Energy Advisory Committee

Montpelier Energy Advisory Committee Meeting Montpelier City Hall Sept. 19, 2017 Attendance: Members: Kate Stephenson, Chair; Jared Duval, Vice Chair; Amy Gamble; Dan Costin; Wavell Cowan; Councilor Anne Watson; Cara Robechek; Geoff Fitzgerald; Dan Jones; Barbara Conrey; Karl Johnson; Barry McPhee; Johanna Miller; Chris Damiani, Tim Terway Visitors: Jeff Rubin; Philip Picotte Approval of July and August Meeting Minutes: Geoff moves to approve July minutes. Dan seconds. Passes unanimously. Cara moves to approve August minutes. Geoff seconds. Passes unanimously. Public Comment: None Presentation: Jeff Rubin (for more detail, see attached presentation) Sustainable Heating and Outreach (sustainable heating.org and greenheatcollective.org) Mission: Promoting Advanced Wood Heating (furnaces and boilers in particular) On average, each home converting from fossil fuels to automated wood heat saves 9 tons of carbon emissions per year. Proposal: Drive for 105 installations of automated wood heating systems in Central Vermont (or perhaps Montpelier specifically?). 1/3 of Vermont forests are in Current Use. Average age of forestland owners in Vermont is over 60 years old. Approx. 70% of what gets harvested from a forest stand is low-grade wood, not suitable for building materials, etc. Target advanced wood heat consumer: older, educated, well-off, environmentally concerned. Solar purchasers, hybrid or electric car purchasers. Virtuous cycle between sustainable forestry and automated wood heating. Over 1,000 solar purchasers in Central Vermont. Geoff offered to show home, be involved in video or other testimonial efforts. Importance of being brand agnostic -- multiple local companies installing and/or delivering in Central Vermont: Pellergy, Sunwood Biomass; Bourne's Energy; Vermont Renewable Fuels, etc. Jeff question to MEAC: Is this a project that the MEAC feels would help meet the Net Zero 2030 goal. Looking for a yes, that we're on board. General consensus: Yes. Joey: Question re: why greenheatcollective.org? Perhaps lead to confusion around multiple names (vs. sustainableheating.org) and also with Net Zero Montpelier Kate: Why 105? By a certain date? Jeff: large enough that signals a critical mass. End date of campaign is flexible. 1 year? Geoff: Suggested referral to residential working group for further development. Barry: Question re: Current Use Jeff: Interested in doing a video project on "conversion prone owners" Question: How many pellet boilers or furnaces are already in Montpelier? 30 - 50? Preferable to start from a baseline of what we already have. Should the goal be 105 installed in Montpelier or in Central Vermont? Jared: suggested next step: meet with Ken Jones and the residential group. Important that the campaign be installer/ deliverer agnostic. To include: Ken, Jared, Barry, Barb, Amy, Kate. Jared will schedule. Working Groups: Municipal; Residential; Transportation; Policy & Planning Geoff heading municipal group. Active membership of 5-6 members (Karl, Kate, Wavell, Anne, Barb). The more the merrier. Ken Jones chairing residential. Members include Jared, Barry, Barb, Amy, Wavell). Focused on outreach to Montpelier residents and events that create individual and household action to save energy or switch to renewable energy. Transportation: Dan Costin chairs. Dan Jones, Brent, Tim (new member), and Cara also involved. Multiple projects, including planning efforts. Policy & Planning. Barb chairs; Brent assisting. (new member) Anne: Council started a parking working group. Work group updates: Policy and Planning: Planning commission updated comprehensive plan. In process, updated energy information for 2015 that is improved from prior data. Residential: Needs to meet. Sub, sub group on Button Up campaign: Kate, Jared, Cara, Joey, Paul: Transportation: Working on idle reduction system for police cruisers. Yipes in Barre can do it. Chief Facos on board (as long as they can be taken out if they don't work). Going to circle back with Burlington about how they made the system work well. Geoff: Would like to get proposal for this to the Revolving Loan Fund. Municipal: Anne looking at getting city owned street lights switched to LEDs. Communicating with Tom McArdle, head of DPW. Municipal audits contract went out. Will look for projects to fund from revolving loan fund. Importance of Todd understanding how Scott compiled city energy data. ESG project continuing to move forward... importance of supporting the bond vote that will come up in March. Hoping to start seeing content from ESG by next MEAC meeting. Other business: Cara: 7th & 8th grade students from MSM attended a VEEP training, they are going to do energy based projects this year. If MEAC has ideas for projects that schools / students could engage with this school year, let Cara know. At school board meeting there will be a discussion around bussing and possibly using VW funds for school and city buses. Barbara: The Unitarian Church of Montpelier is looking at moving to automated wood heat and at putting solar on the roof as part of its commitment to going Net Zero. Joey: Governor's Climate Action Commission will be holding public sessions. Looking for submissions of ideas on Commission website. Vermont Climate Pledge Coalition also collecting pledges from businesses, organizations, and municipalities. Dec. 2nd, 10th annual VECAN conference at Lake Morey Inn and Resort in Fairlee. Anne: Council having conversations about transportation, specifically parking. Looking at increasing parking fees in some places at some times and then using that money to fund public transit (increasing route frequency per day). Looking for thought out public plan for building out EV charging stations downtown. Dan: We are on for Saturday Sept. 23 and 30th to move farmer's market up on to State St. Need for volunteers to help farmers market vendors off load and load at beginning and end of day. Need volunteers for 1:00 on Sept. 30. Oct. 7th closing street entire afternoon until 7, showcasing model for more festival like experience "State Street Saturdays." Geoff moves to adjourn. Dan seconds. All in favor.  Montpelier Energy Advisory Committee Wood Pellet Furnace/Boiler Proposed Marketing Campaign Sustainable Heating Outreach & Education, Inc. September 19, 2017 ©2017 Sustainable Heating Outreach & Education, Inc.  A Jump-Start for the New Green Energy Economy Replacing 105 oil boilers with clean-tech wood pellet boilers: Reduces carbon emissions annually by 1,165 tons, Saves homeowners tens of thousands of dollars in heating costs over the life of the system, Keeps a quarter-million dollars of heating costs in our regional businesses instead of sending that money to the big oil conglomerates, and Prevents urban sprawl by replacing our lost market for pulp-wood with a green heating market. ©2017 Sustainable Heating Outreach & Education, Inc.  A Brand And A Campaign Based On Emotional Connection Emotion, Not Economics / Begin with why: common values Suspend the furnace technology within the existing audience value system of climate change, healthy forests, and local economies ©2017 Sustainable Heating Outreach & Education, Inc.  A Brand Based On Emotional Connection Belonging and Connection • What can we learn from the CSA model? • Community/Tribe • Inside information • Local! • Connection "people like us do things like this" ©2017 Sustainable Heating Outreach & Education, Inc.  Visual Residue & Social Proof • Knowing what your neighbor does is the primary driver of green energy adoption • Social capital: Insightful and altruistic • A brand that represents a cause that people would be proud to promote ©2017 Sustainable Heating Outreach & Education, Inc.  The Collateral-Centric Brand ©2017 Sustainable Heating Outreach & Education, Inc.  Media Plan (IRL) Direct mail to solar panel owners Kickoff Event: State Street Montpelier Farmer’s Market + October 7 Other farmers markets or events as may be recommended by the community. Hybrid windshield flyers? ©2017 Sustainable Heating Outreach & Education, Inc.  Media Plan: Digital Facebook (organic and paid) Twitter/Instagram/Pinterest (organic) YouTube Channel (share) Pandora/Spotify (paid) Media Plan: Traditional Drive-Time Radio Local Newspaper Press Release (Local TV News) ©2017 Sustainable Heating Outreach & Education, Inc.  The Montpelier Green Heat Collective is a community organization that believes our heating choice should reduce pollution, support sustainable forests, and create local Ready-Made jobs instead of sending our heating dollars out of state. We need to leave a healthy climate for the next generation. If you use a wood stove or a pellet stove you are already part of this market! Our Content That biggest opportunity is to replace a furnace that runs on oil or gas?) with one that runs on wood pellet heating fuel. We are here to help. Facilitates Drive for 105 Automated Wood Heating Systems Real-World Adoption 22 systems as of 9/19/17 Three local experts with the advice to help you figure it out Lorem ipsum dolor sit Lorem ipsum dolor sit Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipi- amet, consectetuer adipi- amet, consectetuer adipi- scing elit, sed diam ut scing elit, sed diam ut scing elit, sed diam ut laoreet dolore magna laoreet dolore magna laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. aliquam erat volutpat. aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim Ut wisi enim ad minim Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci veniam, quis nostrud exerci veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit tation ullamcorper suscipit tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. commodo consequat. commodo consequat. email email email Shop GHC ©2017 Sustainable Heating Outreach & Education, Inc.  Empowering & Engaging Grass-Roots Community Leadership (proposed partners) Montpelier & Waterbury Energy Committees ©2017 Sustainable Heating Outreach & Education, Inc.  The Value of Partnering with SHOE for Project Management • 501(c)(3) • 30-year history of marketing project design & management • 10-year professional and volunteer industry track record • Existing websites and social media channels • Publishing expertise • Industry, community, and NGO relationships • Packaged & deployable product line ready to roll out now ©2017 Sustainable Heating Outreach & Education, Inc.