ENERGY

Consistency Is Key

Branford gets $25k grant for future projects to build on success

Consistency is key. One of the easiest ways to make sure your plans are successful is to be consistent and keep working at them. Recently, Branford won a $25k grant because their Clean Energy Committee has set clear goals for their town and worked towards them.

First created in 2019, the Branford Clean Energy Committee has helped foster a community of individuals and businesses with clean energy knowledge, that will help the state reach its greenhouse gas emission targets in the coming decades.

The grant, which was handed out by Energize CT and sponsored by Eversource and Southern Connecticut Gas, will go to helping small businesses with energy needs as well as municipal buildings.

Energize CT said that their “goal in working together is to better familiarize residents and businesses on energy efficiency programs and offers in support of efforts by the Sponsors for a broader reach of energy efficiency engagement and program participation across the state through the Partnership.”

Per their application form, community groups, nonprofit organizations, and municipalities were able to apply to this grant initiative, and municipalities were encouraged to partner with a community-based organization. For Branford, that was the town’s Clean Energy Commission.

That commission is a big reason why they were able to successfully make that pitch. Readers of CT&C would recognize that they are often profiled in the Innovative Ideas of this magazine specifically for their work towards energy savings, alternative sources, and other programs that help their citizens and businesses save money.

One such program was the HeatSmart residential program. Branford First Selectman James Cosgrove spoke about this specific program in a Patch article, stating that it promoted clean energy while saving homeowners money by investing in clean, efficient heat pump energy systems.

Some of this grant money will go towards existing building solutions, new building solutions, equipment rebates and more. Businesses that are interested can find the information on the website Branfordcleanenergy.org.

The clear takeaway here is that to reach any of these goals, you have to be consistent. Over the last three years, the Branford Clean Energy Committee has shown that good work will lead to more good work in their town. At least $25,000 worth of it.

Knowledge Can Lead To Savings

West Hartford holds webinar for business owners on energy efficiency

With record inflation, prices are going up for everyone. And unfortunately, this includes energy costs. The Town of West Hartford held a webinar for local businesses to help them focus on energy efficiency and keep the cost of running a business down.

Held on May 5, the session was presented in collaboration with the town’s Economic Development Division, the West Hartford Clean Energy Commission, and the West Hartford Chamber of Commerce.

The idea was brought to the West Hartford Clean Energy Commission by commission member and local business owner, Steve Sack of Sack Energy according to an article in the West Hartford News.

Sack noted that a presentation by Environment Systems Corporation (ESC), another West Hartford based business, made “good business sense,” realizing that other business-owners could benefit from this information.

Quoted in the article is Kristen Gorski, Economic Development coordinator for the town, who said: “There are so many great opportunities out there to support local business with energy efficiency that can help offset or even reduce energy costs.

“We find that energy efficiency is often not explored or implemented because business owners are either not aware of this information or the task appears too daunting.”

Often lost in the mix is that spending money up-front can lead to long term savings over the life of a product. An EV car is a prime example of this counter-intuitive thinking. Often an EV is more expensive to own upfront, but over the life of the car, the savings on gas and other expenditures can be in the thousands of dollars – with improvements happening each day.

There are many similar ways that business owners can implement these changes for overall energy efficiency.

In addition to ESC, there were also presentations by Eversource and the CT Green Bank. All three aimed to educate and inform about modern solutions to rising energy costs through programs and incentives.

The secondary benefits after saving money for businesses in the here and now, is that over time, that saved energy will hopefully help us move into a greener economy. Not just in dollars, but in renewables and efficiency. West Hartford, alongside their partners, are helping businesses do both.

Newtown Renews Renewable Energy Push

Municipalities around state would benefit from getting to 100%

Just a few years ago, it might not have seemed doable to make the switch to solar. The cost of the panels and the installation would be high. But Newtown is leading the way on their solar journey, with the possibility of hitting over 90% in 2022.

To start, some facts. It would take approximately 21,000 square miles of solar panels to power the entire United States. Using those figures, Connecticut would need somewhere in the range of just 31 square miles, plus a little bit extra for our density.

So where do you find that extra space? Mostly here and there.

Newtown will be able to reach the 95% threshold for their buildings through arrays that were placed both in town, on buildings, as well as purchasing solar energy from larger systems across the state.

Because electricity is so expensive in the state of Connecticut, we were the second state in the Union to reach what is known as grid parity.

According to the folks at the Climate Reality Project, that is “when an alternative form of energy generates power at a levelized cost of electricity that’s equal to or less than the price of buying power from the electric grid”

Naturally, the first state to reach grid parity was Hawaii, which is isolated by thousands of miles of ocean. Connecticut doesn’t have that excuse.

Getting back to the 21,000 square miles, while that might seem like a lot to power the entire United States, it’s actually a fairly small percentage of land. As a percentage of the entire land area, that’s around .5%. It is also half of the land that is leased or owned by the entire oil and gas industry.

But according to some figures, individuals like Elon Musk who has made a name for himself in the electric industry by purchasing the companies Tesla and SolarCIty, the actual amount of space it will take is closer to 10,000 square miles, with one-square mile of battery storage.

And with the grid parity, it’s almost always easier and cheaper to install solar panels or other forms of renewable energy. In Newtown, through smart efficiency programs, they are saving over $100,000 a year in one school alone.

In 2022, it’s not so much a question of should you do renewable energy projects, it’s how and when. There are clear benefits to making the switch, and every town and city should be asking how much money would I save if I adopted these measures?

Animal Shelter Saves On Energy

Dan Cosgrove Animal Shelter pairs with Sustainable CT to go net-zero

The Dan Cosgrove Animal Shelter in Branford wants to make history. Just as they are charged with keeping pets safe and happy until they find their forever homes, they want to keep the environment safe and happy by becoming the first net-zero animal shelter in the country, and they’re going to do so with a little help from Sustainable CT.

Throughout the pandemic, the team at the shelter has been working diligently to plan for their new building. As they continue to grow in their ability to serve Branford and North Branford, the new building will expand their capabilities to “meet the needs of our furry and feathered friends,” as they put it.

Though plans were already in place to build, some amenities that would help make the building net-zero were not originally included in the costs. They wanted to add amenities towards that goal and decided the Sustainable

CT Community Match Fund was the way to go.

Towns and cities across the state have already utilized the match fund, which matches funds raised by the community 1:1 up to $25,000. As long as the projects fit the criteria laid out in the Sustainable CT action points, this is an easy way for your community to invest in green infrastructure.

In fact, the shelter was able to raise $15,000 for a total of $30,000 after the matching funds were added. This money will go to LED Exterior and Interior Lighting, a Dual EV Charging Station, and the costs to install two Solar Thermal Hot Water 120-gallon systems. These systems were donated to the shelter by the Connecticut Green Bank.

It took all of 12 days – not even two weeks – for the shelter to reach their goal, and donors ranged from $10 to $5000. Every donation, big and small, all added up to one successful campaign.

The Dan Cosgrove Animal Shelter has an amazing track record for caring for our non-human friends – in a press release for this project they list out all the animals that they’ve cared for, saying:

“Hundreds of displaced animals come through the shelter’s doors each year. In addition to dogs and cats, Branford’s animal shelter serves as the temporary home for less common animals, too, including guinea pigs, chinchillas, rabbits, and even the occasional owl and deer.”

By going green in their building, the shelter is giving back to the environment and doing their part to protect the homes of our indigenous creatures, and ensuring that there will be outdoor places where we can hang out with our pet friends after giving them forever homes!

Going Green, Doing Good

North Haven program donates food for green investment

Going green helps everyone. Could it get any better than saving money and doing your part to help in the fight against climate change? In North Haven, the Clean Energy Task Force said yes it can.

As part of their work towards minimizing greenhouse gases, two vendors donated $25 for each completed Home Energy Solutions (HES) campaign, raising a total of $6075 for the North Haven Congregational Church Food Pantry.

Each HES campaign sends out officials from energy companies to go out to homes in the designated area to check them for “energy inefficiencies like drafts and air leaks” while also providing things like LED light bulbs and water saving aerators in some cases.

On Oct. 6th, Members of the North Haven Clean Energy Task Force, The Town of North Haven, New England Conservation Services and CMC Energy Services presented a $6,075 donation to the North Haven Congregational Church’s Food Pantry.

They also discuss with homeowners whether or not there is some potential savings in replacing things like appliances, heating and cooling equipment, or even replacing insulation to lower the transference of heat from indoors to outdoors. In some cases, there are improvements that will cost some money upfront that will save homeowners money in the long run.

Generally, residents can request inspections and assessments like these for about $1000, but through the program, they were able to have them completed for $50. The original price might have put it just out of reach for most households, but now almost 250 North Haven residents are able to save on their heating and energy bills.

And buying those new appliances certainly won’t be cheap either, but the good news is that through Energize CT, there are rebates for all sorts of products like Air Source Heat Pumps, Central Air Conditioning Systems, and double pane windows.

The North Haven Clean Energy Task Force is no stranger to this kind of work. This is the third HES campaign that they’ve worked on, but the task force goes all the way back to 2007.

One hates to sound like a broken record, but in this case small actions can add up to larger accomplishments. And North Haven has done its part in the work by seeking our electricity from renewable sources in its public facilities.

And of course, the donations to the North Haven Congregational Church Food Pantry are just one more way that this program is doing good for the people of North Haven. As we enter holiday season in 2021, this can be a wonderful gift to a family in need.

HeatSmart Guilford

The energy is in the soil, so keep your heat pumps in the ground

Our partners in SustainableCT have been moving force behind so many great initiatives in the state of Connecticut. Recently, the Town of Guilford announced a new program called HeatSmart Guilford aimed at building upon their already stellar Silver Certification as part of SustainableCT.

From the town, Heatsmart Guilford is a volunteer education and outreach program designed to help residents take advantage of heat pump technology. Using geothermal, air-source, and mini-split heat pumps, residents can both heat and cool their homes at lower costs and with greater environmental benefits than conventional fossil-fuel based methods.

The two major kinds of heat pumps according to Heat Smart are the Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHPs) and Ground Source Heat Pumps (GSHPs) more commonly known as Geothermal heat.

The former obtains the heating and cooling from outside air by a complex exchange of heat (either adding or subtracting). Geothermal works in a similar manner, but through tubes buried in the soil or in wells. This latter method is more expensive, but is effective in larger temperature spectrums.

Heatsmart connects homeowners with pre-selected Home Energy Solutions (HES) contractors and specialists that are working directly with the town – although the option remains open for residents to seek outside input.

The team at HeatSmart came out to the Guilford PD National Night Out, held on July 27 of this year on the Guilford Town Green to speak directly to consumers about the products and the extensive State incentives, some of which could be a bear to navigate.

A program similar to this saw over 400 Branford households take advantage of this cost-effective green energy solution.

This program is being offered through a partnership with People’s Action for Clean Energy (PACE) as well as the Guilford Board of Selectman and the Sustainable Guilford Task Force, which is in charge of their SustainableCT efforts.

PACE is an environmental organization that has for 40 years aimed to wean houses off of wasteful resources and onto 100% renewable energy sources like electric and heat pumps. According to their website, they are the largest all-volunteer organization in the state engaged with these issues.

In the town’s press release, First Selectman Matt Hoey said “This program is highly beneficial, since clean energy technologies can deliver real savings to individuals, and as important, deliver environmental benefits to us all. This program also enables Guilford residents to continue their leadership in Connecticut sustainability. I hope many of our citizens will take advantage of all the program has to offer.”

A Greener, Cleaner Hamden

Microgrids make up a large part of energy use in future

Climate Change has forced governments and people around the world to learn about new technologies, better systems, and more efficient tools to help lower the burden we are placing on the earth. Hamden’s Energy Use and Climate Change Commission (EUCC) has come up with a guide that includes a little bit of everything.

It’s clear that municipal governments in Connecticut are already doing their part to create a greener, cleaner future, but there’s always more to do. For their part, Hamden is looking to decrease energy use in their town owned buildings by 50% in the next twenty years, achieving complete renewable energy by 2050.

Strategies in the proposal include adopting guidelines for municipal buildings and schools, upgrading existing high-pressure sodium streetlights with LED Lamps and heads, and encouraging people-powered transportation such as bikes and walkways.

One of the more unique portions of their program is the building of microgrids over the next decade.

“Hamden, like all other communities throughout CT must rely on the electric grid to provide electricity to homes, businesses, and town facilities. Our current grid performs exceptionally well, but was built and designed before the advent of solar panels, allowing individual houses and businesses to generate their own electricity, and batteries, allowing them to store it.”

“A key building block of our future grid will be microgrids, consisting of smaller subsets of power sources, users, wires, and controls.”

One of the benefits of such an arrangement is that microgrids are capable of staying online during power outages that affect the greater grid.

In the initial thinking, linking solar arrays, batteries, fuel cells, and backup generators, the town can provide full operating power for the high school, ice rink, retail shopping centers, restaurants, gas stations, banks, emergency care facilities, and much more.

The plan will offer the town greater resiliency, and even some economic benefits if they sell back energy to the larger energy providers.

Much of the plan was inspired by the pathway laid out by Sustainable CT, and according to their document, especially the “three-legged stool” approach to sustainability: Focus on people, nature, and economy.

In order to be innovative, forward-thinking, to have the kind of success that you need to reach lofty goals like 100% clean energy in 30 years, you need to have a sturdy base to work off of, but also the buy-in of all parties.

The Hamden EUCC has come up with a plan that doesn’t work just for the environment, but the town, its people and business, increasing the odds of success in achieving their goals.