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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2007-09-19 Draft PacketENERGY & ENVIRONMENT COMMISSION DRAFT AGENDA FOR MEETING SEPTEMBER 19, 2007, 7:00 PM — 9:00 PM 1) Welcome & Call to Order 2) Discussion and Approval of Agenda 3) Discussion and Approval of July and August Meeting Minutes 4) Committee Chair Discussion Education and Outreach Climate Change Recycling (Chair already approved) 5) Commission Workplan Discussion ) (Review committee workplans, prepare for meeting with City Council in October) 6) Other business & Comp Plan Update 7) Public Comment A, Robert E. McKlveen o �� 5261 Lochloy Dr. W CP Edina, MN 55436�G� Phone: 952-924-9048 Email: bobmckiveen(cb-mac.com September 14, 2007 Mr. James Hovland, Mayor City of Edina 4801 W. 50th St. Edina, MN 55424 Dear Mayor Hovland, am writing to share with you an idea for improving Edina's environment. First, though, I want to thank you for your leadership on environmental issues and greenhouse gas reduction here in Edina. My idea pertains to refuse service in the City. Today is Friday morning in the Highlands neighborhood, complete with its'noisy, smoky parade of garbage trucks. As you know, Edina residents contract privately with refuse haulers, and are free to choose whatever company they prefer. The unfortunate result of this freedom is the presence of at least four different refuse companies collecting garbage in our City. If the City were to restrict refuse service to one company, numerous environmental benefits could be achieved. Namely, compared to having four haulers on our streets, using one company would result in: • Approximately 25,000 fewer miles driven on our streets per year by heavy diesel trucks, with carbon dioxide exhaust reduced by several tons, as well as reduced particulate and other pollutants • Less wear -and -tear on our streets • Less noise pollution • Potentially better service and pricing I recognize that "restricting commerce" to just one hauler would be met with resistance, yet it is within the City's power to do so. The City can put out a request -for -proposal to all garbage haulers seeking bids for the business throughout the City. In order to make such a restriction more palatable, the RFP could be both creative and demanding, including such things as: • Competitive pricing • Service expectations and customer service requirements • "Clean, Quiet" trucks • Incentives for disposal close to the metro area, to decrease long-distance hauling • Incentives for waste reduction I recognize that this may not be a new idea, and that this plan would clearly take some time and effort to implement, but I think that the benefits would be substantial. I welcome your thoughts. Sincerely, Bob McKlveen September 14, 2007 Mayor James Hovland. City of Edina 4801 W 50th St Edina, MN 55424 Dear Mayor Hovland: The Minnesota Environmental Initiative (MEI) invites you or a designee from your community or organization to participate in a focus group to explore identify issues, opinions, and perceptions about existing regulations and policy governing land use and water. Input is being solicited from local government elected officials, local government staff, as well as builders and developers. Information about the focus group being held in your region is below: Protecting Land and Water Resources in Minnesota's Growing Communities Thursday, October 11, 2007 7:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. Chanhassen Recreation Center Conference Room �o,vtTY 2310 Coulter Boulevard Chanhassen, MN 55317 7 2007 *Light refreshments will be provided �� �GEtvED The Minnesota Environmental Initiative (MEI) in partnership with the Minnesota Depar `- 6 it Natural Resources, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources, and the Metropolitan Council has undertaken a project designed to improve the coordination of water quality and land use policies, as they relate to growth pressures in the seven - county metropolitan area and surrounding counties. These focus groups are an opportunity for local government staff, local elected officials, and builders and developers to provide input to the state agencies on implementation of land and water policies at the local level. MEI seeks to obtain input from each of these sectors and strives to have a mix of local elected officials, local government staff and builders and developers in each focus group, which will be composed of ten to twelve individuals. If you are unable to attend, please send representative from your same sector. Focus groups will include discussions on the successes and challenges in conserving natural resources, organizational effectiveness, and agency coordination. We hope you can participate! MEI was founded as a private, nonprofit organization in 1991. For nearly 15 years, MEI's greatest asset has been its capacity to engender trust among a wide spectrum of stakeholders who might otherwise have difficulty engaging in productive dialogue. Over the years, MEI's role has evolved. from simply convening dialogue to playing a key role in the development and management of partnerships that evolve into environmental action and meaningful outcomes. To participate, please contact Emily Franklin at 612-334-3388 Ext. 114 or efranklin@mn-ei.or9 by Monday, October 1st. -over- l'-;;,r.�. ,s 10C)--�._,-.n;m;n2errc,_11,-i a'CnW: ;ir epr: If you are unable to attend the session in your region, we will also be hosting focus groups in the following communities: Tuesday, October 9, 2007 - City of Hugo Rice Lake Center, Hugo Wednesday, October 10, 2007 Rosemount Community Center, Rosemount Tuesday, October 16, 2007 Bunker Hills Regional Park, Andover Wednesday, October 17, 2007 - City of Rogers - Community Meeting Room, Rogers Sincerely, oLt&t Alu� Shelley Shre$ler Director of Environmental Projects P. S. If you are unable to participate, please send a designee from your community or organization who falls into your stakeholder group (i.e. local elected official, local government staff member, or builder and developer). Directions to the Chanhassen Recreation Center From Minnesota Highway 5 West • Take Minnesota Highway 5 West to Galpin Boulevard/County Road 19 South • Take a left at Galpin Boulevard/County Road 19 South • Turn left on Coulter Boulevard • Parking is available adjacent to the recreation center From Minnesota Highway 5 East • Take Minnesota Highway 5 East to Galpin BoulevardJCounty Road 19 South • Take a right at Galpin Boulevard/County Road 19 South • Turn right on Coulter Boulevard • Parking is available adjacent to the recreation center. Ja�SED STgr�S D � w o e �F�rq( PROSEG�O? Dear Mayor: UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY WASHINGTON, D.C. 20460 September 12, 2007 THE ADMINISTRATOR The 8"' annual ENERGY STAR® Change a Light, Change the World Campaign kicks off this year on October 3, 2007, with Change a Light Day. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and its partners, the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, are encouraging participation in this campaign. I invite Mayors from across the country to help encourage every American to change at least one inefficient light in their home to one that has earned the ENERGY STAR label. Since the 2005 Campaign launched with an online pledge inviting people to commit to change at least one light at home, more than 850,000 Americans have pledged to change nearly 2 million lights, and this number is growing daily. Lights replaced with energy-efficient ones can add up in energy, monetary, and environmental savings. ENERGY STAR -qualified light bulbs and fixtures use 75 percent less energy than standard incandescent bulbs and can last up to 10 times longer. Just one ENERGY STAR -qualified light bulb can save about $30 or more in energy costs over its lifetime, while preventing more than 400 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions. As a leader of your community, you have many ways to participate, including issuing a proclamation, hosting a lighting change -out event, inviting your residents to take the pledge from a link on your Web site, and much more. A toolkit on this initiative is available at www. energystar.gov/joinCAL. Click on Support as a Government Leader to access the toolkit, which includes ideas for your participation and turnkey media and promotional materials. Together, we can help light the way to greater energy efficiency and a brighter future. If you have any questions, please have your staff contact Ms. Wendy Reed, at (202) 343-9122 or reed.wendy@epa.gov, or former Mayor Randy Kelly, at (202) 564-3126 or kelly.randy@,epa.gov. Aephen LU � Johns n Intemet Address (URL) • http:llwww,epa.gov Recycled/Recyclable -Printed with Vegetable Oil Based Inks on Recycled Paper (Minimum 50% Postconsumer content) Top 4fi ene s of high-performance buildings New study quantifies energy efficiency benefits of green buildings in Minnesota. The impact of buildings on our lives is dramatic, yet it goes largely unnoticed. Buildings use a lot of resources and create many adverse environmental effects. Consume almost 2/3 oftotal electricity Much of the impact of buildings is related to energy use. Use 12% of total potable water of High-performance buildings are designed to achieve significant Generate 2.n andlbs.demobrson io construction and demolition waste energy conservation. They use at least 30 percent less energy every day each year than buildings designed only to meet the base Contribute 30% of total greenhouse requirements of Minnesota Energy Code. High performance gas emissions buildings that also integrate sustainable site design, indoor environmental quality, and resource conservation are considered "green" buildings. A recent Minnesota study quantifies the benefits of 41 high performance commercial buildings in the state. The study compares their high-performance design to the same (hypothetical) buildings designed to meet minimum requirements of the Minnesota Energy Code. The study quantifies the extent to which the 41 high performance buildings are both saving energy dollars that otherwise would leave the state economy, and preventing pollution that otherwise would contaminate our air and water. Many of these 41 high-performance buildings were not designed specifically to be "green" buildings. Nonetheless, they incorporate an integrated design approach that is characteristic OFFICE of green buildings. Their design coordinates high -efficiency BUILDINGTYPES equipment with the building shell, orientation, insulation, included in the study ventilation, zoning and more, to create a high performance built ELEMENTARY SCHOOL environment. All the benefits of high-performance buildings are MIDDLE/HIGH SCHOOL very likely to be benefits of green buildings as well. These benefits RETAIL can be used as proxy measures of the minimum benefits likely to LIBRARY result from green buildings. OFFICE The Minnesota Office of Environmental Assistance contracted with COLLEGE CLASSROOM COLLEGE LAB The Weidt Group in April 2005 to perform this study. It includes MIXED USE a broad spectrum of commercial building types.The benefits HOSPITAL identified by the study are substantial. RECREATION CENTER POLICE/FIRE STATION LABORATORY Read the study: High Performance Building Design in Minnesota www.pca.state.mn.us/pca/greenbuilding/cost.cfm Hassan Elementary School Completed in August 2005, this school in Rogers, Minn., is a recent addition to Elk River Schools' portfolio of buildings designed with sustainability in mind. The two-story design is resource efficient, while the traditional peak -roofed style fits in with the surrounding community and provides a more home -like feel. Classrooms are grouped along east -west corridors on either side of the open court to provide optimal daylight from both the north and south. Performance features include dimming T5 lights, desiccant energy recovery, high - efficiency boilers, and displacement ventilation. Designed to be 51% more energy efficient than required by Minnesota energy code,the building is projected to save more than $64,000 a year (based on 2004 energy costs). The building was designed by KKE Architects, Inc.; mechanical and electrical systems were designed by Johnson Controls. (��-t _ f '4. tt � Less energy use means less pollution going in to the air we breathe: sulfur dioxide, nitrous oxides, and particulates. An important benefit of green buildings is that their lower energy use results in less of the air pollution linked to asthma and heart disease. The results for the 41 high performance commercial buildings included in the study are dramatic. Each year these buildings prevent additional air pollution (rounded to the nearest 100) totaling: 205,900 lbs. According to the sulfur dioxide (SO) American Heart 229,300 lbs. Association; 'During nitrous oxides (NOx) the last decade... 15,300 lbs. epidemiological particulates studies conducted worldwide have shown a consistent increased risk for heart and blood vessel problems, including heart and stroke deaths, in relation to exposure to present-day pollution, especially particulate matter." Pollution prevented by these 41 green buildings compared to car emissions. Prevented SO2 = 445,700 fewer cars Prevented NOx = 59,900 fewer cars Prevented particulates = 15,800 fewer cars Prevented CO2 = 12,200 fewer cars 7_4- 2. �_. Less energy use means less mercury released into the atmosphere to contaminate fish, ultimately harming humans and wildlife. Another benefit of green buildings is that less mercury is released to the atmosphere. Atmospheric mercury mixes with rain and snow, and then falls into lakes and waterways. In the water, mercury undergoes chemical changes to contaminate the food chain. It builds up in the tissue of fish, and in the tissue of wildlife and humans who eat the fish. The 41 high-performance commercial buildings in this study prevent a total of about 880 grams (1.93 lbs) of mercury from being released to the atmosphere in Minnesota each year. This compares with about 1 gram of mercury typically entering a 20 -acre lake each year. Even this small amount in lake water contaminates fish. For example, an adult walleye can have a mercury concentration 150,000 times as high as the water surrounding it. Fish consumption advisories are issued because mercury is a nerve toxin that impairs human ability to see, hear, walk and talk. I] Z r' Less energy use means less I carbon dioxide, a heat -trapping gas with global+ warming potential, released to the atmosphere. Green buildings have an important role to play in limiting emissions of greenhouse gases to combat the prospects of global warming. The 41 high-performance commercial buildings in this study prevent a total of more than 119.8 million pounds (59,900 tons) of carbon dioxide (CO2) being released into the atmosphere each year. This is the equivalent of removing more than 12,200 cars from Minnesota roads. Fairview Red Wing Medical Center Opened in December 2001, Fairview Red Wing Medical Center combines a clinic and 50 -bed inpatient hospital in one high-performance facility. The site was selected for its views overlooking the Mississippi River. State-of-the-art HVAC equipment was selected with the intention of cutting costs through energy efficiency rather than staff reductions. High - efficiency equipment choices included chillers and cooling towers instead of DX refrigerant systems, indoor penthouses to house HVAC systems instead of rooftop package systems,VFDs on all HVAC motors, setback controls for occupancy levels, centralized high-pressure boilers for sterilization and humidification instead of electric resistance units, low -e glass, and a more efficient insulation package. Maintenance staff keeps these systems well -tuned, while also providing security services for the facility. Grumman/Butkus Associates' annual energy study ranked Fairview Red Wing Medical Center's energy usage in the lower 25th quartile among 107 hospitals included in the Midwest. The building was designed by Setter Leach & Lindstrom, Inc. (now Leo A Daly Company), with energy design assistance by The Weidt Group. ; Less energy use means big energy cost savings to building owners and tenants. A major benefit of green buildings is the significant savings in annual energy costs that accrue over the lifetime of each building. The combined savings in annual energy costs for the 41 high-performance commercial buildings in this study total almost $6.25 million, based on 2005 energy prices. This translates to savings of $0.87 per square foot each year. Crosswinds Arts and Science Middle School Completed in November 2001, Crosswinds Middle School in Woodbury is operated by the East Metro Integration District. The building was designed as a dense aggregation of structures to maintain the flow of the wetland across the site. Native perennial plants and grasses, combined with limited use of lawn grass, minimize site maintenance. Brick and metal panels provide a durable, low -maintenance building exterior. A curved metal roof creates clerestory lighting and allows daylight to fall within the central area of each of the six focused instructional "homebase" units. High-performance features include a high -efficiency boiler, passive desiccant energy -recovery units, premium - efficiency pump motors, VAVs, daylight sensors, and operable windows for passive cooling and fresh air. The building was designed by Cuningham Group Architecture, P.A. Mechanical engineering was provided by Wentz Associates, electrical engineering by Kaeding & Associates, and energy design assistance by The Weidt Group. I � Paybacks for high-performance features average less than 3 years. Designing commercial buildings to be high performing pays for itself in a very short time, and then the savings continue each year for the life of the building. The Minnesota study confirms that paybacks are very short for high performance integrated energy design features. For each building type evaluated in the study, the mean and median simple paybacks were less than 3 years. Of the 16 buildings for which payback data was available, only two buildings exceeded 3 years. Nine of the 16 buildings ranged around a one-year payback. Simple payback for high-performance buildings Buil' median Libraries 2.1 yrs. 2.1 yrs. Middle/High Schools 2.6 yrs. 2.1 yrs. Offices 2.0 yrs. 2.3 yrs. Retail 1.6 yrs. 1.6 yrs. `with payback data for more than one building Incremental first costs averaged $1.18 per square foot for the 16 buildings that had first cost data available. Ten buildings kept incremental first costs under a dollar per square foot, while still achieving annual energy cost savings of more than 30 percent. J oil ti d ux i; Ir 77 i r r ■a Less energy use keeps those savings in Minnesota to support the local economy. A little -recognized impact of green building is its benefit to the local economy. Money spent on energy generated from fuels imported to Minnesota leaves the state and is a net drain on the local economy. The energy-efficient design of green buildings frees up annual energy savings for investment in Minnesota. The median energy cost savings for the 14 high-performance elementary/middle/high schools included in the study is more than $58,000 annually, based on 2005 energy prices. These are saving that can be spent on classroom instruction every year. For the five high performance retail buildings in the study, the median annual energy cost savings is more than $162,000. These savings go directly to the bottom line, increasing profitability that helps fuel business expansion and job growth. Ar f1 1r, Karges-Faulconbridge, Inc. (KFI") KFI reused the shell of a former grocery store to create their engineering firm's headquarters. Benefits included ease of winter construction and up -front shell cost savings of $40/square foot. KFI replaced much of the parking lot with natural prairie grasses, wildflowers, and a raingarden—increasing green space on the 3.6 -acre lot by 54%. KFI piloted the LEED-Existing Buildings rating system and is the first LEED-EB certified building in Minnesota to receive a gold rating. Many different technologies are demonstrated in the facility, A, closed-loop, ground -source heat pump system heats and cools the building. Displacement ventilation in the open office areas enhances the indoor air quality and reduces fan energy. Radiant ceiling panels in bathrooms transfer the heat directly to surfaces. Infrared heating is used in the high bay areas to heat the large thermal mass of the building. A passive desiccant energy recovery wheel captures waste heat from the building exhaust airstream and controls humidity. The building transformation used an integrated sustainable design process with KF1 (mechanical & electrical design), Pope Associates (architectural design), McGough (general contractor), and The Weidt Group (Xcel Energy -energy design assistance modeling). MGH PERFORMANCE BUILDINGS: KE:' EIVERGY :5A'wflhiGS �)TRATEGiES Average %Savings Breakdown CategoriesOffice Retail Schools Improved insulation 2% 1 % 2% Commercial buildings have high internal load requirements, reducing the energy required for heating. levels Improved insulation levels save less than residential projects and are not as cost effective. Improved window 4% 1 % 4% Similar comment as above. Retail savings opportunities are less due to low glass area -to -floor area ratios. glazing Calibrated daylight 12% 12% 3% Daylighting is a high-performance strategy that has not reached market saturation.The future of controls improved savings for this category is high, once various market barriers are reduced including design and construction trade familiarity, and control technology improvements. (Vaidya et. al. 2005) Lighting controls 8% 7% 15% Due to the diverse operation of space occupancy and lighting design levels, school buildings have higher opportunities to reduce lighting energy consumption using occupancy sensors and dual -level lighting controls, as compared to offices and retail building types. Improved lighting 15% 33% 9% High savings for retail in this category is the result of the type of retail projects in the sample set. Large design "big box' retail buildings can easily meet the requirements of the current energy code, due to lower industry standard light level requirements. Improved heating 3% 2% 4% Based on energy costs, natural gas rates as compared to electric rates per unit of site energy have been efficiency much lower over the sample period reviewed, providing less opportunities for large dollar savings. Technology improvements in high efficiency gas equipment range from 5 to 10% better than the code. Improved cooling 14% 3% 6% Improved cooling efficiencies are greatest for offices since they operate through out the summer months efficiency as compared to school buildings. Load responsive 35% 11% 15% Use of variable -frequency drives on air -handler systems is significant. In the future,for many buildings, this HVAC design ' will be a code requirement. Conditioning of 7% 21% 41% New school IAQ criteria require high ventilation loads providing larger opportunities for energy recovery outside air strategies as compared to office and retail building types. Refrigeration 0% 11% 0% Retail with refrigerated case work provides many opportunities for improved savings. For more detailed information on these strategies, seethe study High Performance Building Design in Minnesota. Visit www.pca.state.mn.us/greenbuilding/cost.cfm. High-performance buildings featured in this study (portialiist*) Dittmann Center Nellie Stone Johnson Eagan Community Center Crosswinds Arts and Science 1520 St. Olaf Ave. Community School 1501 Central Parkway Middle School Northfield, MN 55057 807 27th Ave. N. Eagan, MN 55121 600 Weir Drive Winona State Science Bldg. Minneapolis, MN 55411 College of St. Catherine Woodbury, MN 55125 400 Winona St. Monticello High School St. Paul Library Arlington High School Winona, MN 55987 5225 School Blvd. 2004 Randolph Ave. 1495 Rice St. Burroughs Community School Monticello, MN 55362 St. Paul MN 55105 St. Paul, MN 55117 1601 West 50th St. Hopkins West Junior High School Fairview Red Wing Crossroads Elementary Minneapolis, MN 55419 3830 Baker Road Medical Center 543 Front St. Minnetonka, MN 55305 701 Fairview Blvd. St. Paul, MN 55117 WMEP Interdistrict Downtown PO Box 95 School Karges-FauIcon bridge, Inc. Lakeview School Red Wing, MN 55066 10 South 10th St. 670 W. County Road B 875 Barstad Road t( Minneapolis, MN 55403 St. Paul, MN 55113-4527 Hassan Elementary School Cottonwood, MN 56229 t 14055 Orchid Ave. ¢a* Jordan Park Community School General Mills JFB Technical Center Rogers, MN 55374 r 1501- 30th Ave. N. 9000 Plymouth Ave. N. Minneapolis, MN 55411 Golden Valley, MN 55427 Providence Academy 15100 Schmidt Lake Road *This list is based on owners who gave permission to be identified in the study. Plymouth, MN 55442 Notes 1.The Weidt Group analyzed data from buildings that received Xcel/NSP Energy Design Assistance (provided free to buildings 50,000 sq.ft. or more in the early design phase).The building performance data is based on a subset of over 170 building projects The Weidt Group had modeled from 1994 to 2005.The study results reflect only buildings designed to perform at least 30 percent better than Minnesota energy code, that participated in the Xcel/NSP program, and whose data could be verified. There are other high-performance buildings in Minnesota that were not included in the study because they reside outside Xcel Energy's service territory. The modeling was based on energy simulations using DOE2.1 E and incorporating the local DOE -2 TMY weather file.The conversion of pollution savings from gas and electric energy generation was based on the current Xcel Energy aggregate generation blend of air emission for each pollutant source. The conversion to energy cost savings was based on the design year of each building. The Weidt Group subsequently provided multipliers (for gas savings, and an average virtual rate for electric savings that accounts for demand electric) to convert all energy cost savings amounts to reflect 2005 energy prices. 2.2005 average annual emissions for a light duty passenger vehicle: 0.462 Ibs S02,3.83 lbs. NOx, 0.971 lbs. particulates, and 4.9 tons CO2. Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Contact Laura Millberg for more information ._ 520 Lafayette Road, St. Paul, MN 55155-4294 on green and high wperformance building: www.pca.state.mn.us/greenbuilding • 651-296-6300 • 800-657-3864 651-215-0219 • laura.millberg@state.mn.us