MINUTES

Energy Conservation and Green Building Committee
Mayor’s Energy Task Force
MGE, 133 South Blair Street
December 2, 2003
3:00 – 5:30 p.m.

Meeting No. 4
Final Copy

Persons Present: James Whitney, City Architect; Jim Mapp, Wisconsin Division of Energy; Sherrie Gruder, UW-Extension, Focus on Energy; Joe DeMorett, City Engineering; Niels Wolter, MSB Energy Associates; Sonya Newenhouse, Madison Environmental Group; Craig Schepp, Energy Consultant; Garrick Maine, Flad & Associates; Barbara Smith, Wisconsin Division of Energy, Focus on Energy; Margaret Mooney, COWS; Joann Kelley, MGE; Lynn Hobbie, MGE; Lou Host-Jablonski, UDC/Design Coalition; John Imes, WEI, Kevin Little, Informing Ecological Design; and Ken Pientaka, PLANNING, Design Build. Observers included; Aaron Rittenhouse, Johnson Controls and Grant Abert, Sustain Dane.

Co-Chairpersons: Sherrie Gruder, UW-Extension, Focus on Energy; Craig Schepp, Energy Consultant

Staff: James Whitney, City Architect; Joe DeMorett, Engineering Department; Karl Van Lith, Facilitator

Prepared by: James Whitney, City Architect; Karl Van Lith, Facilitator

Next Meeting: December 16, 2003; 3:00 – 5:00 p.m.

Resume

1. Meeting Minutes Number 3 motioned and approved.

2. Meeting Minutes Number 2 approved with Sherri’s notes.

3. Meeting minutes Number 1 approved as is.

4.a The committee reviewed the draft mission statement prepared by Sonya, Niels, and Margaret:

The Madison Energy Conservation and Green Building Task Force will motivate City government, businesses and residents to conserve energy by implementing policies and programs that create a cleaner and healthier community.

GOAL

To reduce area energy consumption and improve building standards to achieve the level of CO2 emission reductions expressed in the Kyoto Protocol, or 5 percent below 1990 levels by 2012.

4.b Lou presented the following alternate mission statement: “Improve the built environment and preserve the natural environment by using less fossil fuels, reducing waste, toxins, and pollution, and increasing livability, beauty, and comfort.”

4.c Karl Van Lith facilitated discussion of the draft mission statements. The final mission statement created by the committee is:

MISSION

The Energy Conservation and Green Building Committee will motivate City government, business, and residents to improve the built and natural environments through wise energy use and sustainable practices to create health, economic, and quality of life benefits.

5. Joann, Kelley, and Lynn Hobbie presented information on MGE gas and electrical service in Madison from a survey they conduct every 2 years. Joann presented charts and information on past, current, and future energy needs. Growth rates were included for commercial and residential customers. Air conditioning has increased from 30-60% over 10 years and people now have multiple computers and more and bigger appliances that account for most of the increases in electric demand.

• MGE provided a forecast of energy consumption based on energy conservation and efficiency charted to year 2010. Based on current trends, MGE reported that customers will double conservation efforts in the next ten years. While the energy conservation measures over the last 15 years saved 368,000 MWh or 96 MWh of peak day demand – the equivalent of electrical needs of 52,500 houses or the entire energy use of the UW-Madison, it is not enough to offset the increase in demand for electricity.

6. Comments made on specific parts of the Energy Conservation Working Group presentation.

a. Setback Saturday Fair – a campaign where City businesses and residents turn back their thermostats to setback levels. Many people don’t know how to or just don’t use their setback thermostats to reap the energy conservation potential.

• A city-wide ‘sales pitch’ should be developed and success measures for initiative should be developed. MGE may have easy ways to measure energy usage.
• Link savings to actions taken by individuals.
• Develop pre/post surveys to measure success.
• Look for a pilot test site – perhaps Research Park.
• Establish targets for improvement in correct thermostat utilization.
• Check utilization twice yearly – link to both A/C and heating use.
• Develop educational fair format.
• Identify partners for initiative.

b. Promote participation on Environmental Action Teams

• Have Mayor promote in various ways.
• Highlight a pilot example – UW Research Park.
• Highlight activities that lessen environmental footprint.
• Highlight broader environmental activities like tree planting.

c. Target Madison’s top X energy users and develop initiatives that support reducing their energy and environmental impacts

• Combine with initiative to develop and provide explicit outreach to businesses.
• Identify who these top users are and benchmark what they are doing now.
• Develop programs for building facilities managers.

d. Solar mining – solar hot water heat for water intensive businesses – pools, laundries, car washes, etc.

• Niels explained. State has just signed contract for using solar mining on 4 UW swimming pools.
• Collect examples of solar mining use for public educational purposes.

7. City Government Initiatives

a. Promote bond issue for energy conservation, green buildings and renewable energy development

• Similar to “Solar Bond”: done in San Francisco – funds alternative fuel usage and retro fit of existing buildings.

b. Establish new Madison Energy Committee

• Revitalize existing subcommittee under Environment Committee to help with transportation, conservation and benchmarking issues.
• Subcommittee could carry Energy Task Forces’ work forward.

c. Follow-up on City of Madison Building Assessments done by MGE

• Done in past 5 years.
• Use assessments to benchmark or help develop benchmarks on energy use by departments.
• Recommend using full cost accounting methods on energy usage so department could more accurately manage costs – build incentives into system to allow cost savings to go back to specific departments.

8. Additional notes:

Add new members to the subcommittee: A commercial property developer, a MMSD member – (Doug Pearson, head of facilities was mentioned); someone from a faith-based organization; downtown business; UW facilities; and Michael Arndt of USGBC.

LEED^TM for Existing Buildings.

People wanted to keep the meeting time to two hours.

Co-chairs would like information on City department budget process and any energy use initiatives or benchmarks that may exist. Also want staff to accumulate particular permits, zoning requirements, codes and other policies, and requirements that impact green building and energy efficiency. These will need to be reviewed and made consistent with greening Madison.

End of report.