Regional Energy Roundtables #4 Dedham

At a recent Energy Summit, produced by the Worcester Business Journal in cooperation with National Grid, Philip Giudice [commissioner of the state Department of Energy Resources] commented:

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... there are steps businesses, individuals and municipal governments can take to help the cause. He said those entities should collect all data on their own energy consumption, compare and "benchmark" that data against others, establish a specific action plan for driving down energy consumption and lowering energy spending and hold each other accountable "to very high standards."

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"All of us have been far too comfortable with the status quo," Giudice said. "We all need to move up to another level of commitment and action to make this happen."

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At the Regional Energy Roundtable, held in Plymouth, Virginia LeClair, Environmental Coordinator from the Town of Dedham presented the formula Dedham has followed with their Renewal Energy Committee, including educating residents by creating a brochure explaining how to increase the energy efficiency of residents' homes.

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Of Dedham's efforts, the following was reported:

Editorial: Going green a smart move

Dedham is wise for wanting to go green with the new senior center and the state is doing the right thing by giving the town some money to do so.

Included in the brochure published by the Dedham Renewable Energy Committee entitled Energy Efficient Tips For Homeowners, is the following:

Why should I care about increasing the energy efficiency of my home?

• Lower utility bills
• Less pollution related to electricity generation
• Economic stimulus
• Reduced national dependence on fossil fuels
• Lower greenhouse gas emission which are associated with global warming

By following these simple tips you can save energy and money at home. The typical U.S. family spends $1,300 a year on home energy bills. These low cost energy efficiency improvements can save you 20-30% on your household energy bill.

Reduce Your Electricity Use

• Appliances and home electronics are responsible for 20% of your home energy bill.
• Reduce your energy consumption by having a FREE energy audit conducted on your home. Contact NSTAR (www.nstar.com) or MassSave (www.masssave.com) or call (866) 527-7283) for ways to improve your energy efficiency.
• Beware of Phantom Power - electronics that remain plugged in consume power at all times. Save money and energy by plugging multiple electronics into a power strip with a shut off switch.

Compact Fluorescent Bulbs (CFLs)

If every U.S. household purchased 1 CFL, the U.S. would prevent greenhouse gas emissions equal to 800,000 cars.

• A Compact Fluorescent bulb will save you $30 over the life of the bulb compared to an incandescent bulb.
• CFLs use 75% less energy than incandescent bulbs and last ten times longer. A 4 pack can be purchased for $7.00.
• Look for an ENERGY STAR label when purchasing CFLs to assure that you are buying the most energy efficient bulb.
• CFLs contain a small amount of mercury and should be disposed of porperly. CFLs can be recycled at Dedham's Household Hazardous Collection Day in May or dropped of at IKEA in Stoughton, MA.

ENERGY STAR Appliances

Look for the ENERGY STAR label when purchasing appliances.

• ENERGY STAR has over 50 qualified products and offers numerous rebates on appliances.
• A conventional refrigerator alone consumes 8% of your energy use. In contrast an ENERGY STAR refrigerator is highly efficient and will pay for itself in 2-4 years.

HEATING AND COOLING

As much as half of the energy used in your home goes to heating and cooling. So making smart decisions about your home's heating and cooling is critical to your wallet and the environment.

• Start by installing programmable thermostats. A programmable thermostat can save you $150 per year on your heating and cooling bills.
• Programmable thermostats allow you to program different settings for you when you are home or away, sleeping or awake.
• An ENERGY STAR qualified thermostat costs anywhere from $25-73, but for every degree you lower your thermostat you are saving 2% off your heating bill.
• NSTAR Gas is offering until April 2008 a $25 rebate. To order call 1-800-285-2778.

Water Heating/Conservation

Water heating is the third largest expense in your home, after heating and cooling. So make sure you have the most energy efficient water heater.

• If your tank feels warm to the touch then you would benefit from wrapping it with an insulating blanket to prevent heat loss.
• Set the temperature of your water heater to 120 degrees F.
• The average household uses 350 gallons of water per day. Low flow showerheads and faucet aerators can reduce your water consumption by half and will cost you approximately $6.00.
• Receive a $100 rebate from the Dedham Westwood Water District when you purchase any model of front loading washers or a $50 rebate when you purchase any model of high efficiency toilets (limit 2 per household). For more information contact 781-329-7090 or visit www.dwwd.org.

RECYCLING

Recycling saves energy too!

• Recycling two aluminum cans saves the equivalent amount of energy it takes to power a computer for one workday.
• Next time you go to Roche Bros. be sure to bring your canvas tote to receive a refund of $.05 per papr/plastic bag not used.

According to a Boston Globe article, Dedham was among -- Fourteen area communities - Brockton, Canton, Cohasset, Dedham, Easton, Hanson, Hull, Mansfield, Milton, Plymouth, Quincy, Raynham, Sharon, and Westwood - have signed on to the federal Environmental Protection Agency program called the Community Energy Challenge. The towns agree to compile data to benchmark their current energy use and commit to 10 percent reductions.

Their approach has been consistent with others: 1. Collect and evaluate the energy consumption by building 2. Tackle the 'low hanging fruit' first - CFLs, motion sensors, programmable thermostats, and so on. In one new school building that received a Green School Grant, a solar array sits on the roof, daylight controls have been installed and a 50,000 gallon tank collects rainwater for toilet flushing.

There have been ideas other communities have adopted that are striking, for instance - Hanson took advantage of information from the Community Energy Challenge program to change its street lights to LED lights, saving 68 percent of its annual street lighting cost, according to Selectman Jim Armstrong.

In these tough economic times, we need to save every energy dollar both in our homes and in our towns. If your town is not on the list, maybe you should ask why.

Since only silence has been heard from the Middleborough Gas & Electric and the Board of Selectmen, should we ask why? Since the Middleboro Board of Selectmen act as Water Commissioners, by Town Charter, should we question why they haven't promoted front loading washers and low flush toilets as Dedham has? Is Middleboro missing out on Grant Funding that was available because of its lack of vision?