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SEPTEMBER 12, 2014 WESTCHESTER CLIMATE CHANGE SUMMIT NINA ORVILLE, ABUNDANT EFFICIENCY

Westchester Environmental Collaboration

Started 2009 to pursue stimulus funding. Multi‐ municipal GHG inventory and CAP, incubated EIC. Energy Improvement Corporation (EIC)– funded with $2.6 million in DOE /NYSERDA funds to promote and finance energy efficiency. 12 municipal members. Began in 2010 to promote sharing of best practices and shared solutions. I provide services of ED through Abundant Efficiency LLC.

NWEAC + SWEAC = Sustainable Westchester!

www.SustainableWestchester.org

Why Collaborate?

Inter‐municipal collaboration provides key advantages including the opportunity to:

• Promote and accelerate best practices
• Strengthen market power
• Attract outside resources

Promote and Accelerate Best Practices

SAMPLE PROJECT: LED STREETLIGHTS

Promoting Best Practices

SWEAC Sustainability Forum January 2012. SWEAC Sustainabiity Forum featured Dobbs Ferry’s installation of LED streetlights replacing 300 lights. Yonkers officials used Dobbs Ferry’s experience to help prioritize replacing all city streetlights. Replaced 12,000, reducing municipal GHG emissions almost 10% and saving almost $1 million / year with no capital outlay.

Promoting Best Practices

Event hosted by Pace Land Use Law Center 11/7/13. 29 municipalities registered. Case studies:

• Eastchester
• Dobbs Ferry
• Yonkers

Yonkers RFP and final contract posted on SWEAC website.

Many Other Examples of Best Practices …. *

Green Building Codes – Yonkers, Tarrytown, Hastings, Greenburgh, Bedford Energize Energy Efficiency Program – 14 Northern Westchester communities. NYS Solar Permit – Croton‐on‐ Hudson, Somers, Yonkers, White Plains Solar on Municipal Buildings – Larchmont, Dobbs Ferry, Tarrytown, Ardsley…. Complete Streets Policies – Lewisboro, Dobbs Ferry, New Rochelle, Hastings, Somers, White Plains, Westchester County Bike Lanes – White Plains Electric Vehicle Charging Stations: White Plains, Bedford, Mount Kisco

* Note: This list is not complete!

Many Other Examples of Best Practices…. *

Mulch Mowing (Love Em and Leave Em / Leave Your Leaves Alone) – Irvington, Greenburgh, Bedford, New Rochelle, Yonkers, Scarsdale…. And many more! Plastic Bag Bans – City of Rye, Village of Mamaroneck, Larchmont, Hastings (also includes ban on expanded polystyrene!). Take It Or Leave It (reducing waste through re‐use) – New Castle, White Plains Sustainability Plans – New Rochelle, Bedford, Somers, Hastings ….. Participation in Climate Smart Communities Certification Pilot – Cortlandt, Dobbs Ferry Public education – Bedford, Tarrytown, Eastchester, Somers, Larchmont, Dobbs Ferry, and many more!

* Note: This list is not complete!

Strengthen Market Power

SAMPLE PROJECT: MUNICIPAL SOLAR BUYERS GROUP

Municipal Solar Buyers Group

Leverages market power and innovative approach – hallmarks of Sustainable Westchester and its predecessors. Effort included advocating for same incentives for solar installations for NYPA customers (in Westchester includes many local governments and public schools) as others. Group purchase with lower transaction costs (shared across consortium) and purchase prices. www.SustainableWestchester.org

Attract Outside Resources

SAMPLE PROJECT: SOLARIZE WESTCHESTER

NY’s Investment in Solar

• NYS is making $1 billion investment in solar

energy over 10 years through the NY-Sun program to capitalize on clean energy, local jobs, energy security and cost savings.

• Solarize Westchester is supported by

NYSERDA through NY-Sun to help Westchester – and all its communities - fully benefit from NYS’s investment and the

• pportunities that solar offers.

Solarize Westchester Team

• Energy Improvement Corporation – Prime

Contractor

• Abundant Efficiency – Program Manager
• Sustainable Westchester
• Pace Land Use Law Center
• SmartPower
• Croton Energy Group

“This innovative program is the first of many we expect to form through the Community Solar NY program as part of Governor Cuomo’s NY-Sun

• Initiative. NYSERDA’s partnership with Solarize

Westchester and its dedicated members will help grow the use of solar power in downstate New York and serve as a model for other counties and communities to spur growth of this clean, renewable resource.”

John Rhodes, President and CEO of NYSERDA

Solar Market in Westchester

29 43 50 58 77 162 271

50 100 150 200 250 300 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Number of PV Installations

Count

Solar Market – Trends and Factors

Growth fueled by factors including:

• Price declines – almost 30% in Westchester

from 2010 – 2013.

• New financing options:

– Leasing – Low‐cost loans – On‐bill financing and PACE financing

Solar Market – Trends and Factors

• Price declines to date, from falling hardware

costs – now attention is on “soft” costs.

• Solarize Westchester targets these costs while

supporting municipalities.

Two Complementary Components

Solarize Campaigns

Aggregate demand for solar during time limited campaigns in particular communities.

Solar‐Friendly Permitting and Zoning

Support municipalities in the adoption of streamlined and vetted processes.

What are Solarize Campaigns About?

• Community Outreach
• Moving Social Norms
• Engaging Volunteers
• Engaging Community

Leaders

Volunteers tabling a football game in Cheshire

Barriers to Going Solar 1) Cost

Tiered pricing

2) Reliability

Municipal/State‐sponsored

3) Complexity

Transparent

4) Inertia

Deadline Volunteers at a parade in West Hartford

Example: Solarize CT ‐ Results So Far

As of April 15, 2014:

• 8 MW installed through Solarize campaigns in

four Phases (Phase 4 still ongoing)

• 34 campaigns in 43 towns
• 1,160 total contracts signed
• 20‐25% reduction in cost of solar

Solarize CT: Results So Far

Permitting & Zoning Barriers

• Requiring multiple approvals like building and electrical

permits along with site plan approval, special use permits, variances, design review board consideration increase the “soft costs” to installing roof‐mounted solar PV systems

Time =

• Zoning barriers include height limitations, set back

requirements, multiple land use board reviews

Solar‐Friendly Permitting & Zoning

Project Components

• Collection of data from an estimated 80% of Westchester County’s 45 municipalities

regarding current permitting processes (Municipal Survey)

• Adoption of the NYS Unified Solar Permit (allowing for minor modifications) by an

estimated 67% (30 of 45) Westchester municipalities (municipalities that adopt the form in time will receive assistance accessing the Cleaner Greener Communities implementation funding allocated for this purpose)

• Creation of decision tree resource document to support municipalities in the removal
• f unnecessary zoning restrictions
• Through technical assistance provided by the Land Use Law Center, an estimated 5 to

10 municipalities shall remove or reduce zoning, regulatory or procedural barriers to installing PV

Step 1 (continued) – Solar Road Map Landing page will be created for Westchester County with links to all participating municipalities.

www.SolarizeWestchester.com

Attract and Leverage External Resources

Municipal engagement through Sustainable Westchester and EIC helped secure Solarize grant funds. It turn, leverage other initiatives to heighten impact – Energize (EIC), Solar Road Map (DOE funded), NYS SolarSmart (CUNY, funded by DOE, NYSERDA… )

Why Collaborate?

World Meteorological Organization 9/9/14

It’s our best hope. It strengthens commitment and builds

• courage. It helps us find a path forward, together.

Thank You!

NINA ORVILLE NINA@ABUNDANTEFFICIENCY.COM