPA New England encourages trade associations, carriers,
shippers, ports and state and local government agencies to join
the effort. In June of 2007, EPA and the Massachusetts Motor
Transportation Association cosponsored a Fuel Saving Equipment
Showcase and seminar, giving New England truck operators a
chance to hear expert advice and see efficient products. EPA
also promotes related technologies and infrastructure, as well
as efficient transportation mode choice.
New England companies participating in the SmarWay3""
Transport Partnership include:
Stop & Shop Supermarket Company has improved energy
efficiency in transporting through automatic engine shutdown
and driver training to reduce idling; cab roof contouring
and a reduced gap between cab and trailer to improve
aerodynamics; and advanced lubricants and automatic tire
inflation to reduce friction losses. They also use longer trailers
to carry more in one trip.
Hannaford Bros. Co. of Maine's subsidiary, Hannaford
Trucking Co., is achieving additional emission reductions
as a partner in EPA's SmartWaySM Transport Partnership.
Hannaford is using a wide variety of fuel-saving technologies on
its trucks, such as aerodynamics, weight reduction, auto idle
shutdown, and super-single tires to reduce rolling resistance.
Operational strategies include driver training and incentives
to reach higher fleet-wide mpg targets, and optimizing routing
and scheduling to maximize trip efficiency. Through these
measures Hannaford is currently saving over 8,600 tons
of carbon dioxide, 59 tons of nitrogen oxide and a ton of
particulate matter per year.
In 2007, Staples joined EPA's SmartWaySM Transport
Partnership as a shipper partner, pledging to ship more freight
via fuekfficient SmartWay8" carrier partners. In its own trucks,
Staples is using biodiesel, optimizing routing and loads to
reduce trips, and limiting top speeds to 60 mph—all of which
reduce emissions and save fuel.
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enough electricity to power more than 100 average homes. The farm
recently added a second generator to boost their energy production.
Montagne Farm in St. Alban's, which came on line in late 2007, has 680
milking cows that produce more than 15 million pounds of milk a year and
are expected to produce 1.4 million kilowatt-hours of electricity.
The Genzyme Corporation's 12-story headquarters in Cambridge, MA
uses about 40 percent less energy than a traditional building, saving the
company about $460,000 a
year. The building's sustainable
design also includes waterless
urinals and low-flow fixtures
that reduce potable water
use by nearly a third, or about
500,000 gallons a year, and a
vegetative roof and rainwater
collection system that reduces
stormwater runoff.
The Searsburg, VT Wind Farm is one
of the renewable energy suppliers
for the GreenUp program in MA and Rl
The Schiller power plant in
Portsmouth, NH, turns burning
wood chips into electricity
Mellon Bank's 375,000
square-foot processing facility
in Everett, MA, was the first
facility in New England to
earn ENERGY STAR® labels
six years in a row. Mellon has
achieved substantial reductions
in energy use primarily through
better management. The
bank improved its energy
performance rating score
from 54 to 87 (out of 100)
in just four years. Energy use
has been cut by more than 15
percent and total cost savings
exceed half a million dollars.
Gregory's Supply, a building supply and hardware store in Burlington, VT,
saves $10,000 a year through energy efficient equipment and practices
at its 24,300 square-foot store.
Staples incorporated environmental stewardship into their corporate
plan early on. The first retail store opened in Brighton, MA, in 1986 and
the main office remains based in Framingham, MA. To fuel its booming
Reducing the Energy Costs of Water
Water and sewage utilities supply us with
drinking water and treat our sewage. In many
New England communities, these utilities are
publicly operated. By working to reduce the
amount of energy these utilities use without
compromising the quality of their service, we
can help save the public money and protect
the environment at the same time.
Energy is the largest monthly expense for
many water and sewer utilities, and one of
the top three expenses at almost all of them.
Lowering the power bill can allow utilities to
focus their tight budgets on other critical
areas without raising rates. For example,
the Lowell, MA; Regional Water Utility saved
more than $145,000 a year by upgrading to
more efficient variable frequency drives for
its pumps.
Introduced in October 2007, the EPA
ENERGY STAR® tools designed specifically
for wastewater treatment plants is providing
facility managers across New England
with a new tool to make it easier to track
and improve energy performance. The
environmental benefits of saving energy are
equally important. Saving energy at a water
utility means better air quality for everyone.
Energy savings are often tied to reductions
in water use, which can make life better for
fish and farmers and make communities better
able to withstand droughts.
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business Staples has purchased nearly 122 million kilowatt-hours of
green power, representing more than 20 percent of the company's
purchased electricity use within the U.S. The majority of Staples'
green power consists of renewable energy
certificates, but they also purchase direct
green power through various utility programs.
Staples now has 9 active solar power
systems on distribution centers and retail
stores and is investigating future projects
involving fuel cells and wind power. An active
participant in EPA's Fortune 500 Green Power
Challenge, Staples ranks as one of the largest
purchasers and its Green Power initiatives
have put the company on both the EPA's
National Top 25 list and Top 10 Retail list of
green power purchasers, serving as a great
example for other businesses to follow.
Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort in Hancock,
MA, installed a 1.5-megawatt wind turbine,
the first wind turbine at a ski resort in North
America. The turbine, named Zephyr and
made by General Electric, began generating
power in August 2007. Its three 123-foot
blades provide about a third of the resorfs
total energy needs. Any excess power not
used by Jiminy goes back into the grid. The
Zephyr produces between 5,000 kilowatt-
hours per day in the summer months and
20,000 kilowatt-hours per day in the windier
winter months when operations at the ski
resort are at their peak.
Photovoltaic panels provide 25
percent of the electricity at the
Doyle Conservation Center in
Leominster, MA
The Mark Twain Museum Center
in Hartford, CT is the first LEED-
certified museum in the country
yards of Interface's environmentally conscious fabric known as
Terratex. The cost of the energy certificates to support the wind
power is more than offset by ttie new business generated from good
publicity and resulting good will.
Public Service Co. of New Hampshire in
2006 converted an aging 50-megawatt coal-
fired burner at its Schiller Station facility in
Portsmouth, NH, into a wood-fired boiler. This
new boiler emits 75 percent less nitrogen
oxide, 95 percent less sulfur dioxide, and
90 percent less mercury than the coal-
fired boiler it replaced. The Northern Wood
Power project not only replaces 130,000
tons of coal annually, it also puts more than
$20 million dollars into the local forestry
industry.
New England Confectionary's
manufacturing facility in Revere, MA, is
powered by a 6-megawatt combined heat
and power plant. This plant operates at 68
percent efficiency compared to a national
average of 33 percent for conventional
generation. The plant saves the company
about $750,000 a year in utility costs while
cutting emissions of carbon dioxide by 32
percent, nitrogen oxides by 39 percent and
sulfur dioxide by 97 percent.
In 2004, Cranmore Mountain in North Conway, NH, became
the first ski resort on the East Coast to use biodiesel fuel to power
its snow grooming machines. The project is a collaboration of the
NH Department of Environmental Services and the Granite State
Clean Cities Coalition, a statewide partnership aimed at increasing
the use of alternative fuels across New Hampshire.
Interface Fabrics Group, a commercial fabric manufacturer with
facilities in Massachusetts and Maine, is buying 2.5 million kilowatt-
hours of wind power a year — enough electricity to weave 1 million
10
Given Mark Twain's fascination with technology, it only makes sense
that the new Museum Center at the Mark Twain House in Hartford,
CT, would include cutting edge 'green' technologies. The 33,000 square-
foot building that opened in 2005 uses geothermal wells as the primary
heating and cooling source and various other energy-saving systems
that are expected to cut energy use by nearly 30 percent.
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Nonprofits
Nonprofit groups can educate and inspire New Engenders about the wide range of possibilities for creating
"green" buildings with energy-saving features and renewable energy. All across the region—from parish halls in
Massachusetts, to land conservation groups in New Hampshire—nonprofit are using new green building designs to
showcase technologies that are available and to demonstrate their own environmental commitment.
By installing photovoltaic solar panels and a renewable wood-chip
heating system, Society for Protection of New Hampshire Forests
has cut energy bills at its Concord, NH, headquarters by 23 percent.
The nonprofit group has also opened a new
11,400 square foot wing built with native
greervcertified lumber and a super-insulated
airtight exterior shell that uses 60 percent less
energy than comparably-sized buildings.
Through upgrades and other energy-saving
measures, All Saints Parish of Brookline,
MA, has reduced its utility bills by nearly
$5,000 a year, despite an increase in operating
hours. All Saints Parish is a member of trie
Massachusetts Interfaitti Power and Electric
initiative, which has helped dozens of other
congregations reduce energy consumption
and promote renewable energy.
Roof-mounted photovoltaic panels, composting
toilets and two 1,500-foot geothermal wells
used for heating and cooling are just a few
of the "green" attributes of The Trustees of
The Reservations' new Doyle Conservation
Center in Leominster, MA. The 18,000
square-foot building has cut its energy bill by
61 percent, or about $6,000 a year.
Tufts Health Plan Headquarters
in Watertown, MA
Massachusetts Audubon's Boston
Nature Center in Mattapan, MA, includes
photovoltaic shingles that convert the sun's energy into electricity and
a ground-source geottiermal heat pump system that takes advantage
of the solar energy stored in the earth to provide efficient heating and
cooling. The 10,150 square-foot building uses 30 to 35 percent less
energy than other similarly sized buildings.
The Artists for Humanity Epicenter in Boston includes the largest
photovoltaic system in New England's largest city. The 4&kilowatt,
160-panel solar array supplies more than 80 percent of the building's
electricity. The project, a LEED Platinumcertified building, also includes
enhanced natural light, panel fans and an unusual ventilation tower
that eliminates the need for air conditioning. The LEED (Leadership in
Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System® is
a voluntary, consensusbased national standard for developing high
performance, sustainable buildings.
Wind turbine at Portsmouth Abbey
School, Portsmouth, Rl
The Woods Hole Research Center in Falmouth, MA, is a
scientific and policy institution dedicated to solving the complex
issue of climate change and to defending the earth's great forests.
In contemplating their consolidation in a new
headquarters, trustees and staff agreed that
this building should reflect the Center's core
ideals, support their research and education
mission, and promote the health of not only
the building occupants, but the larger world as
well. By giving close attention to all aspects of
environmentally intelligent design, the project
demonstrates how modern construction
can preserve the functional integrity of the
landscape. The all-electric building relies
on renewable energy sources, including an
on-site photovoltaic array which powers the
building's closed-loop ground-source heat
pump system. Careful detailing of the envelope
optimizes use of these resources-the building
is very well insulated, with an extremely tight
envelope. Skylights and fulHieight windows
provide abundant daylight and access to
views, while ventilation systems and operable
windows supply fresh air. A temperature
and humidity monitoring system, zoned
ventilation in laboratory spaces, and low-VOC
paints and adhesives further enhance indoor
environmental quality.
Massachusetts-based Tufts Health Plan's Watertown headquarters
facility uses almost one-third less energy than an average performing
building—saving hundreds of thousands of dollars in annual energy
bills. A comprehensive energy management strategy helped the
building earn an ENERGY STAR® label in 2006 and 2007. Key features
of the energy strategy include aligning lighting and air conditioning
operations closely with work schedules, lighting occupancy sensors,
and computer monitor power management software.
Portsmouth Abbey School in Portsmouth, Rl, built the first large
wind turbine in Rhode Island. The 660kilowatt turbine will save the
school more than $100,000 a year in electricity costs and will be used
to teach students about energy as part of their science curriculum.
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Clean Transportation
at Nonprofits
The Boston office of the Environmental Defense Fund, a
national environmental advocacy group, joined EPA New England's
list of Best Workplaces for Commuters in 2005. EOF located its
Boston office near a transit stop, encouraging employees and
visitors to take public transportation. EOF offers a substantial
telecommuting program, which results in more than 20 percent
of employees working from an alternative location at least one
day a week.
Dana Farber Cancer Institute incorporated clean diesel
strategies into construction of the Yawkey Cancer Center in
Boston and thus minimized the impact of the construction on
its patients, staff, visitors, residents of the nearby community,
and those involved in the construction. Early in the planning
process, Dana Farber Cancer Institute hired Walsh Brothers,
Inc. to manage the project and together they decided to include
an emissions control element in the construction, including a
no-idling policy and specifications requiring the use of advanced
pollution control technology.
Energy Efficiency
at Colleges & Universities
Yale University's Energy Program in New Haven includes a novel
energy conservation website (http://java.facilities.yale.edu/cmp/
energy.jsp) that supports the program's effort to improve efficiency
of power plants, update buildings, encourage emerging technologies
and find clean energy alternatives. The site focuses on the habits and
Best Workplaces for Commuters
Employers in Boston encourage
commuters to save time and
money by riding the commuter
rail, subway, and the bus
Best Workplace for Commuters, a national program to highlight employers
who offer their employees outstanding commuter benefits that help reduce traffic
congestion and improve air quality, was launched by EPA, but will now be managed
by the Center for Urban Transportation Research at the University of South Florida.
The center, which took over BWC in 2007, has support from the National Center
for Transit Research to operate the program.
EPA has collaborated closely with the center since the inception of Best Workplaces
for Commuters in 2001. The Center for Urban Transportation Research is
committed to working with communities and partners around the country to
strengthen and expand the program. The program recognizes employers who
provide incentives that help their employees reduce air pollution, alleviate traffic
congestion and save fuel. In many cases, these measures can help employers
save on taxes and reduce the need for parking facilities. For more information
and to join the list visit, www.bestworkplaces.org
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Colleges & Universities
University campuses, where student idealism is combined with cost conscious planning, are ideal for setting
the bar high on energy efficiency and clean energy. That's certainly been the case in New England, where
dozens of universities and colleges are working to reduce their energy consumption and are buying renewable
energy at unprecedented levels. And the impetus is coming from all levels—from ground level student activists such
as Connecticut College's Renewable Energy Club to high-level administrators.
daily life of members of the campus community. Visitors can view in
real time the amount of energy that has been saved since January 1,
2005 at various Yale buildings. For instance, between that date and
November 2007, the school reduced its use of natural gas by 600,000
million cubic feet, cut its oil use by more than 100,000 barrels and
avoided 47,035 metric tons of carbon equivalent emissions through
conservation measures and new technologies. An energy scorecard
encourages students to compete with each other by showing the
relative energy reductions accomplished by various dormitories.
Since publishing a ground-breaking environmental report card of
campus operations, the University of Vermont's Environmental
Council has developed many projects to enhance energy efficiency
and smarter energy use on campus. Among the "smart projects:"
Cooling system upgrades at the heating plant have reduced annual
energy bills by $40,000 and annual water use by 690,000 cubic
feet. New on-campus washing machines consume 50 percent less
water and 40 percent less electricity. Occupancy sensors, light
Training College Officials to
Reduce their Energy Use
ERA New England staff are training administrators and
environmental staff at New England Colleges on the
free ENERGY ST/AR® Portfolio Manager online software
package, which allows colleges to benchmark their
buildings against other similar buildings. This allows
them to achieve an ENERGY STAR® rating or to track
energy use over time on a campus. This tool will
help colleges make strategic energy efficiency and
conservation choices to reduce their energy use. The
tool can also be used to calculate the greenhouse
gas emissions from energy use on campus, helping
officials at campuses that have made climate change
commitments.
emitting diode exit signs and Sleep Mode software for computers are
used in all campus buildings. The University's Environmental Council
encourages environmental entrepreneurship by offering small grants
to support the planning and/or implementation of innovative projects
that reduce UVM's ecological footprint.
The University of New Hampshire earned the ENERGY STAR®
designation for eight of its campus buildings in 2006, including the
first residence halls in New England to earn this recognition. The eight
buildings together prevent pollution equivalent to annual emissions
from 230 vehicles - more than 135,000 gallons of gasoline - while
saving UNH more than $180,000 per year in energy bills.
Clean Transportation
at Colleges & Universities
The University of Vermont in Burlington has joined the "yellow
bike" craze that's starting to roll out at colleges across the region
and country. Under the program, used bikes are fixed up, painted
yellow and made available for free for students' use on campus.
"Yellow bike" cooperative programs offer an easy alternative to
driving. The UVM program stems from a student thesis done for an
environmental studies course and was supported with a $1,000
mini-grant from UVM's Environmental Council. Other schools in
New England with "yellow bike" programs include the University
of New Hampshire, Hampshire College in Massachusetts and
Middlebury College in Vermont.
The University of Maine, Orono, the first employer in Maine to
join the Best Workplaces for Commuters program, provides its
employees with a number of commuter benefits, including free
and preferred parking for carpools and vanpools, secure bicycle
parking, showers and lockers, and flexible work schedules. The
university also encourages employees and students to use the
Bangor Area Transportation system with a full bus subsidy for
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employees and students. In addition, the school supports a
Green Bike Program to promote bicycling, and offers employees
a Guaranteed Ride Home in an emergency. Other energy or fuel
saving initiatives include the addition of 9 new hybrid vehicles,
promoting teleconferencing, improving control of heating and
ventilation systems in academic buildings for increased efficiency,
and the installation of electric timers to replace light switches and
energy efficient light bulbs in over 800 resident rooms.
Clean Ener
at Colleges & Universities
The Community Solar Power Initiative at MIT installed 25
advanced solar photovoltaic systems on campus and in the
community. Supported by a grant from the Massachusetts
Technology Collaborative, the project involved local home
owners, institutional leaders, and a host of local solar engineers,
entrepreneurs, and installers to add more than 74 kilowatts
of solar energy capacity to the area. This generated enough
electricity to light more than 60 homes with no greenhouse
gas emissions or other harmful emissions. The 3 systems on
MIT's campus mark an important milestone: the first large-scale
renewable power systems inter-connected to MIT's power grid.
The project shows that MIT can bring innovative and renewable
power to its campus in a way that is practical and reliable.
Colby College in Waterville, ME, no longer relies on fossil fuels
for electricity thanks to a contract that has all of the college's
electricity coming from renewable energy sources. Half of the
college's power is coming from Maine hydropower, the other
half from Maine biomass wood waste such as wood chips and
sawdust. By eliminating its past reliance on coal for 70 percent
of its power, Colby has cut its smog causing nitrogen oxide
emissions by 41 percent and acid rain-causing sulfur dioxide
emissions by 98 percent.
14
Connecticut College, a founding member of EPA's Green Power
Partnership, recently doubled its support for the generation of
green power by buying wind power energy certificates equal to six
megawatts, or about 44 percent of the college's annual electric
consumption. The effort began when students in the college's
Renewable Energy Club won approval to raise student fees to
pay the extra costs for the renewable power.
Under a 2-year contract, EAD Environmental, a green power
marketer from New York, is supplying the University of Southern
Maine in Portland with 1.5 million kilowatt-hours of Green-e™
certified renewable energy certificates from wind energy facilities
to offset electricity needs of a new campus building.
The Central Utility Plant at MIT is hosting an algae colony upon
its roof as part of a pollution control technology being developed
by an energy firm in Cambridge. This unit uses a fraction of the
carbon dioxide being emitted from the power plant's emission
stream while also removing polluting nitrogen oxide emissions.
As the algae feeds on the C02 and other pollutants, it grows and
gives off oxygen and nitrogen, producing biomass that can be
converted into biofuels, including biodiesel. MIT is considering
expanding its collaboration with the energy firm to process the
algae on campus into biodiesel for possible use on campus. The
installation has proven that this technology is feasible and as a result
efforts are underway to build large-scale industrial applications.
The University of New Hampshire is building a 12-mile pipeline
to bring methane gas from a local landfill to the Durham campus.
The methane will power the cogeneration plant that provides heat
and electricity to the UNH campus. The renewable, carbon-neutral
landfill gas will replace commercial natural gas as the primary
fuel in UNH's cogeneration plant, enabling UNH to receive 80 to
85 percent of its energy from a renewable source. In addition,
the methane gas will reduce the university's greenhouse gas
emissions an estimated 67 percent below 2005 levels and 57
percent below 1990 levels. The project is expected to begin
providing gas to the cogeneration plant by the fall of 2008.
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Colleges & Universities
At Cape Cod Community College, the Lyndon P. Lorusso
Applied Technology Building opened as a "green building" in
mid-2006. The $7 million building with 19,000 square feet
conserves energy through alternative energy sources, including
passive solar systems, "smart" lighting, cooling and air-quality
sensors, and a 27-kilowatt photovoltaic system, day-lighting and
light shelves. The Lorusso
building serves as both a
model green building and as
an exemplary environmental
education teaching and
learning tool for future
technology-related facilities
on college campuses across
the country.
Students at Clark
University in Worcester,
MA, donated $10,320
to the New England Wind
Fund. The Commonwealth of
Massachusetts matched these funds twice, once in a donation to
the city of Worcester and once to a fund for low income residents
of Massachusetts. Clark raised the money by asking students to
donate $30 to offset their energy consumption. Clark's 'Choose
Renewable Energy' program is one of numerous Clark student
initiatives targeting the environmental impact of the campus. The
money raised buys renewable energy credits and supports wind
power turbines in the state. With this commitment, Clark joined
EPA's Green Power Partnership, launched by EPA in 2001 to
support the transformation of the green power market through
the voluntary purchase of clean renewable energy. Since the
partnership started, more than 600 organizations have committed
to making the switch to green power.
Middlebury College has
won praise for its new
energy-efficient library
NE and Eastern Canadian
Universities
Charting New Energy Paths
More than 100 New England college and university
presidents and chancellors representing 67,000
students, faculty and staff have agreed to support
the goals of the New England Governors'/Eastern
Canadian Premiers' Regional Climate Action Plan.
Many set greenhouse gas reduction goals for their
campuses, and all of them are taking on a wide range
of energy efficiency, renewable and clean energy and
smart transportation projects that help control rising
electricity and fuel costs and reduce air pollution. A
new professional development network of college
and university professionals who are working to
"green" campuses across New England has formed
the Northeast Campus Sustainability Consortium.
These "sustainability coordinators" work to make their
campuses sustainable through energy related projects
such as projects to reduce energy use, projects using
renewable and clean energy systems, environmentally-
responsible construction practices, buying green
power and energy efficient products, buying more
energy efficient and alternatively-fueled vehicles, and
programs to reduce vehicle traffic. Green campus
coordinators networks also have been formed for
regions, including Connecticut, Maine, Boston and
western Massachusetts.
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Contacts & Resources
EPA Energy Team Contacts
Team Leader
Cynthia Greene
617-918-1813
greene.cynthia@epa.gov
Community Energy Challenge
Shubhada Kambli
617-918-1584
kambli.shubhada@epa.gov
Energy and Water/Wastewater Infrastructure
Jason Turgeon
617-918-1637
turgeon.jason@epa.gov
Renewable Energy/Clean Technologies
John Moskal
617-918-1826
moskal.john@epa.gov
SmartWaySM Transport Partnership
Abby Swaine
617-918-1841
swaine.abby@epa.gov
Transportation
Halida Hatic
617-918-1680
hatic.halida@epa.gov
Web links to EPA's Energy Programs
ENERGY STAR®
www.energystar.gov/
Green Power Partnership
www.epa.gov/greenpower/
Combined Heat and Power Partnership
www.epa.gov/chp/
Best Workplaces for Commuters
www.bestworkplaces.org
SmartWaySH Transport Partnership
www.epa.gov/smartway/
Climate Leaders
www.epa.gov/climateleaders/
Climate
www.epa.gov/oar/globalwarming.nsf
Web links to EPA New England Energy Programs
Energy & New England's Environment
www.epa.gov/ne/eco/energy/index.html
EPA NE's 'Green' Regional Laboratory
www.epa.gov/ne/lab/greenbuilding/index.html
Related Links
Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships
www.neep.org/
Web links to New England State Energy Programs
Connecticut
www.ctclimatechange.com
Maine
www.maine.gov/dep/air/globalwarming/index.htm
Massachusetts
www.mass.gov/ocd/climate.html
New Hampshire
www.des.state.nh.us/ard/climatechange/index.html
Rhode Island
www.dem.ri.gov/climate/
Vermont
www.anr.state.vt.us/air/Planning/htm/climatechange.htm
&EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency New England
Spring 2008
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