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Welcome to the January-February 2018 issue of the TCCPI Newsletter, an electronic update from the Tompkins County Climate Protection Initiative (TCCPI).
TCCPI is a multisector collaboration seeking to leverage the climate action commitments made by Cornell University, Ithaca College, Tompkins Cortland Community College, Tompkins County, the City of Ithaca, and the Town of Ithaca to mobilize a countywide energy efficiency effort and accelerate the transition to a clean energy economy
. Launched in June 2008 and generously supported by the Park Foundation, TCCPI is a project of the Sustainable Markets Foundation.
We are committed to helping Tompkins County achieve a dynamic economy, healthy environment, and resilient community through a focus on energy efficiency and renewable energy.
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City Considers Green Building Policy for New Construction
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by Matt Butler, Ithaca Times
For the past several months, consultants and an advisory board have worked with Nick Goldsmith, the Sustainability Coordinator for the Town and City of Ithaca, to develop green building policy guidelines for new construction, which Mayor Svante Myrick called for in his latest State of the City address.
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| Harold Square under construction. Photo credit: Ithaca Voice. |
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The consultants -- Noah Demarest of STREAM Collaborative, David West of Randall-West, and Ian Shapiro of Taitem Engineering -- presented two options in January to the Planning and Economic Development Committee, an "easy path" and the "whole building path." The easy path is a pick-and-choose system, with a list of criteria that correspond to a certain number of points; once the project has reached a certain set amount of points, it can be approved. The list of points has not yet been finalized, but would include items such as building shape, low-flow shower heads, high-efficiency lighting, heat pumps, among other things.
T
he whole building path adheres closer to established national guidelines like LEED certifications or Home Energy Rating System (HERS) index scores. Developers can choose which path to take, though the easy path has been designed to ensure relatively achievable thresholds. The whole building path was established primarily for developers with design constraints that may force them off the easy path.
The presentation team identified the four tenets of a successful green building policy as affordability, impact, flexibility, and achievability.
The team anticipates that under the policy carbon emissions would be reduced to 40-50 percent below the NYS Energy Code for new construction and 70 percent better than existing building stock, and would be flexible enough policy that it can be continually adjusted as carbon emissions goals change over time.
The great majority of the points such as simple building shape or wall-to-window ratio could be achieved at lower or similar construction costs.
There are still parts of the proposal to be ironed out, including the full points system list and the full scope of what the policy will impact. Goldsmith said it's still unclear how the policy's final form will address certain variations of new construction, such as renovations both residential and commercial.
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Next TCCPI Meeting:
Friday, February 23, 2018
9 to 11 am
Tompkins County Public Library
Borg Warner Conference Room
101 E. Green St.
Ithaca, NY 14850
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NYSDEC Recognizes Ithaca as Climate Smart Community |
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos recognized the City of Ithaca on January 31 as New York's 17th local government to be designated a Certified Climate Smart Community. "I applaud the city of Ithaca for its longstanding commitment to fighting climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions," said Seggos. This community has embraced the value of creating a dense, walkable city and Ithaca's example shows all New Yorkers the path to a more sustainable future."
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NYSDEC officials present Mayor Myrick with Climate Smart Community signs. Photo Credit: Finger Lakes Times.
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"We thank the DEC for this meaningful recognition, and thank the State for its leadership on climate issues," said Mayor Myrick. "We are proud of the accomplishments that have earned us this certification, and of our new electric vehicle infrastructure, which helped us earn NYSERDA's Clean Energy Communities designation. We look forward to future successes such as upgrading our streetlights to LED technology and improving the energy efficiency of new construction in Ithaca."
Launched in 2014, the Climate Smart Communities Certification Program recognizes local governments that have taken action to reduce emissions and protect their communities from a changing climate. The 17 Certified Climate Smart Communities represent New York's foremost leaders in local climate action.
The city of Ithaca earned certification points in nearly all of the 10 Climate Smart Community Pledge Elements, illustrating its well-rounded, comprehensive climate action strategy that embraces both mitigation and adaptation. Ithaca has completed multiple greenhouse gas emissions inventories for both municipal operations and the broader community, and created an Energy Action Plan to guide progress toward reducing emissions.
The City of Ithaca leads by example by focusing first on its own operations. Between 2001 and 2010, the city of Ithaca reduced greenhouse gas emissions from government buildings by 20 percent. Since 2012, the city of Ithaca has purchased enough Green-E Certified Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) to offset 100 percent of its electricity use in municipal facilities. As a result of these RECs and biogas from the local waste water treatment plant, about two thirds of the total energy used in city facilities comes from renewable energy.
Ithaca has also worked hard to improve quality of life in the community and create a dense, walkable city. Its Comprehensive Plan focuses on smart growth by supporting mixed use zoning, diverse housing choices, and cluster development, and by directing development to existing urban areas. Ithaca has also implemented initiatives to make the city bicycle-friendly by completing a bicycle boulevard plan, installing bike parking, improving signage, and expanding paths along the Cayuga Lake waterfront.
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Warm Feet and Low Heating Bills in a Mobile Home |
by
Margaret McAden,
Get Your GreenBack Tompkins Intern
Fran Enders is now much more comfortable in her mobile home in Newfield, where for the last 20 years she has lived with her husband, Don, and their dog, Lamby.
Over the course of last summer, Fran, 75, and Don, 89, who are both retired, took advantage of a number of free energy-related programs which have greatly contributed to their home's comfort, as well as to its safety and lower energy bills. Fran said she her feet could tell the difference. "I can walk in my stocking feet and not have my slippers on."
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Fran Enders by the door of her newly weatherized mobile home.
Photo credit: Maggie McAden.
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The Enders' story began when Gibrian Hagood, an educator from
Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County
, visited her neighborhood sharing information about a program that offered free energy efficiency education. The information shared included learning how to install simple energy improvements like window wraps, LED light bulbs, or weather stripping.
Through Gibrian, Fran and Don learned about several free programs that can help homeowners and renters reduce their energy use, including the
Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) and
EmPower NY, two free federal and state programs which both help seal air leaks, increase insulation, and replace inefficient lighting and appliances. They also learned about the
Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP), which along with help paying for utility bills can help repair and replace heating equipment, and provide air-conditioning for people with certain medical conditions. Gibrian's assistance made it easy for them to fill out the applications for WAP, Empower NY and an air conditioner through HEAP.
Within a few months,
Tompkins Community Action, which administers WAP in Tompkins County, had performed an energy audit on their home and outlined what work could be completed within the programs. The list was impressive.
Tompkins Community Action replaced their furnace with a much more efficient model, installed a new refrigerator, hood over the stove, thermostat, and energy-efficient light bulbs, and properly vented the clothes dryer. They also replaced and secured registers in the floors, helped insulate the underside of the floor in their home, and ensured the water heater was working properly. They also qualified for a brand new air conditioner. All of this was free of charge, as the Enders' were income eligible.
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Take a step to save money and energy! Visit getyourgreenbacktompkins.org
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One Last Thing: Renewable Energy on the March |
The news so far this year has been dismal: mass shootings, Russian meddling in our elections, rabid political partisanship on Capitol Hill, scandals erupting in the White House, and an opioid epidemic out of control. And that's just the tip of the iceberg.
There's a bit of light, however, glimmering on the renewable energy front. When President Trump first took office, it looked like renewable energy would be entering an unremittingly bleak era. His administration has mounted a militantly pro-fossil fuel campaign, advocating policies that are clearly aimed at undercutting the transition to renewable energy. The recent decision to impose a 30 percent tax on solar panels imported from China, in particular, looked as if it would deal a substantial blow to the solar industry.
Surprisingly, though, it doesn't seem like the expansion of renewable energy can be stopped. As the New Republic
points out, "
From solar to wind to geothermal energy, the renewables industry is
withstanding Trump -- and in some cases, it's doing better than ever." It turns out that the long march towards a clean energy economy can be hindered but not stopped. Trump simply does not have the power to alter the direction of technological innovation and market forces.
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Source: Bloomberg New Energy Finance.
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A new report, the
2018 Sustainable Energy in America Factbook, underscores this point. Even in the uncertain climate accompanying the ascension of Trump to the White House in 2017, 18 percent of all electricity in the U.S. was produced by renewable sources, including wind, solar, and hydropower, up from 15 percent in 2016. That, as one energy analyst
noted, puts renewables "within striking distance" of the nuclear power sector, which has hovered at 19-20 percent since 2008. Just as impressive, the share of electricity produced by r
enewables in the U.S. has doubled since 2008, while coal's share plummeted from 48% to 30%.
The continued drop in the cost of renewables (and natural gas) spells bad news for coal going forward. Solar and wind projects made up about 62% of new power construction in 2017 and 2.9 gigawatts of new renewable energy projects were undertaken last year. In contrast, 12.5 gigawatts of coal plants are slated to shut down in 2018.
"Imagine," observes the New Republic, "how well solar, wind, and battery technology would fare if Trump had the same enthusiasm for promoting it as he does for promoting coal and oil and gas." But then Trump wouldn't be Trump -- that's the unfortunate reality. In the meantime, however, the renewables march forges ahead.
Peter Bardaglio
TCCPI Coordinator
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Be sure to visit the website for TCCPI's latest project, the Ithaca 2030 District, an interdisciplinary public-private collaboration working to create a groundbreaking high-performance building district in Downtown Ithaca.
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