North Adams Renewable Energy Action Plan Lorem ipsum dolor sit - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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North Adams Renewable Energy Action Plan

By Conor Dunham, Jane Tekin, and Chris Washington

Eric Buddington, City councilman

Presentation Outline

• Background: state rankings & policies, Green

Communities

• Research Findings: Energy Data
• Recommendations:
• 1. Solar Electricity Generation
• 2. Energy Efficiency Initiatives

• Accessibility & communication in both local politics and the

energy development field

• Federal government and environmental issues are not on the

same team right now … go local!

Why an Action Plan?

• Nancy Nylen, Center for EcoTechnology
• Lauren Gaherty, Berkshire Regional Planning Commission
• Chris Kilfoyle, Berkshire Photovoltaics
• Mike Canales, city administrator
• Laryssa Bernstein, city planner
• Sal Perry, Greylock Works
• Malcolm Smith, DR2 Solutions
• Joanne DeRose, National Grid

Interviews

Background

State Solar Profile

• Ranked #6 nationwide for the greatest cumulative amount
• f solar electric capacity installed in 2016 (#8 in 2015)
• Ranked #1 nationwide for energy efficiency for 2017 by

ACEEE

• Net metering/net metering caps
• SREC II (Solar Renewable Energy credits)
• New SMART (Solar MA Renewable Target) program

Mass Green Community Designation and Grant Program

• Green Community requirement
• Energy audits performed by Guardian Energy Management

Solutions

• Detailed plan to reduce the energy demand of nine

municipal buildings by making weatherization and lighting renovations

• Will reduce energy use by ~7,000 MBTUs, which is a 16%
• savings. In order to meet a 20% reduction, will need to

reduce by ~8,700 MBTUs.

• Projected energy savings: $225,000/yr

North Adams’ Energy Reduction Plan (2016)

Research Findings

North Adams’ Energy Mix: Municipal (FY 2016)

• So, total municipal energy used in the full year of 2016:

43,380 MMBtus = approximately 12,713,000 kWh.

• Mass Energy Insight (MEI) - publicly inaccessible

North Adams’ Energy Mix: Commercial & Residential (2015)

• So, the residential and low-income

electricity use for the full year of 2015 = 30,521 MWh = 30,521,000 kWh

• And the commercial and industrial

electricity use for the year of 2015 = 42,000 MWh = 42,000,000 kWh

• MassSAVE

Existing Non-Residential Solar Projects in North Adams

Array/ location of array Solar developer Size (# of panels, amount of land it takes up) Capacity Cost Financial Incentives Used, if any East Street Landfill* (makes municipal “100% renewable”) Borrego Solar 6,000 panels 3.5 MW $ 9,096,322.00 Power Purchase Agreement with Syncarpha Capital MASS MoCA Building 5 Gallery Tecta America New England LLC 51.6 kW $ 1,705,960.00 Power Purchase Agreement with Tecta Solar Witts Ledge Clean Energy Collective 25 acres 1.32 MW Walmart Green Skies Renewable Energy LLC 197.64 kW Drury High School Sirois Electric, Inc 198 roof panels 39.5 kW $ 257,996.00 South State Street Hollander Co, Inc 642 kW 700 West Shaft Rd. Borrego Solar 4.5 acres 650 kW MCLA’s Feinberg Center for Science and Innovation North Adams Library

Recommendations:

Solar Electricity Generation

Lots of Potential Solar!

• 7,000

MWh of combined roof and parking lot annually

Electricity Estimations

• Electricity use: 2200 MWh annually
• Roof production: 200 MWh annually
• Lot production: 1600 MWh annually
• Roof only meets 10% of demand
• With parking lot would be closer to 80%

Results

• Manager didn’t know any solar information-- put

through to home office, no response

Walmart

Electricity Estimation

• Roof Production: 130MWh

Results

• Excelsior Printing has moved
• locations. However Dave

Moresi would be open to solar

Excelsior Printing

Electricity Estimation

• Electricity use: 800 mWh
• Lot production: 510 mWh
• Roof production: 560 mWh

Results

• Contacted store manager, put through to

absentee landlord-- no response

Stop & Shop

Electricity Estimation

• Electricity use: 1300 MWh annually
• Roof production: 900 MWh annually
• Lot production: 500 MWh annually
• Could meet electricity demand!

Result

• Put through to landlord-- pending

Big Y

• Largest

and most experienced solar installer in the Northeast; 60+MW installed capacity solar systems; more than 11,000 installations.

• Installed Solar Power systems to 32 Stop&Shop locations in NE
• Installed the the Big Y in Lee, MA. 343 kW solar energy

system, funded by a PPA through Smart Energy Capital, owned and operated by Hudson Energy Solar, and installed by RGS August 2012

Real Goods Solar Company (RGS Energy)

Recommendations:

Vermont: Community Energy Dashboard

Benchmarking

Benchmarking

• Local grid that has the capacity to be disconnected from the

larger grid, and operate autonomously.

• Community Microgrids Program awards funding for

feasibility assessments and attract third party investment to these opportunities.

• Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC)

Municipal Microgrid System

• The Massachusetts

Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) Ag- Energy Grant Program

• USDA-Rural Energy for

America Program (REAP): Greylock Works applying for this

Financing: Agriculture

• Mass Clean Energy Center:

○ Wind energy, hydropower, solar electricity & solar thermal ○ Clean Transportation

• NBCTC building

Financing: Municipal and Non-Profit

• Keep pushing for state to increase in net metering caps
• Focus on local action

○ Reach out local businesses ○ Make sure residents are aware of financial incentives

• Benchmarking and tracking of energy info to the

public and within local governments, improve access to energy data and educational resources

Next Steps

Thank you!