HomeMy WebLinkAbout2016 Electricity Action Plan (PDF)
An Electricity Action Plan for:
July 2016
Table of Contents
Executive Summary .................................................................................................................. i
Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 1
The City of Edina – Community Background ......................................................................... 2
Demographics ........................................................................................................................ 3
Businesses & Employment .................................................................................................... 3
Education ............................................................................................................................... 3
Housing .................................................................................................................................. 4
Commitment to Sustainability ................................................................................................ 4
Community Communications and Outreach ........................................................................... 7
Xcel Energy Partners in Energy .............................................................................................. 8
Where Does the Community Stand? – Baseline Electricity Analysis...................................13
Residential Electricity Use .....................................................................................................16
Business Electricity Use ........................................................................................................20
City Electricity Use and Data .................................................................................................21
School District Electricity Use and Sustainability ...................................................................23
Where is Edina Headed? – Edina’s Energy Vision, Focus Areas, and Goals ........................25
Focus Area: Municipal Facilities ............................................................................................27
Focus Area: Residential Information Campaign .....................................................................27
Focus Area: Business Energy ................................................................................................28
How Are We Going To Get There? – Strategies ...................................................................32
Focus Area: Municipal Facilities ............................................................................................32
Focus Area: Residential Information Campaign .....................................................................36
Focus Area: Business Energy ................................................................................................40
How Are We Going To Stay On Course? – Monitoring and Reporting ...............................44
Appendix 1: Glossary of Terms
Appendix 2: Workshop Process Overview
Appendix 3: City of Edina Climate Change Goals presented on behalf of the EEC by
Bill Sierks
Appendix 4: 2015 City Greenhouse Gas Footprint Analysis and Reduction Concept
presented by Ross Bintner
Appendix 5: School Facilities
Appendix 6: Focus Area Options Considered by the Planning Team
Appendix 7: Detailed Focus Area Timelines
Appendix 8: Partners in Energy Planning Memorandum of Understanding
Appendix 9: Xcel Energy Demand Side Management Program Summaries
Appendix 10: Detailed Program Participation and Associated Savings
Appendix 11: List of Relevant Case Studies
CITY OF EDINA ENERGY ACTION PLAN
*Using the EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator (https://www.epa.gov/energy/greenhouse-gas-
equivalencies-calculator)
i
Executive Summary
Our Vision:
Edina’s residents, schools, businesses, and government will successfully reduce the
community’s greenhouse gas emissions by 30% by the year 2025 through strategies and
actions that are sustainable, practical, and measurable.
How Will We Get There?
The City will focus on these near-term priority areas to address electricity usage:
Municipal
Facilities
Goals:
·Short term: Within the next 18 months lower the City’s electricity
greenhouse gas emissions by 7.5%, which is 1.34 million kWh, or 943
metric tons of CO2 equivalent.*
Strategies:
·Implement recommended energy use reduction projects from building
study currently being conducted by CR-BPS
·Negotiate renewable purchase for municipal electricity
Residential
Information
Campaign
Goals:
·750 homes take energy savings actions each year, saving 562,000
kWh annually, or 395 metric tons of CO2 equivalent.*
·Double the number of subscribers to Windsource®, and double the
average subscription amount within 18 month, producing 8,505,000
kWh total, or 5,977 metric tons of CO2 equivalent.*
Strategies:
·Drive traffic to a City-operated web resource through City
communications channels
·Foster neighborhood-based outreach and leadership
·Leverage outreach events for Windsource® sign-up
·Assess and recommend policy options to support efficiency for Edina
Business
Energy
Goals:
·Reduce and/or off-set 2% of electricity usage annually, which is 7.3
million kWh, equivalent to 5,140 metric tons of CO2 equivalent.*
Strategies:
·Engage the top business energy users to take action on greenhouse
gas through offsets and reductions
·Target smaller businesses such as restaurants, retail, and others with
recognition programs
·Ongoing management and tracking
·Assess and recommend policy options to support greenhouse gas
reduction for Edina businesses
CITY OF EDINA ENERGY ACTION PLAN
ii
Playbook for Achieving Our Goals
More details on actions and strategies may be found in the section “How Are We Going To Get
There? –Strategies” starting on page 32. Note that these actions strategies primarily address
electricity usage, and further plans will be made to address other sources of greenhouse gas
emissions, including gas, transportation, water and waste water, and solid waste.
Longer-term Actions
(Oct. 2016 – Dec. 2017)
Municipal:
·Support implementation of
prioritized projects
·Prioritize and recommend
adoption of renewable
energy opportunities
·Research funding
Residential:
·Launch City website
presence
·Plan and implement a
social media campaign
·Table at in-person events
·Reach out to local
community leaders
·Develop multi-channel
information campaign
Business:
·Identify top 100 prospects
to reach out to first
·Roll out large business
outreach effort
·Launch City website
presence by end of 2016
Immediate Actions
(July– Sept. 2016)
Municipal:
·Review building study
recommendations
·Prioritize projects based on
energy savings potential and
cost analysis
·Meet with Xcel Energy to
learn about renewable energy
opportunities and programs
for identified projects
Residential:
·Develop messaging
·Identify in-person events
·Identify and train volunteers
·Leverage EEC members as
neighborhood advocates
·Recommend the City
subsidize Home Energy
Squad visits for low income
and other households each
year at $10,000 subsidy for
200 visits
Business:
·Start to identify 400 largest
businesses and contacts and
keep them in a database
·Develop the “ask” for
businesses
Ongoing – Tracking
Track progress quarterly for
all focus areas, and report to
the Energy and Environment
Commission / City Council
quarterly.
Municipal:
· Update City website
quarterly with current
information
· Assist in development
of City facilities case
studies
Residential:
· Update City website
quarterly
· Check on goal progress
quarterly
· Evaluate effectiveness
of messaging mid-way
through the campaign
Business:
· Develop or identify a
tool that will be used to
measure results by
March 2017
· Plan recognition events
for businesses
CITY OF EDINA ENERGY ACTION PLAN
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Introduction
The purpose of this plan is to outline tangible steps for
the City of Edina to move the community towards its
greenhouse gas goals, by increasing energy efficiency
investments and the use of renewable electricity across
the community. This plan focuses first and foremost on
the electricity sector, and both informs the community
about Edina’s current state of electricity use, and
provides the necessary framework to continue working
toward the City of Edina’s defined greenhouse gas
emissions reduction targets through electricity oriented
strategies. While natural gas is not explicitly analyzed or
tracked in this plan, several plan strategies will also be
leveraged to reduce Edina’s natural gas footprint, as
detailed in section “How Are We Going To Get There? –
Strategies” starting on page 32. Further plans will be
made to specifically address other sources of greenhouse gas emissions, including gas,
transportation, water and waste water, and solid waste. The 2013 metrics for Water, Travel,
and Waste, taken from the Regional Indicators Initiative are shown in the section titled “Where
Does the Community Stand? – Baseline Electricity Analysis.”
In June of 2015, Edina’s City Council signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Xcel
Energy to participate in Partners in Energy (see Appendix 8). From October 2015 to April 2016,
a 12-member Energy Action Team appointed by the Edina City Council participated in a series
of workshops to develop the contents of this Energy Action Plan alongside representatives
from Xcel Energy, Edina’s electricity provider. The team was comprised of Edina residents,
members of Edina’s Energy and Environment Commission, City staff, and representatives from
Edina School District and the Chamber of Commerce.
The planning team reviewed electric energy data, prioritized areas of focus for Edina, and
developed this Energy Action Plan. Although Edina’s greenhouse gas reduction goals span
many sources of greenhouse gas emissions, the work this Energy Action Team has done has
focused primarily on electricity, which makes up approximately 40% of Edina’s greenhouse gas
emissions. The group would like to carry out this plan to help the community work toward
short- to mid-term electric energy goals in conjunction with other strategies and actions
targeting additional sources of greenhouse gas emissions, including natural gas. Included in this
plan is detailed action planning for meeting short-term identified electric energy goals over an
18 month initial implementation period (July 2016-December 2017).
The process was facilitated through Xcel Energy’s Partners in Energy offering for communities,
and convened by the City of Edina and the Edina Energy and Environment Commission. The
Photo by Gephart / CCBY
CITY OF EDINA ENERGY ACTION PLAN
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Energy and Environment Commission pursued Partners in Energy as a way to work toward
meeting their existing greenhouse gas emissions targets and expand community participation
in sustainability.
The following plan provides an overview of the Edina community, the community’s baseline
electricity use, documentation of the Partners in Energy planning process, a summary of priority
focus areas identified by the Energy Action Team for implementation, and the near-term actions
and strategies required to keep the implementation of this plan on track.
The City of Edina – Community Background
The City of Edina’s mission is to provide effective and
valued services, maintain a sound public infrastructure,
offer premier public facilities and guide the development
and redevelopment of lands, all in a manner that
sustains and improves the uncommonly high quality of
life enjoyed by our residents and businesses.
The City’s vision is to be the preeminent place for living,
learning, raising families and doing business
distinguished by:
· a livable environment,
· effective and valued city services,
· a sound public infrastructure,
· a balance of land uses, and
· innovation.
Edina is located in the first ring of suburbs within the Twin Cities metropolitan area, and is part
of Hennepin County. Nearly 48,000 residents call Edina home. Edina is known for the high
quality of life experienced by residents, and also houses a vibrant retail community, including
the Southdale Shopping Center, Galleria Edina, and the 50th and France shopping district.
Edina Facts and Figures
County Hennepin
Metro Area Location Directly west of Minneapolis
Size 15.97 sq. miles
Development 95% developed
Population 49,596 in 2014
Population Density 1,460 housing units per sq. mile
3,103 inhabitants per sq. mile
Southdale Mall
Photo by Bobak Ha’Eri / CCBY
CITY OF EDINA ENERGY ACTION PLAN
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Demographics
Nearly a quarter of the population is under 18, and 20% of the population is over 65. The
average household size is 2.34, and most people have stayed in their homes for more than a
year, with 88% of residents living in the same home as a year ago. Just over half the
population, 53.4%, is female. Edina is one of the most affluent suburbs of Minneapolis with a
median household income of $84,349. Between 2009 and 2013, four percent of Edina
residents were living in poverty.
Businesses & Employment
Edina has a prominent business community and
contains a mix of large and small retail, health care,
corporate offices, and food businesses. Major Edina
employers include: Fairview Southdale Hospital, Edina
Public Schools, City of Edina, BI Worldwide, Regis
Corporation, Barr Engineering, Lund Food Holdings,
International Dairy Queen, Edina Realty, and FilmTec
Corporation1. The Edina Chamber of Commerce has a
membership of over 400 and holds monthly meetings
and three annual events. Other large business
organizations include Edina Rotary Club, with 160
members, and the 50th and France Business
Association. Twenty-three and a half percent of people who work in Edina are Edina residents,
higher than St. Louis Park (17.7%), and lower than Bloomington (29.9%)
Education
Edina has both public and private
schools serving its students. All of the
public schools fall under the Edina
School District, ISD 273. There are
approximately 8,500 students in Edina
public schools, between six elementary
schools, two middle schools, and one
high school. In 2015, a referendum was
passed for $124.9 million in funding for
the purposes of updating learning spaces and enhancing building security at the district’s
schools, while improving district infrastructure. Edina schools leverage “service learning,” a
1 City of Edina Website (http://edinamn.gov/index.php?section=community-profile)
A Cross Section of Edina’s Community Assets
Highlights from community members’ feedback
during the planning workshops
· Good city management
· Engaged community
· Community reputation
· Great schools
· Shopping
· Accessibility to metro area; location
· Bike Trails
50th and France
Photo by Meet Minneapolis/ CCBY
CITY OF EDINA ENERGY ACTION PLAN
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teaching strategy that engages students in addressing community issues or needs as part of
their academic study. In Edina, part of this is manifested in a Passion Project and a May Term
during high school. Almost a third of Edina households have children under the age of 18. There
is a green team at the school called Project Earth.
Almost 98% of Edina residents 18 or older have obtained a high school diploma. Sixty-seven
percent have received a Bachelor’s degree or higher. Edina has four private schools.
Housing
The total number of housing units in Edina is 22,360, and 74.8% are owner occupied. Edina has
a low homeowner vacancy rate of 2.3% and rental vacancy rate of 11.7%. Neighborhoods in
Edina are recognized by the City through the voluntary formation of neighborhood associations.
The City has a total of 35 neighborhoods, and nine are recognized neighborhood associations.
Much of Edina’s housing stock was built between 1950 and 1979 (see below). The majority of
Edina housing is detached single family homes (72%), although several multi-family buildings
have been recently built or are in development. More than 100 home building permits were
issued annually in 2014 and 2015. There is relatively high participation in Energy Star Homes, an
energy efficiency program for new homes, with 46 participants within the past three years.
Figure 1: Original Year of Construction for Edina’s Housing Stock
Commitment to Sustainability
Edina’s participation in Partners in Energy was
preceded by several years of sustainability work.
The City of Edina established a citizen Energy
Edina City Hall Photo by Gephart / CCBY
CITY OF EDINA ENERGY ACTION PLAN
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and Environment Commission (EEC) in 2007 to promote sustainability initiatives and to advise
the City Council. The commission is comprised of Edina residents and has several working
groups and subcommittees which focused on specific sustainability topics. The commission
creates a work plan annually, and the focus has been on carbon reduction. A presentation
outlining Energy and Environment Commission activities, climate change goals, and
recommendations to the City of Edina is included as Appendix 3. This presentation was shared
with the Energy Action Team in Workshop 2.
It will be essential to coordinate the Energy Action Plan so that it fits well with what the
community is already doing. The City plans to leverage a new conservation and sustainability
fund to add a full time position focused on sustainability within the City in the fall of 2016.
Selected Citywide Sustainability Actions Related to Energy and Climate
2007
Became a participant in the Regional Indicators Initiative (RII)
Established Energy and Environment Commission (EEC)
Signed U.S. Mayor’s Climate Protection Agreement
Became an ICLEI City for Climate Protection
2008 Included a chapter on Energy and Environment in the Comprehensive Plan
2009 Completed Greenhouse Gas Inventory under direction of the EEC
2010
Began benchmarking City Buildings
Installed a closed loop geothermal system at the Public Works building with a
minimum coefficient of performance of 3.3
2011
Entered into a Guaranteed Energy Savings Contract—12 City buildings audited
and actions taken
Joined GreenStep Cities (Currently Step 3)
Installed solar panel system on the roof of City Hall
2012-2016 Variety of LED lighting retrofits at City Hall, Public Works, Edinborough Park, 50th
and France Ramps, and others.
A core priority of the City and the EEC has been to lead by example by operating City facilities
sustainably The City of Edina utilizes B3 benchmarking data to track energy use for heating and
cooling in public facilities, most buildings also have and centralized HVAC control system that
allow operators the ability to track and control on a daily basis. B3 data is entered for all
municipal buildings and is kept current by the Finance department. Trends and energy savings
opportunities are reviewed and an annual summary is provided to the Energy and Environment
Commission.
In 2011, the City contracted with McKinstry under the Guaranteed Energy Savings Program.
Under the contract, the 12 largest municipal facilities were audited. This energy audit identified
and implemented the following efficiency improvements: building envelope insulation, water
conservation, and interior lighting retrofits. This retrofit project included 11 separate City
CITY OF EDINA ENERGY ACTION PLAN
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buildings. The performance contract project was projected to reduce energy use by over
540,000 kWh and 19,600 therms of gas on an annual basis, reduce the City’s carbon footprint
by 540 metric tons of CO2 annually, and qualified for a guaranteed annual savings of
approximately $54,000.
Additionally, the City’s 2008 Comprehensive Plan outlines the following goals (Chapter 10):
· GHG reduction goal: 15% reduction by 2015, 25% reduction by 2025, 80% reduction by
2050.
· Develop a local action plan.
The basis for setting the greenhouse gas reduction level was set by state policy established in
the 2007 Next Generation Energy Act. The state goal in statute is to reduce emissions 30% by
2025, not 25%, and this discrepancy was addressed through this planning process.
Edina’s energy work for local business includes the Edina Emerald City Energy Program (EEEP),
which includes financing, promotion of efficiency and renewable energy, and recognition of
businesses. Through this program, Edina was the first local government to launch a property
assessed clean energy (PACE) service to allow commercial properties to repay energy loans
using an assessment on their local property taxes. EEEP won the 2012 Environmental Initiative
award for energy and climate protection.
Edina joined ICLEI (International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives) in 2007, and
completed a baseline Greenhouse Gas Inventory in 2009. The inventory calculated that 55% of
Edina’s CO2 output on 2007 resulted from a combination of residential electrical consumption
and commercial and industrial electrical consumption. Other factors measured included:
residential, commercial, and industrial natural gas usage; other service and public authority
electrical usage; public streets and highway lighting electrical usage; and Edina vehicle miles
traveled (VMT).
Additionally, the Energy and Environment Commission
worked closely with Xcel Energy and CenterPoint
Energy to bring the Home Energy Squad Enhanced
(HES) program to residents. The City of Edina has
bought down the cost of the visit to $50 for residents,
making the program affordable for more households.
The program is promoted through the EEC's Education
& Outreach Working Group with door hangers and
participation in the annual 4th of July parade and other
community outreach.
Edina recently supported renewable development by working with the Metropolitan Council
and creating a model lease for Community Solar Gardens (CSG) through participation in a solar
Home Energy Squad Enhanced
CITY OF EDINA ENERGY ACTION PLAN
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power purchase initiative through the Metropolitan Council and has signed contracts with two
developers for multiple megawatts of installation. Both the Energy and Environment
Commission and the City Council supported this endeavor. Edina is slated to be the first city to
host a rooftop lease, and is making all bid documents available for other public agencies to use.
Additionally, the City established a Conservation and Sustainability fund in late 2015, leveraging
a utility tax, in part to add a City staff position focused on conservation and energy activities. It
is anticipated that this staff member will be hired in summer of 2016, and play a significant role
in implementing this action plan.
Community Communications and Outreach
Engaging the community is critical to reaching this plan’s goals. Below are some of the ways
that Edina’s residents and businesses currently receive information. These communication
channels will be helpful during implementation efforts. The City has a robust communications
staff which will be able to support implementation of this plan, and also has the capacity to
produce videos.
Edina hosts a variety of annual events and
structured outreach opportunities that could bring
program awareness to residents and businesses.
The City uses a variety of social media platforms to
communicate with residents. Their portfolio
includes: Facebook, Foursquare, Blog, Twitter, and
YouTube. The City of Edina website is used by
residents and businesses to look up information.
Additional channels are listed below:
About Town: A quarterly publication of the City of
Edina produced to keep Edina residents informed of
new activities and programs that are important to
them. Articles of interest about citizens and
community history are included as well. The
magazine is distributed to all households in the City
and most businesses, with a total circulation of
25,000.
City Extra: An email subscription that provides residents with updates from City Hall, city
departments, and city facilities.
Edition Edina: A newsletter summarizing news of the City of Edina, based on the City Council's
six strategic priorities: infrastructure, commercial and mixed-use redevelopment, workforce,
communication and engagement, community vision and aviation noise.
Annual Events in Edina
· Winter Ice Festival
· Taste of Edina
· Edina Dialogue Forum
· Edina Art Fair
· Parade of Boats
· Annual Independence Day Parade
and Fireworks
· Night to Unite
· Lighthouse Night
· Fall into the Arts Festival
· Barnyard Boogie
· Indoor Music in the Park
· Pumpkin Festival
· Outdoor Concerts, Entertainment,
and Movies in the Park
CITY OF EDINA ENERGY ACTION PLAN
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Edina to Go: A smartphone app to facilitate communication with the City.
Friday Report: A weekly Friday Report for the City Council about current City operations and
activities, prepared by the City Manager. It previews matters that will concern Council
Members in the near future.
SunCurrent: A newspaper delivered weekly to Edina’s residents.
Results from the 2013 Edina Residential Survey show that the top principal information sources
for residents about city government and its activities were the local newspaper (37%), the City
newsletter (35%), and the City website (12%).2
Xcel Energy Partners in Energy
Xcel Energy is the electricity service provider for Edina residents and businesses. Partners in
Energy is an offering developed for Xcel Energy communities in Minnesota and Colorado that
supports communities in the development and implementation of a customized energy action
plan. The service was launched in 2014, and Edina was chosen as the fifth Minnesota
community to participate. Other Minnesota communities at the time of this writing are the Lake
Street/Midtown Greenway Corridor in Minneapolis, the Cities of Maplewood, Red Wing, and St.
Louis Park, and Ramsey County’s Parks and Recreation Department. There are currently six
Colorado communities participating. The offering has a history of working with communities to
establish plans that reduce energy use and promote renewables that drive cost savings and
greenhouse gas emissions.
The objective of the Partners in Energy
planning process is to allow communities to
develop actionable plans that advance their
goals while being supported by Xcel Energy’s
technical expertise, facilitation process, and
program knowledge. After six months of
planning, Xcel Energy continues to support
partnering communities by providing plan
implementation assistance over the course of
18 months.
In addition to planning workshops, communities can participate in joint learning opportunities
with three to five other Partners in Energy communities, forming an “Exchange.” Exchanges
meet for office hour calls, webinars, and peer-to-peer conversations developed around topics
2http://edinamn.gov/corecode/uploads/document/uploaded_pdfs/corecode_edina/2013%20Edina%20Surv
ey%20Results_62.pdf
Edina's Exchange Communities
CITY OF EDINA ENERGY ACTION PLAN
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that support planning and implementation tasks. The goal of these interactions is to allow for
collaboration between communities and access to experts in the field.
Energy Action Team
The City of Edina worked to ensure a range of Energy Action Team members, and issued an
open call for applications on the City’s Facebook page, website, and in the Sun Current.
Volunteers were asked to commit to attending planning workshops, have an interest in energy
and related topics, and the ability to represent and educate the community. In addition to four
at-large citizen members, three Energy and Environment Commission members, two City staff
members, one Chamber of Commerce appointed member, and one School District appointed
member were solicited. The City Council reviewed applications and made appointments on
September 1, 2015.
Edina's Energy Action Team
Front Row: Richard Manser, Jenny Edwards, Sarah Klauer
Middle Row: Tami Gunderzik, Bill Sierks, Kevin Schwain, Curt Johanson, Sarah Zarrin, Carolyn Jackson,
Rozy Eastaugh, Yvonne Pfeifer
Back Row: Ross Bintner, Kyle Sawyer, Roy Jenson, Rick Murphy, Kevin Staunton
CITY OF EDINA ENERGY ACTION PLAN
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Edina’s Energy Action Team
City of Edina
a) Ross Bintner, Environmental Engineer, City of Edina
b) Kyle Sawyer, Assistant Finance Director, City of Edina
c) Kevin Staunton, City Council Member, City of Edina
Energy and Environment Commission
d) Bill Sierks
e) Richard Manser
f) Sarah Zarrin
Business and Organizations
g) Rick Murphy, Chamber of Commerce
h) Curt Johanson, Edina School District
Residents
i) Carolyn Jackson (appointed to EEC in 2016)
j) Marshall Silberstein
k) Roy Jenson
l) Rozy Eastaugh
Xcel Energy Representatives
m) Tami Gunderzik, Partners in Energy Program Manager
n) Yvonne Pfeifer, DSM Community Manager
o) Kevin Schwain, Product Strategy and Development Director, Edina
Resident
p) Michelle Swanson, Community and Local Government Relations Manager,
Edina Resident
q) Jenny Edwards, Partners in Energy Facilitator
r) Sarah Klauer, Partners in Energy Facilitator
s) Emma Struss, Partners in Energy Facilitator
Workshop Guests
a) Scott Neal, City Manager, City of Edina (Workshop 1)
b) M. Sarah Schaffer, Senior Administrator of Energy Efficiency Programs,
CenterPoint Energy (Workshop 2)
At the beginning of the planning process, Energy Action Team members filled out a welcome
survey. The survey showed that over half of team members had lived in Edina for more than 10
years, with 9% living in Edina for 2-5 years and 9% living in Edina 0-2 years. Twenty-seven
CITY OF EDINA ENERGY ACTION PLAN
11
percent of the team did not live in Edina. Fifty-four percent of the team worked in Edina, and
82% of the team considered energy as part of their job. The team’s energy literacy was split
between advanced (46%), intermediate (27%), and beginner (27%).
Planning Process
The content of this plan is derived heavily from a series of five planning workshops. Xcel
Energy’s role in the planning process was to facilitate the workshops, provide electricity use
data, program participation data, and other technical data as available, to advise the community
on effective strategies and actions, and to produce this energy action plan based upon the
community’s input and feedback. A central emphasis throughout the process is community
ownership of the energy plan, which requires active
participation and broad input.
The Energy Action Team met for the first time in
October of 2015 and continued meeting via
workshops and phone calls through May 2016. The
primary planning objectives were to develop a
unifying vision for Edina’s energy future, to share
information on the existing activities within the
community, to develop priority focus areas for near-
term implementation, and to work through detail on
strategies, goals, and the initial work plan during
implementation. A summary of each of the five in-
person workshops is listed on the following pages,
and additional information is located in Appendix 2.
The workshops were led by community facilitators from the Center for Energy and
Environment and attended by Xcel Energy staff. An overview of the major activities at each
workshop is included on the following page. A more detailed overview of each workshop can
be found as Appendix 2.
Xcel Energy’s Partners in Energy
Planning Process
CITY OF EDINA ENERGY ACTION PLAN
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Partners in Energy Workshop Process
Workshop 1
October 14, 2015
· Team introductions and Partners In Energy process overview
· Review of baseline energy data & past energy initiatives
· Discussion of community assets and energy vision
Workshop 2
December 15, 2015
· Review of Workshop 1 and team introductions
· Presentation by the Energy and Environment Commission
· Review of Xcel Energy’s sustainability initiatives
· Review of data pertaining to residential and business energy
use
· Discussion and brainstorm of focus areas
Workshop 3
January 21, 2016
· Welcome and recap of Workshop 2
· Prioritization and selection of focus areas
· Small groups work on draft goals and strategies for each
selected focus area
Workshop 4
February 23, 2016
· Welcome and review of selected focus areas, adding a
business focus area
· Review data on GHG emissions and reduction impact
· Presentation on City facilities and opportunities
· Small groups work on strategies and goals for each selected
focus area
Workshop 5
April 4, 2016
· Welcome and review of activity that has taken place between
Workshops 4 and 5.
· Windsource® focus area is moved to the residential and
business focus areas
· Small groups work to refine strategies and place actions on
timelines.
Post-Workshop 5
Calls
April 29, May 6 2016
· Small groups discussed detailed action planning for each focus
area
CITY OF EDINA ENERGY ACTION PLAN
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Where Does the Community Stand? – Baseline Electricity Analysis
An early step in the Partners in Energy planning process was to review the current electricity
use in the city of Edina.3 The Xcel Energy project team calculated community electricity
statistics from the past three years of available data (2012-2014) to help the planning team
understand how and where electricity is currently used in the community.4 The baseline year
for the community’s overall energy goal is 2009, however the electricity data here shows three
years of historical use and program participation. The data show that 2012 electricity
greenhouse gas emissions were 10% below 2009 electricity greenhouse gas emissions.
In 2014, the community used a total of 584 million kWh of electricity. Figure 2 shows the
breakdown of that electricity use by residential homes, commercial and industrial businesses,
municipal, and public school properties. Commercial and industrial use accounted for 60% of
the community total, residential use was 34%, and municipal and school operations were 5%.
The total energy-related electricity expenditures in 2014 were $59.2 million (not including taxes,
franchise fees, or other costs).
Figure 2: Segmented Community-Wide Electricity Use in 2014 (kWh)
3 Xcel Energy is the electricity service provider in Edina; natural gas service is provided by CenterPoint
Energy.
4All energy data presented through this process was developed for planning purposes, and therefore it
may contain some variation from data obtained through other sources. All energy and program data
presented here complies with Xcel Energy’s 15x15 data privacy rules (all summary statistics must
contain at least 15 entities, and no single entity can be responsible for more than 15 percent of the total
or they will be removed from the summary). In Edina, no entities were removed from these summary
statistics.
CITY OF EDINA ENERGY ACTION PLAN
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Xcel Energy served 23,393 total premises in Edina in 2014.5 Ninety-one percent of those
premises are residential, while commercial and industrial buildings (including schools and
municipal properties) comprised 9% of the total number of premises.
Figure 3: Edina Community-wide Electricity Use in 2014
Figure 4 shows Edina’s electricity use compared to previous Minnesota Partners in Energy
communities, for a sense of scale and comparison. Note that St. Louis Park and Edina show the
most recent year of data, 2014, while the other communities show 2013 annual data.
Partners in
Energy
Community
Xcel
Energy
Fuels
Served
Total
Residential
GWh
Residential
Premises
Total
Commercial
– Industrial
GWh
Commercial-
Industrial
Premises
Lake Street
Corridor,
Minneapolis
(2013)
E 210 43,000 432 1,400
Maplewood
(2013) E, G 119 15,192 201 1,503
Red Wing (2013) E, G 58 6,893 112 1,049
St Louis Park
(2014) E 144 22,769 333 2,156
Edina (2014) E 201 21,277 384 2,116
Figure 4: Partners in Energy Community Electricity Use Compared
5 A premise is a unique identifier for the location of electricity or natural gas service. In most cases, it is a
facility location.
CITY OF EDINA ENERGY ACTION PLAN
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Another point of community-wide comparison is offered through the Regional Indicators
Initiative6 (RII), which inventories energy, potable water, travel, waste, and greenhouse gas
emissions for Minnesota cities. Edina has been tracking community energy use through RII
since 2007, for both natural gas and electricity. Figure 5 shows that Edina’s energy use is
higher than some nearby cities, including St. Louis Park, but lower than Bloomington.
Figure 5: Regional Indicators Initiative Energy Comparison 2013 (MMBtu)
In addition to looking at the community’s energy usage in comparison to nearby cities, the team
looked at projections around Xcel Energy’s electricity supply. The carbon intensity of Xcel
Energy’s electricity supply will significantly impact greenhouse gas reductions in the electricity
sector. Current unofficial projections of the electricity grid are based on Xcel Energy’s filing with
the Minnesota State Public Utilities Commission, dated October 2, 2015, which proposed a
schedule for fuel conversion of existing coal power generation facilities. Based on this
proposed plan, Xcel Energy’s carbon intensity is projected to decrease 35% between 2012 and
2025, and 42% from 2009, which is Edina’s baseline for greenhouse gas emissions reduction.
Figure 6 shows the impact of Xcel Energy’s energy supply mix projections on greenhouse gas
reductions in the electricity sector.
6 More information on the Regional Indicators Initiative website
(Minnesota.uli.org/initiatives/environment/regional-indicators-initiative/)
CITY OF EDINA ENERGY ACTION PLAN
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Figure 6: Electricity Grid Projections (dark blue) based on the
filing with MN PUC on October 2, 2015
Residential Electricity Use
Further segmentation of the residential sector shows how household use is distributed across
the community. In the residential sector, the top 20% of electricity users consume 45% of
Edina’s residential electricity. This data shows that higher impacts may be achieved in targeting
high usage homes, and that the top 20% of households use more electricity than the bottom
60% of users combined. In targeting residential home electricity usage, age of housing stock
can be a factor. Newer homes have improved building shells and more efficient appliances;
however older homes may be smaller and cool during the summer in zones through window air
conditioning units, rather than through a central air system. Many of Edina’s homes were built
from 1950-1979.
0
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
6,000
Built
1939
or
earlier
Built
1940
to
1949
Built
1950
to
1959
Built
1960
to
1969
Built
1970
to
1979
Built
1980
to
1989
Built
1990
to
1999
Built
2000
to
2009
Built
2010
or
laterNumber of HomesFigure 7: Residential Electricity Use Figure 8: Age of Residential Housing Stock
Top
20%
45%
2nd
24%
3rd
16%
4th
10%
Lowest
20%
5%
CITY OF EDINA ENERGY ACTION PLAN
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In 2014, there were 21,288 residential premises in Edina, and the average residential electricity
use was 9,430 kWh/year. Figure 9 shows a geographic breakdown of Edina’s average
residential premise electric use by neighborhood. The neighborhoods with the lowest average
consumption are Cahill and Pentagon Park, and the neighborhoods with the highest average
consumption were Rolling Green and Hilldale. By considering this data, the team was able to
determine whether a geographically oriented strategy would be a priority.
Figure 9: Residential Electricity Use
Figure 10 shows the total residential use by the top 15 electricity using neighborhoods in
ranked order. Parkwood Knolls had the highest energy usage in total by a significant lead,
followed by Country Club, Countryside, Morningside, and Lake Cornelia. This total use by
neighborhood reflects the total number of residential properties, as well as the average use by
home, and differs from the average consumption per premise shown above. This information
contributed to the consideration of a neighborhood-oriented or geographically oriented strategy
by the Energy Action Team.
CITY OF EDINA ENERGY ACTION PLAN
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Figure 10: Top 15 Neighborhood Total kWh Usage 2014
Residential Program Participation
Another component of the community baseline is how much residents have participated in
conservation or renewable energy programs, and which programs have been most popular.
Average participation by neighborhood is shown in Figure 11. Neighborhoods with the highest
rates of participation were Lake Cornelia, Sunny Slope, Rolling Green, and Normandale Park,
which all had program participation rates between 35% and 40%.
Figure 11: Residential Program Participation Benchmarked to Population
CITY OF EDINA ENERGY ACTION PLAN
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Xcel Energy’s residential conservation programs with the highest customer participation over
the past three years are shown below, by participation count. When one includes all residential
programs (beyond these top 4), energy efficiency saved residential customers the equivalent of
0.3% of their annual electricity use.
Figure 12: Residential Energy Efficiency Program Participation
Windsource® is a renewable energy program offered by Xcel Energy, where residents and
businesses voluntarily pay a premium to subscribe to wind power to cover their electric use.
These subscriptions count above and beyond any planned wind energy projects.7 Subscribers
can choose to subscribe in blocks of 100 kWh, or cover their entire household usage. In 2014,
the average cost for one 100 kWh block was an additional $0.68 over the retail rate. Six-
hundred and seventy five households and eight businesses currently participate in
Windsource®. Almost half of residential Windsource® subscribers subscribe to just one 100
kWh block.
7 Windsource® is therefore in addition to any projects that being developed to meet Minnesota’s
renewable portfolio standard. Xcel Energy will retire the Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) for the
Windsource® customer.
100 kWh
48%
200 kWh
12%
300-500
kWh
15%
> 600 kWh
5%
Full
Subscription
20%
Figure 13: Residential Windsource®
Subscription Amount
CITY OF EDINA ENERGY ACTION PLAN
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In addition, eight households participated in Xcel Energy’s Solar*Rewards programs, which
offers incentives and rebates for installation of photovoltaic (PV) solar panels. Detailed
information on program participation and associated savings is included in Appendix 10, and
specific program descriptions can be found in Appendix 9.
Business Electricity Use
In the business sector, the top 20% of commercial energy users consume 87% of Edina’s
commercial electricity use, shown in Figure 14. The number of businesses included in the top
20% of users is 392. Factors that may contribute to the highest 20% of users consuming a
disproportionate amount of electricity could include business sector and business size. In
general, the sectors with the highest electricity consumption are: food service, inpatient health
care, food sales, enclosed and strip malls, and lodging.8 This information highlights the potential
of targeting the top 20% of business users over small businesses.
Figure 14: Business Electricity Use
The commercial efficiency programs with the highest customer participation over the past
three years are shown in Figure 15. Participation in all commercial efficiency programs
combined saves 1.8% of electric use by Edina businesses annually.
8 From the U.S. Energy Information Administration Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey
87%
8%
5%
Top 20% of all
businesses
Next 20% of all
businesses
Lowest 60% of all
businesses
CITY OF EDINA ENERGY ACTION PLAN
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Figure 15: Business Program Participation
In the past three years, 11 businesses participated in Solar*Rewards programs. Detailed
information on business program participation is included in Appendix 10. While many of the
programs for the largest/industrial customers have the highest average savings per participant,
the programs that had the most participation were Small Business Lighting, Lighting Efficiency,
Cooling Efficiency, and Motor Efficiency.
City Electricity Use and Data
Together, municipal facilities and school district facilities contribute 5% of community wide
electricity use. City facilities consumed 17.9 million kWh in 2014, while School District facilities
consumed 13.8 million kWh. Both the City of Edina and Edina Public School District signed data
privacy waivers enabling public sharing of facilities electricity data for this planning project.
Energy use for the 20 highest using municipal facilities has been tracked through the B3
benchmarking program as part of Edina’s participation in GreenStep Cities. The Partners in
Energy planning process allowed for a synthesis with Xcel Energy electricity data to update
existing data and expand tracking to all municipal facilities. Electricity usage for the City’s top 20
facilities for the year ending in October 2015 is show in Figure 16.
CITY OF EDINA ENERGY ACTION PLAN
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Figure 16: Top 20 City Facilities Electricity Usage
In addition, Ross Bintner, Environmental Engineer, prepared a series of data to inform
strategies for reducing City greenhouse gas emissions. The results estimate how electricity use
in municipal facilities compares to other sources of greenhouse gas emissions, and against
budget expenditures, though the results were issued with a data quality caveat.9 A wedge
diagram showing the impact of proposed strategies on City greenhouse gas emissions is
shown in Figure 17. The complete assessment can be found as Appendix 4. This information
informed decisions about how to prioritize strategies targeting municipal greenhouse gas
emissions. Mr. Bintner used a 2015 budget spreadsheet provided by the City finance
department and analyzed it to group expenses and convert them to total dollar values, which
were converted into units of material or energy, or directly translated to GHG using sources
including the International Local Government Greenhouse Gas Emissions Analysis Protocol.
9 Mr. Bintner explained to the planning team: “The “concept” level of detail is important to note, as I
have not been trained to perform GHG analysis. In performing this analysis I worked with planning team
member Kyle Sawyer, and Michael Orange with Orange Environmental to translate 2015 City of Edina
expenses data into approximate GHG emissions. Mr. Orange has conducted GHG assessments and
politely emphasizes my lack of training when asked! In addition to GHG, I also attempted to summarize
other notable environmental footprint not directly related to energy, such as water and land to
demonstrate the concept of tradeoffs in City operations.”
CITY OF EDINA ENERGY ACTION PLAN
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Figure 17: Conceptual Diagram Showing Impact of Proposed Actions Prepared by Ross Bintner
School District Electricity Use and Sustainability
The Edina Public School District has completed a variety of sustainable and energy saving
projects. Several strategies are incorporated into each school’s mechanical design, and Xcel
Energy’s Energy Design Assistance program has been utilized by the District to develop utility
rebate incentives. Specifics on the sustainable strategies designed for the Edina Public Schools
Next Generation Facilities Plan currently in progress with Wold Architects and Engineers and
Kraus-Anderson Construction may be found in Appendix 5.
The District-wide Go Green committee has implemented several initiatives. As a group, the
committee is finding ways to motivate students and help them be aware of their carbon
footprint. The committee meets once a month to discuss ways to help the schools and
leverage parent and staff volunteers to support sustainability, and reports to District staff on a
monthly basis. The committee actively supports initiatives coming out of high school and
middle school green groups. The committee received a grant from Hennepin County to
purchase and implement waste sorting stations at all elementary schools and to hire staff to
monitor lunchroom waste sorting. Through this, staff and students are being educated to sort
waste responsibly.
CITY OF EDINA ENERGY ACTION PLAN
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2013 Data on Other Greenhouse Gas Emissions Sectors
While this plan focuses on electricity, the community would also like to address other
greenhouse gas contributors. Information taken from the Regional Indicators Initiative is shown
here to provide some context around the community’s non-electric goals. In 2013 Edina had:
· 500,897,300 Vehicle Miles Traveled
· 3,865,778 BTUs of Natural Gas
· 54,980.51 Tons of Solid Waste
· 748,497,250 Gallons of Water Used by Businesses
· 1,655,865,000 Gallons of Water Used by Residents
The following table shows these sectors of greenhouse gas emissions as Metric Tons of CO2
emissions.
Non-Electricity Greenhouse Gas Emissions in 2013
CITY OF EDINA ENERGY ACTION PLAN
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Where is Edina Headed? – Edina’s Energy Vision, Focus Areas, and
Goals
A clearly articulated, transparent,
and shared energy vision serves
the purpose of guiding decisions
about how to prioritize
community resources, including
the selection of focus areas,
goals, and strategies for
achieving those goals. At the
beginning of the planning
process, participants shared their
individual visions for what Edina’s
energy future could be, and
iterated on a unified vision to
guide the process. Essential to
the vision statement is the pre-
established greenhouse gas emissions reduction goal, established by the City of Edina and the
Energy and Environment Commission. The targeted greenhouse gas emissions reduction
percentage has been updated by the Energy Action Team to reflect the State of Minnesota
energy conservation goals. The results of that effort are the vision statement below, with the
reduction goal targeted over a 2009 baseline.
Edina’s Community Energy Vision
Edina’s residents, schools, businesses, and government will successfully reduce the
community’s greenhouse gas emissions by 30% by the year 2025, through strategies and
actions that are sustainable, practical, and measurable.
Focus Areas
This vision statement guided the Energy Action Team in the development of the focus areas,
strategies and short term goals. Focus areas are Edina’s key priorities under which goals and
strategies of the plan are organized. To determine which focus areas would best fit the Edina
community, the planning team reviewed opportunities and data within each major sector:
municipal, residential, and commercial. Details on the opportunities the planning team explored
are included as Appendix 6.
Energy Vision Brainstorm and Direction
CITY OF EDINA ENERGY ACTION PLAN
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Five focus areas originally emerged out of the planning process: Schools and Service Learning,
City Facilities, a Residential Information Campaign, Residential Windsource®, and Business
Energy Efficiency. These focus areas were selected by the Energy Action Team based on areas
that supported Edina’s energy vision, that team members were personally excited to work on,
and had strong potential for short term impact.
The Schools and Service Learning focus area was selected because the schools are a valued
asset in Edina, and the group felt it was important to start energy education at a young age. As
the group explored options, they were sensitive to the opportunity to partner with the school
district, and didn’t want to overreach in terms of asking for specific actions. Between the fourth
and fifth workshop, the group decided to shift away from Schools and Service learning as a
focus area, but rather to use Partners in Energy as an opportunity to connect with the school
district and invite them to partner on energy initiatives. The team wants to recognize the work
the school district is already doing and planning to do to reduce energy usage and engage
students in sustainability education. Detailed information on energy projects within the schools
can be found in Appendix 5.
Renewable energy subscriptions emerged as the group reviewed available programs, and the
group is interested in leveraging the low consumer price point, as well as direct impact on
reduction of GHG. The group initially targeted Residential Windsource® as a focus area, and
decided in the fifth workshop to combine the strategies and messaging in this focus area with
the Residential Information Campaign. The work the group did on Residential Windsource® is
reflected in the goals, actions, and strategies of the Residential Information Campaign.
Further information on the three focus areas for near-term action follows: Municipal Facilities, a
Residential Information Campaign, and increasing Business Energy Efficiency and Renewables.
The Energy Action Team voting on focus areas in Workshop 3
CITY OF EDINA ENERGY ACTION PLAN
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Focus Area: Municipal Facilities
This focus area is a continued commitment to demonstrating leadership in City operations
when asking businesses and residents to complete energy conservation and renewable energy
actions. A series of building studies are currently in progress through CR-BPS, and the results
of those studies will significantly impact how this focus area moves forward. The City’s Capital
Improvement Plan is also currently in progress for the next two years, which will include
budgets for capital improvement projects, including for City facilities.
Beyond the scope of this plan, other strategies will support other sources of City greenhouse
gas emissions, including strategies addressing transportation and natural gas use. City facilities
and operations consume about 6% of total community electricity use. The greenhouse has
reduction strategies will be embedded in City processes and plans, and not treated as stand-
alone efforts.
Goals:
· Long term: Reduce the City’s greenhouse gas emissions 30% by 2025 from a 2012
baseline.
· Short term: Within the next 18 months lower the City’s electricity greenhouse gas
emissions by 7.5%
Seven and a half percent of the City’s electricity usage is 1.34 million kWh, which is equivalent
to 943 metric tons of Carbon Dioxide Equivalent, using the EPA’s greenhouse gas
equivalencies calculator.
Focus Area: Residential Information Campaign
The Energy Action Team prioritized reaching out to Edina residents
because this strategy would be impactful and achievable in the
short term. The planning group also wanted to leverage the
neighborhood residential energy data shared during planning, and
the experience planning team members had sharing their own
energy use, to motivate other residents. The Edina community is
strong, with lots of involved families and a general sense of
community pride. The team feels that residents don’t realize the
impact they can have by doing some fundamental and easy things
in their homes. This focus area leverages the sophisticated
communications channels the City of Edina already has in place, as
well as the peer-to-peer network of the Energy and Environment
Commission.
Residential energy use composes 34% of Edina’s overall electricity use. The goals outlined
below would result in 175 tonnes of reduced carbon emissions by 2025 through conservation
CITY OF EDINA ENERGY ACTION PLAN
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and 2,665 tonnes of reduced carbon emissions by 2025 through the utilization of renewable
energy.
Goals:
· 750 homes take energy savings actions each year.
· Double the number of subscribers to Windsource®, and double the average
subscription amount within 18 months.
Currently, the average number of residential rebates filed annually is 715. Given the priority
actions identified in the strategies, described below, achieving this goal of 750 additional
actions annually will more than double the electricity savings from conservation programs,
saving 562,000 kWh per year. There was an average of 675 residential subscribers to
Windsource in 2015, with an average subscription amount of 4,200 kWh annually, or 350 kWh
per month.
The Energy Action Team would like to leverage learnings from similar campaigns and best
practices. For outreach, there are several important factors:
· The audience the message is trying to reach, and their experiences
· The clear ask that the recipient of the message should take
· The reason the recipient of the message will care
· The channels which are best suited to reaching the target audience
Throughout implementation of this focus area, special efforts will be made to communicate
how people benefit from the impact of their energy efficiency, conservation, and renewable
energy actions, including saving money, helping to reduce CO2 emissions, and reducing energy
usage. A list of relevant case studies is located in Appendix 11. As the team works to
implement this plan, they will review further best actions and case studies.
Focus Area: Business Energy
Businesses are responsible for 66% of Edina’s electricity usage. The top 20% of business
comprise 87% of total business energy usage. Given this data, the Energy Action Team felt it
was important to target such a large portion of overall usage. A key idea behind this focus area
is to leverage existing resources to promote energy savings actions and to recognize
businesses in the community that are leaders in energy efficiency and renewable energy.
Knowing that businesses vary greatly in how they use energy, the group has identified a need
for customized messaging to reach businesses in the most impactful way. In order for this
focus area to be successful, the messaging will need to convey the business case for
greenhouse gas reduction.
CITY OF EDINA ENERGY ACTION PLAN
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Goals:
· Reduce and/or off-set through renewable energy 2% of electricity usage annually.
Over the past three years, businesses have saved 1.8% of their energy usage on an annual
basis. This number is averaged between the past three years, but overall conservation in the
business sector has been trending down. The 2% goal is aggressive, and will compound year
over year to meaningfully impact progress toward the City’s 30% greenhouse gas reduction
goal, in combination with the other strategies and the decarbonization of the electricity grid.
This focus area will leverage the largest businesses to act as leaders in the energy space by
taking actions and by recognizing them. Two percent of annual business usage is 7.3 million
kWh, equivalent to 5,140 metric tons of CO2 equivalent.
Additionally, education sector facilities are included in this business oriented focus area. The
team will continue to communicate with the school facilities staff to track energy efficiency and
renewable energy projects, highlighting them as case studies when appropriate.
The Energy Action Team would like to leverage learnings from similar campaigns and best
practices. The same four key components that are important for residential outreach are
important for business outreach. The group would like to highlight a call for leadership and
energy efficiency actions that will save businesses money in the long term. Additionally, the
group will work to build resident support of businesses that demonstrate a commitment to
energy efficiency and renewable energy.
A list of relevant case studies is located in Appendix 11. As the team works to implement this
plan, they will review further best actions and case studies.
Impact of Focus Area Goals on kWh
The following graph shows the impact of each focus area’s goals in comparison to baseline
energy efficiency and renewable subscription activity.
CITY OF EDINA ENERGY ACTION PLAN
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Impact of Energy Action Plan Goals on Carbon Reduction
The following illustration shows how the Partners in Energy goals and the projected carbon-
intensity of the regional electricity grid will help achieve Edina’s community wide greenhouse
gas targets. Carbon intensity trends used are based on the most recent projections of Xcel
Energy’s upper Midwest electricity grid, as shared above.10 Partners in Energy strategies are
focused on goals for the next 18 months, and this illustration projects continued activity to
2025, assuming a continuation of activity at an intensity of 66%. Additional assumptions are
detailed below. The data in the graph below differs from the data provided in the Regional
Indicators Initiative in that it includes gas, electricity, and transportation, and not “waste” and
“others” categories.11
· Electricity use from 2009-2011 is taken from the
Regional Indicators Initiative; natural gas and
transportation GHGs from 2009 – 2013 are taken
from the Regional Indicators Initiative.
· Electricity use from 2012-2014 is calculated using
Xcel Energy community wide electricity data from
Partners in Energy.
· The business as usual (BAU) assumptions for
electricity assume that annual baseline growth
occurs at 1.5% annually in the residential and
commercial sectors, and that in addition, baseline
energy savings from ongoing conservation programs
will occur, matching the average rate from 2012-
2014. These two assumptions result in a net zero
change to baseline additions.
· Natural gas and transportation is projected flat from 2013 levels for illustrative purposes,
although there are likely planned reductions in those sectors.
10 These projections are taken from Xcel Energy’s Integrated Resource Plan dated October 2, 2015.
11 In the Regional Indicators Initiative data, these sections should make up about 747,000 mtCO2e.
CITY OF EDINA ENERGY ACTION PLAN
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CITY OF EDINA ENERGY ACTION PLAN
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How Are We Going To Get There? – Strategies
This section outlines in more detail the specific strategies that will meet the goals of each focus
area. The Energy Action Team developed these strategies by examining the state of current
energy use and program activity, brainstorming and prioritizing possible actions that draw on
core community strengths, and assessing the likelihood that strategies will meet identified
goals. The Energy Action Team spent several sessions revising strategies with technical input
from the Xcel Energy team.
Each focus area identified has its own action plan that identifies responsible parties, outlines
implementation steps and a timeline, identifies partners or resources, and assigns metrics for
tracking progress. This plan focuses on actions over the next 18 months. More detailed
workplans will be developed for each focus area by the implementation workgroups, which
may include more detailed goals tailored to each action.
Members of the Energy Action Team who developed this plan, as well as other community
members, have the opportunity to be involved with implementation through joining Energy and
Environment Commission work groups dedicated Municipal, Residential, and Business energy,
including work on gas usage reduction, solid waste reduction, and water usage reduction. A
quarterly newsletter with update on progress in the electricity sector and volunteer
opportunities will be distributed.
Focus Area: Municipal Facilities
Two key strategies support the Municipal Facilities focus area, which will be championed by
the new Conservation and Sustainability (CAS) Staff member. The ongoing actions for this
focus area will be heavily dependent on the outcomes from the municipal building study
recommendations. This section outlines actions that will take place in the first few months of
implementation with the expectation that ongoing actions will be determined by the CAS Staff
member and City staff.
MUNICIPAL FACILITIES OVERVIEW
Goals · Short term: Within the next 18 months lower the City’s electricity
greenhouse gas emissions by 7.5%, which is 1.34 million kWh, or 943
metric tons of CO2 equivalent.
· Long term: Reduce the City’s greenhouse gas emissions by 30% from a
2012 baseline by 2025.
Strategy: Implement
recommended
energy use reduction
projects from
building study
Actions:
· Prioritize recommendations based on greenhouse gas reduction and
cost analysis
· Meet with Xcel Energy to review building study reports and evaluate
opportunities for rebates and conservation programs
· Support implementation of projects
CITY OF EDINA ENERGY ACTION PLAN
33
currently being
conducted by CR-
BPS
Leadership: CAS
Support Staff
· Review supplemental funding options for project implementation
· Track electricity and greenhouse gas impact of projects
· Communicate greenhouse gas impacts to broader community through
City communications channels
· Evaluate use of projects as case studies for business programs
· Integrate greenhouse gas reduction principles on maintenance
program for existing facilities
· Incorporate greenhouse gas considerations on capital purchases
· Look into research opportunities with education organizations
· Assist with development of business case for GHG reduction options
· Review current City policy and propose changes to support energy use
and greenhouse gas reductions
Strategy:
Negotiate renewable
purchase for
municipal electricity
Leadership: CAS
Support Staff
Actions:
· Coordinate with Xcel Energy to evaluate opportunities, including
Windsource® and Renewable Connect
· Continue to evaluate solar
· Research supplemental funding opportunities
· Draft three possible levels of participation
· Present options to EEC and City Council
· Communicate impact of any renewable purchase to broader
community through City communications channels
Measuring Success Measure progress every six months using electricity data provided by Xcel
Energy OR use B3 data. Quarterly reports to EEC and City Council.
TEAM:
Community Lead
Lead: CAS Staff
Team: Ross Bintner, Environmental Engineer, Tim Barnes, Facilities
Manager, Jennifer Bennerotte, City Communications, EEC Energy Work
Group
Community Partners EEC, City Council, City Communications Staff
Outreach and
Communication
Channels
· Regular update presentations at EEC
· Potential project case studies distributed and developed by the
Business Focus Area
· Communicate project progress to the community through on-site
signage and City website
Xcel Energy Support
Provide information on relevant rebates and programs, work with City to
evaluate renewable energy opportunities, provide electricity data to track
progress every six months.
CITY OF EDINA ENERGY ACTION PLAN
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KEY ROLES FOR MUNICIPAL FOCUS AREA
Implement
recommended projects
from building study
EEC Working Group: Coordinate with City Staff for updates, provide feedback,
coordinate messaging of case studies with other EEC work groups
City Staff: Review building study report and coordinate with Facilities
Manager and Xcel Energy to prioritize projects for implementation,
research outside funding opportunities and pursue them, ongoing role
based on results of building study, research opportunities to partner with
education organizations, help develop the business case for GHG
reduction options, train City staff (beyond the CAS staff) on energy
efficiency and the impacts of their actions, reach out to receive lessons
learned from other cities
Xcel Energy: Meet with City Staff to offer perspective on prioritizing projects
based on the building study report and connect with relevant program
opportunities
Negotiate renewable
purchase for municipal
electricity
EEC Working Group: Advocate for renewable purchase, offer feedback,
coordinate messaging of case studies with other EEC work groups
City Staff: Assess renewable purchase options, draft proposals to the EEC
and City Council, present opportunities to City Council and EEC, follow
through with implementation of selected option(s) , reach out to receive
lessons learned from other cities
Xcel Energy: Provide renewable energy opportunity expertise, tailored to
Edina municipal facilities, meet with City staff and others as appropriate to
discuss options, provide supporting data as appropriate
Ongoing management
Tracking and reporting
EEC Working Group: Review updates and share with the broader EEC, advise
on tracking metrics and progress
City Staff: Maintain library of tracking data, assess progress
Xcel Energy: Provide quarterly data briefings based on identified tracking
metrics, provide regular updates on renewable rates, opportunities, and
promotions and conservation offerings
CITY OF EDINA ENERGY ACTION PLAN
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Municipal Facilities Focus Area Timeline
Longer-term Actions
(Oct. 2016 – Dec. 2017)
·Support implementation
of prioritized projects
·Assess if any City
facilities would benefit
from Turn Key services
·Prioritize renewable
energy opportunities,
based on off-set potential
and cost analysis
·Recommend adoption of
renewable energy
opportunities
·Research funding
opportunities for projects
Immediate Actions
(July– Sept. 2016)
·Review building study
recommendations
·Meet with Xcel Energy to
review the building study
recommendations and
evaluate opportunities for
program participation
·Prioritize projects based on
energy savings potential
and cost analysis
·Meet with Xcel Energy to
learn about renewable
energy opportunities
Ongoing – Tracking
· Update City website
quarterly with current
information
· Assist in development
of City facilities case
studies to be
distributed by the
Business group
· Present quarterly to
EEC
· Check on goal
progress quarterly
CITY OF EDINA ENERGY ACTION PLAN
36
Focus Area: Residential Information Campaign
Four key strategies support the Residential Information Campaign, which will be championed
by the Energy and Environment Commission energy work group, City communications staff,
the CAS staff position, City leadership, and community leaders. Mid-way through
implementation, it is anticipated that the success of the actions outlined below will be
assessed, and continuing activities will be driven by the results of that assessment, to ensure
the campaign is as successful as possible. A detailed implementation timeline is included as
Appendix 7.
RESIDENTIAL INFORMATION CAMPAIGN OVERVIEW
Goals · 750 homes take energy-savings actions each year, saving 562,000 kWh
annually, or 395 metric tons of CO2 equivalent.
· Double the number of subscribers to Windsource® and double the
average amount subscribed within 18 months. (675 new Windsource®
subscribers, average subscription of 534 kWh per month) This would
produce an additional 8,505,000 kWh total, or 5,977 metric tons of CO2
equivalent.
Key Messages · Join your community to combat climate change.
· Don’t be an energy hog!
· Save money on your energy bill, through energy efficiency and
conservation.
· Try the latest technologies in your home.
Targeted Actions · Install and program smart thermostats
· Get a Home Energy Squad® visit
· Sign up for “My Account” online and look under “My Energy”
· Subscribe to Windsource®
Strategy:
Drive traffic to a City
operated web
resource through
City communications
channels
Leadership: City
communications staff
Actions:
· Drive residents to a city-hosted website, where they will have access to
actionable resources, a gauge that shows community progress, a
calendar of activities and events, and testimonials
· Create paced content for: the Sun Current, City Website, and City social
media
· Consider secondary channels, such as water bill inserts
· Evaluate outside funding or donations from local businesses to
provide incentives for residents to complete actions
· Evaluate effectiveness of messaging mid-way though the campaign,
and add additional actions/refine messaging if goals aren’t being hit
Strategy:
Foster
neighborhood-based
outreach and
leadership
Leadership: EEC
Actions:
· Develop EEC members as ambassadors to their neighborhoods
· Identify additional neighborhood advocates passionate about energy
· Provide tips and tools for community leaders to post to NextDoor and
promote energy-savings actions at community events, such as block
parties
· Solicit ‘best practice’ sharing from community members on their
experience and what works with neighbors in semi-annual online or in-
CITY OF EDINA ENERGY ACTION PLAN
37
Energy Work Group,
Neighborhood
leaders
person forums.
· Increase EEC budget to train leaders and volunteers
· Increase environmental forum frequency to twice each year
Strategy:
Leverage outreach
events for
Windsource® sign-
ups
Leadership: EEC
Energy Work Group
Actions:
· Develop a calendar of events (e.g. farmer’s markets, Edina art festival),
and prioritize based on target participants
· Test on-the-spot sign-up functionality for Windsource®
· Identify volunteer groups (i.e. Edina Community Foundation, student
groups) and assess possible incentives for volunteer participation
· Develop materials to train volunteers; coordinate with City volunteer
coordination staff
Strategy:
Assess policy options
to support efficiency
for Edina residents
Leadership: Small
group composed of
City staff and EEC
work group
Actions:
· Recommend ongoing City subsidization of Home Energy Squad visits
for low income and other households each year and an increase from
the previous $10,000 subsidy for 200 visits
· Assist with establishing best practices and policies for energy
efficiency and conservation for City of Edina residents
· Develop a short term and long term list of potential policies
Measuring Success
Website click rates and in-person signups. Track program participation and
overall energy usage through Xcel Energy data. Have regular reports to
the EEC and City Council. Potentially leverage Edina’s bi-annual quality of
life survey for tracking. Quarterly reports to EEC and City Council.
Interim Goals
TEAM
Community Lead(s)
Lead: EEC Energy Work Group, Conservation and Sustainability staff, : City
communications staff, City leadership, community leaders
Team: City Council member to champion, potential for students and
schools to partner
Community Partners City communications staff, neighborhood organizations, outreach work
group of EEC, others who could distribute or display content...
Outreach and
Communication
Channels
Highlight specific messages as detailed above.
Channels: Use Edina publications (Edina Sun Current, City website, City
videos), Nextdoor, ask neighborhood associations to distribute content,
leverage in-person events
Xcel Energy Support Marketing material development support, program information, goal
tracking, email blasts, etc.
CITY OF EDINA ENERGY ACTION PLAN
38
KEY ROLES FOR RESIDENTIAL INFORMATION CAMPAIGN
Drive traffic to a City
operated web resource
through City
communications
channels
EEC Working Group: Provide feedback on messaging for website and
publication pieces, provide “feature” content leads for publications
City Staff: Program and maintain website, refine messaging and layout for
website, implement distribution of messaging through City channels,
ensuring a coordinated ask for residents and regularly timed outreach,
leverage highest performing channels, research tools residents can use to
monitor and reduce energy consumption to share on the website,
including developing real-time case studies showing ongoing energy
usage and how actions impact electricity usage
Xcel Energy: Provide technical content and advise on website messaging as
desired, provide community-specific data, provide best practice expertise
in reaching residential energy users, help to plan outreach schedule,
review/format any marketing materials or messages, contribute best
practice expertise on community outreach
Foster neighborhood-
based outreach and
leadership
EEC Working Group: Ask EEC members to be pilot leaders within their
communities, identify and contact other community leaders
City Staff: Act as a point of contact for interested leaders, distribute
materials as appropriate, City leadership to take message to gatherings
and invite audiences to join the effort, arrange for a public gather to
exchange ideas on GHG reduction
Xcel Energy: Provide best practice expertise in community based social
marketing, format/review any marketing materials or tools, provide
neighborhood-specific data and mapping as appropriate
Leverage outreach
events for Windsource®
sign-ups
EEC Working Group: Identify and recruit volunteers, track ongoing
coordination, help to develop training materials, maintain community
events calendar and set up tabling opportunities
City Staff: Support maintenance of events calendar and volunteer
coordination for tabling, host tabling supplies, act as point of contact for
interested volunteers
Xcel Energy: Help refine messaging to volunteers and residents who visit
tables, format/review any marketing materials or tools, contribute best
practice expertise on tabling at events
Assess policy options to
support efficiency for
Edina residents and
ongoing support
EEC Working Group: Share updates with the broader EEC, coordinate with
City staff, advocate for policy options
City Staff: Coordinate with EEC, provide analysis of policy options
Xcel Energy: Provide quarterly updates based on identified tracking metrics,
provide overall project tracking and management, including facilitated
meetings and follow up, research case studies for policy options as
needed, provide regular updates on renewable rates, opportunities, and
promotions and conservation offerings
CITY OF EDINA ENERGY ACTION PLAN
39
Residential Information Campaign Focus Area Timeline:
Longer-term Actions
(Oct. 2016 – Dec. 2017)
·Launch City website
presence
·Plan and implement a
social media campaign
·Research and develop
Sun Current feature
articles
·Table at in-person events
·Reach out to local
community leaders to be
advocates
·Develop and maintain an
on-going multi-channel
information campaign
Immediate Actions
(July– Sept. 2016)
·Develop messaging for
Phase I of the campaign /
test specific messages
·Strategize around Sun
Current highest impact /
investigate queue for
stories
·Identify in-person events
with strong sign up
potential; utilize mayor and
City Manager for messages
·Identify and train a
volunteer base to table at
events
·Leverage EEC members as
community ambassadors
·Recommend the City
subsidize Home Energy
Squad visits for low income
and other households each
year at $10,000 subsidy for
200 visits
Ongoing – Tracking
· Update City website
quarterly with current
information
· Check on goal
progress quarterly
· Evaluate effectiveness
of messaging mid-way
through the campaign
· Consider leveraging
Edina’s bi-annual
quality of life survey
for tracking
CITY OF EDINA ENERGY ACTION PLAN
40
Focus Area: Business Energy
Three key strategies support the Business Energy focus area, which will be championed by the
new Conservation and Sustainability (CAS) Staff member, City leadership, the EEC energy work
group, and will leverage partnerships with local business associations. A detailed timeline is
included as Appendix 7. While this plan is focused on electricity, messaging for businesses
may be combined with other city priorities, such as recycling.
BUSINESS ENERGY OVERVIEW:
Goals
Reduce and/or off-set through renewable energy 2% of electricity usage
annually, or by 7.3 million kWh in the first year, or 5,140 metric tons of
CO2 equivalent.
Short-term: Engage 100 of the top 400 business energy users
Long-term: Engage all 400 of the top 400 business energy users
Strategy:
Engage the top
business energy
users to take action
on greenhouse gas
through offsets and
reductions
Leadership: City
leadership, CAS staff,
EEC work group,
local business
organizations
Actions:
· Compile list of largest businesses and develop tracking tool for
outreach coordination; assess potential barriers.
· Develop outreach message and clear ask to partner with the City in
achieving the City’s GHG reduction goals
· Compile relevant resources on energy efficiency, renewable energy
opportunities, and other GHG reduction strategies, including natural
gas strategies as appropriate
· Use city and local leadership to contact 100 of the 400 largest
businesses through direct contact or existing forums
· Develop 3-4 case studies of local business projects, including a
potential real-time case study showing ongoing energy usage and how
actions impact electricity usage
· Share progress and make policy recommendations through regular
reports to the EEC and City Council
· City leadership and chamber of commerce to identify and recognize
business partners, such as at in-person gathering
· Work with Xcel Energy to identify partners and best practices
· Create a recognition and/or competition partnership with businesses
Strategy:
Target small to
medium businesses,
such as restaurants
and retail with
recognition
programs
Leadership: CAS Staff,
Energy Work Group,
local business
organizations
Actions:
· Document existing City and EEC outreach to small business and
lessons learned
· Develop standardized messages based on business type to distribute,
including both energy efficiency and renewable energy strategies.
· Work with the Chamber of Commerce, City, and 50th and France
Association to assemble lists of similar businesses types and contact
through mail and emails
· Work with Xcel Energy small to medium business programs, such as
TurnKey Services and renewable energy opportunities, and to
collaborate on community–specific outreach
· Connect businesses with additional resources that can help with GHG
reduction, including solid waste
· Design and implement a retail-oriented recognition program in
partnership with the City Council for companies that undertake the
CITY OF EDINA ENERGY ACTION PLAN
41
program successfully
· Share case studies of businesses that have completed energy projects.
Feature these businesses in conjunction with Residential Information
Campaign, if applicable
· Distribute a tracking tool for setting an energy baseline, measuring and
reporting
· Work with Xcel Energy to identify best practices
Strategy:
Ongoing
Management and
tracking
Leadership: CAS Staff
Actions:
· Keep list of recognized business to form a library of best practices.
Incorporate reports of City and School actions into this library
· Provide quarterly progress updates from Xcel Energy
· Identify other metrics tor track progress
Strategy:
Assess policy options
to support
greenhouse gas
reduction for Edina
businesses.
Leadership: CAS Staff
Actions:
· Review best practice policy options for engaging large and small
businesses, including current local policy, and mandatory energy
disclosure for large businesses, such as in Minneapolis
· Assess impact and benefits of city policy options to reduce greenhouse
gas emissions in businesses, including: sustainability, roof gardens,
LED lighting, energy efficiency, planting trees, composting, and
renewable energy subscriptions
· Research case studies on effective policies from other cities (e.g.
Minneapolis, Portland, OR)
Measuring Success Track program participation through Xcel Energy data every six months.
Document leadership responses from large Edina businesses. Quarterly
reports to EEC and City Council.
TEAM
Community Lead(s)
Lead: Climate and Sustainability Staff, City Council member as champion
Team: Energy and Environment Energy Work Group small group, City
leadership
Community Partners
Chamber of Commerce, Rotary Club, 50th and France organization, City
communications staff, Xcel Energy program managers, other community
leaders.
Outreach and
Communication
Channels
Large Businesses: Leverage business organizations and City staff with
connections to largest businesses. Personalized calls from CAS staff,
follow-up mailings and calls. Meetings, webinars, and website presence.
Small and Medium Businesses: Reach through local business associations,
e-blasts, and door-to-door flyer distribution.
General Public: City media channels, including: social media, Sun Current,
signage, a video.
Xcel Energy Support Coordination with Xcel Energy Program Managers, marketing material
development support, goal tracking, email blasts, etc.
CITY OF EDINA ENERGY ACTION PLAN
42
KEY ROLES FOR BUSINESS ENERGY STRATEGIES
Engage the top business
energy users to take
action on greenhouse
gas reductions
EEC Working Group: Facilitate partnerships with Chamber of Commerce, City
Economic Development Manager, and CAS Staff; help to prioritize
messaging and asks to the largest businesses; advocate for resident
support of participating businesses; work with City communications, the
facilitation team, and Xcel Energy to connect businesses to resources
City Staff: Primary lead on direct business outreach, in coordination with
EEC network and Xcel Energy staff; create and maintain database of
contacts, coordinate with local business organizations, help to refine
messaging and marketing materials, program and maintain relevant
website content, lead on organizing recognition platforms, City leadership
to partner with businesses that want to make a difference and be part of
the community to reduce GHG emissions, City leadership to recognize
business partners publically
Xcel Energy: Provide community-specific segmentation of top energy users
that adheres to privacy guidelines, provide informed guidance on how to
prioritize businesses, directly contact managed accounts to inform and
invite participation, review and help develop marketing materials and
relevant program information, contribute best practice expertise on
contacting large businesses and compelling calls to action, offer Xcel
Energy subject matter experts given interest in specific efficiency and
renewable energy topics
Target small to medium
sized businesses, such
as restaurants and retail,
with recognition
program
EEC Working Group: Facilitate partnerships with the Chamber of Commerce
and other professional organizations; review priority actions of small
businesses for greenhouse gas impact; coordinate with City
communications and Xcel Energy team to develop and promote successful
recognition campaign; advocate for resident support of participating
businesses
City Staff: Document existing work, develop list of local businesses,
develop outreach and recognition materials, coordinate with professional
organizations, create recommended list of energy tracking tools and
software for business energy reduction, manager workload for City leaders
Xcel Energy: Provide community-specific data to inform business
segmentation; assist in developing and reviewing marketing materials,
provide Xcel Energy subject matter experts to provide energy reduction
practices if there’s enough interest, contribute best practice expertise on
contacting small businesses
Ongoing management
and tracking
Assess policy options to
support greenhouse gas
reduction for Edina
businesses
EEC Working Group: Share updates with the broader EEC, coordinate with
City staff, advocate for policy options, design an annual recognition
program, research case studies for policy options as needed
City Staff: Coordinate with EEC and Xcel Energy, provide analysis of policy
options, manage library of case studies and participating businesses,
administer recognition program, provide regular updates on renewable
rates, opportunities, and promotions and conservation offerings
CITY OF EDINA ENERGY ACTION PLAN
43
Xcel Energy: Provide quarterly updates based on identified tracking metrics,
provide overall project tracking and management, including facilitated
meetings and follow up, provide expertise on business recognition
programs
Business Energy Focus Area Timeline
Longer-term Actions
(Oct. 2016 – Dec. 2017)
·Identify top 100
prospects to reach out to
first
·Continue to develop an
outreach campaign to
large businesses,
complete by September 1
·Roll out large business
outreach effort
(September – November
2016)
·Launch City website
presence by end of 2016
·Continue to identify 400
largest businesses and
contacts and keep them
in a database, complete
by September 1
Immediate Actions
(July– Sept. 2016)
·Start to identify 400 largest
businesses and contacts
and keep them in a
database
·Develop an outreach effort
to large businesses
·Develop the “ask” for
businesses
Ongoing – Tracking
· Develop or identify a
tool that will be used
to measure results by
March 2017
· Plan any recognition
events for businesses
CITY OF EDINA ENERGY ACTION PLAN
44
How Are We Going To Stay On Course? – Monitoring and Reporting
This plan outlines strategies and specific actions that will meet community wide goals, focusing
on the first 18 months of Partners in Energy supported activity. As the planning team
transitions to implementation, structuring implementation teams around regular accountability
and progress updates will be key to success.
Core City staff, including the Conservation and Sustainability Staff and potentially members of
the EEC work groups, will initially meet bi-weekly with Xcel Energy Partners in Energy staff to
coordinate resources and develop a more detailed work plan. The Xcel Energy Partners in
Energy staff will work to schedule these meetings on a standing basis with City staff. These
meetings will serve to share information on progress and strategies, and to coordinate support
from Xcel Energy Partners in Energy staff. EEC members will start with the actions outlined in
the “immediate actions” outlined in this plan, and develop more detailed monthly work plans
within specific focus area work groups and share these work plans with the Conservation and
Sustainability staff.
Operational Actions and Tracking
The Partners in Energy facilitation team will work with Xcel Energy to obtain electricity usage
data and program participation data, and will share outcomes with the new Conservation and
Sustainability staff position. Data can be split by sector, so each focus area will be able to track
progress. The Conservation and Sustainability staff will work with the Energy and Environment
Commission Energy Work Group to publicize results and share with City Council and the
broader Edina community.
Strategy and focus area leads are identified for each of the three focus areas. In addition to City
support for implementation of this action plan, the Energy and Environment Committee will
form citizen work groups to work on each focus area. Xcel Energy and the facilitation team will
continue to support project management and provide other resources throughout
implementation.
The new Conservation and Sustainability staff member will act as a point person for
implementation, and should be cc’d on work group emails to track progress, as well as
community facilitator Emma Struss (estruss@mncee.org). As the role is onboarding, Ross
Bintner (RBintner@edinamn.gov) should be cc’d until the new staff is in place.
Communication and Reporting
Each strategy has outlined plans to keep the broader Edina community engaged and informed
throughout Partners in Energy implementation. A website presence will be developed to
provide access to resources and tracking for all community members. Energy and Environment
Commission work groups for each focus area will meet regularly. The full EEC meets on a
CITY OF EDINA ENERGY ACTION PLAN
45
monthly basis. Overall, progress will be tracked on a quarterly basis from energy data provided
by Xcel Energy and analyzed by the facilitation team. The team will work closely with the
Conservation and Sustainability staff member and EEC small group to ensure data is
distributed.
Evolution of Strategies and Goals
This plan outlines strategies and goals for an 18-month implementation period. It is anticipated
that the success and outcomes of initial actions will impact how each focus area moves
forward. Initial actions that will happen in the next three months are more clearly defined, with
following actions intentionally left more broad to flex with the outcomes of the first few months
of implementation. City staff and the citizen small groups working on plan implementation will
help to determine how and when strategies and actions need to shift course.
Lessons Learned
Experience in implementation of Energy Action Plans with other Partners in Energy
communities has shown that the following things are key factors for success:
· Continued involvement of select members of the core planning team for continuity
during implementation
· Committed availability of staff coordination time
· Regular progress tracking and shifting actions and goals as needed
· Focus on getting strategies off the ground early on in implementation
· Work to continuously engage the community while avoiding burnout
· Celebrate early successes to motivate the team and the community
CITY OF EDINA ENERGY ACTION PLAN
Appendix 1: Glossary of Terms
Community Data Mapping: A baseline analysis of energy data in a geospatial (map) format
across the community.
Demand Side Management (DSM): Modification of consumer demand for energy through
various methods, including education and financial incentives. DSM aims to encourage
consumers to decrease energy consumption, especially during peak hours or to shift time of
energy use to off-peak periods, such as nighttime and weekend.
Energy Action Plan: A written plan that includes an integrated approach to all aspects of
energy management and efficiency. This includes both short- and long-term goals, strategies,
and metrics to track performance.
Energy Star Homes: A certification program administered by the U.S. Environmental rotation
Agency, for new homes that are designed and built to defined high energy efficiency standards.
Goals: The results toward which efforts and actions are directed. There can be a number of
objectives and goals outlined in order to successfully implement a plan.
Greenhouse Gas (GHG): Atmospheric gases that absorb infrared radiation and contribute the
greenhouse gas effect, including carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (NO2),
and water vapor.
kWh (kilowatt-hour): A unit of electricity consumption.
Home Energy Squad (HES): Home Energy Squad is a joint offering between Xcel Energy and
CenterPoint Energy in communities where CenterPoint Energy provides natural gas service.
The program helps residential customers reduce energy use in their homes by completing
direct installs. The “Enhanced” version of the program includes diagnostic testing and follow-
up support. The City of Edina currently buys down Home Energy Squad Enhanced visits for
residents to $50.
Metro Clean Energy Resource Teams (CERTs): A Twin Cities based organization that
empowers communities and their members to adopt energy efficiency and renewable energy
technologies and practices for their homes, businesses, and local institutions.
Minnesota GreenStep Cities: Minnesota GreenStep Cities is a voluntary challenge,
assistance, and recognition program to help cities achieve their sustainability and quality-of-life
goals.
CITY OF EDINA ENERGY ACTION PLAN
Premise: A unique identifier for the location of electricity or natural gas service. In most cases it
is a facility location. There can be multiple premises per building, and multiple premises per
individual debtor.
Recommissioning: An energy efficiency service focused on identifying ways that existing
building systems can be tuned-up to run as efficiently as possible.
Regional Indicators Initiative: The Regional Indicators Intiative measures annual performance
metrics for 22 Minnesota cities. The project tracks data on Energy, Water, Travel, Water, GHG
Emissions, and Cost. To learn more, visit www.regionalindicatorsmn.com.
St. Paul Port Authority PACE of MN Program: This program finances energy efficiency and
renewable energy upgrades to buildings. PACE provides low-cost, long-term financing that is
repaid as a property tax assessment for up to 20 years.
Windsource®: A program from Xcel Energy that allows customers to purchase blocks of wind
energy as their electricity source.
CITY OF EDINA ENERGY ACTION PLAN
Appendix 2: Workshop Process Overview
Workshop Process Overview
The section below includes more detail on how the group developed the above vision, focus
areas, and strategies over the course of four workshops.
Workshop 1
The facilitation team introduced the Partners in Energy program,
and presented an initial set of data on Edina energy usage. The
group brainstormed their favorite Edina assets. First individually,
and then as a group, the team defined what an ideal energy
future for Edina looks like. As team members presented the
qualities they deemed most important, trends surfaced which
included a focus on high quality of life, good City government,
innovation, leadership, and a desire for a measurable, affordable
and attainable vision. At the end of Workshop 1, three volunteers
formed a small workgroup to wordsmith a draft vision statement.
Small Visioning Group
A small group developed three energy vision statements based upon the Energy Action Team’s
workshop discussion. They used materials provided by the facilitation team as a guideline, and
drafted a vision statement. These three statements were sent out for community feedback
between Workshop 1 and Workshop 2. The most preferred statement was presented to the
group at Workshop 2.
Workshop 2
The workshop started by recapitulating Workshop 1 and setting
objectives for Workshop 2. Background information on Edina’s
25/25 Goals and the Energy and Environment Commission was
presented by Bill Sierks and Sarah Zarrin. Michelle Swanson
presented on Xcel Energy’s Sustainability Activities. The
facilitation team then presented detailed data and opportunities
in the residential and business energy sectors. The group
worked individually and then as a team to identify areas of focus
for the Energy Action Plan, grouping ideas into “residential,”
“business,” and “other” categories. As the group discussed
focus areas, several themes emerged: providing information to
residents about existing programs and technologies, leveraging
the schools and youth, creating new City policies, reaching out
Workshop 1 Visioning
Activity
Workshop 2 Focus Areas
Activity
CITY OF EDINA ENERGY ACTION PLAN
to businesses through professional organizations, leveraging feedback on energy usage to
promote behavior change, and increasing Windsource® subscriptions. The group reviewed and
discussed the energy vision statement, identifying a few areas for clarification. At the end of
Workshop 2, the facilitation team identified next steps.
Workshop 3
The group shared their individual energy use during
introductions, and recapped Workshop 2. Then the group
walked through each of the focus areas brainstormed in
Workshop 2, noting impact and feasibility considerations
as well as addition background research provided by the
facilitation team. The group then nominated and voted on
focus areas. The top four focus areas were: Schools and
Service Learning (6 votes), Residential Information
Campaign (5 votes), City Facilities (5 votes), and
Residential Windsource® (4 votes.) The next focus area
was Outreach through Organizations for Businesses,
which was shelved to revisit at Workshop 4, when more
business representatives could attend. The facilitation
team walked through an introduction to goals and
strategies. The group broke into three small groups to
discuss Schools and Service Learning, Residential Information Campaign, and Residential
Windsource®. Each small group brainstormed draft goals and strategies and shared them back
with the larger group.
Workshop 4
As an introduction, the group shared energy savings actions they
would recommend to their neighbors. The group then reviewed
focus areas selected at Workshop 3, including information on the
potential impact of draft goals. The group also discussed Edina’s
BAU (business as usual) projections for carbon emissions in the
electricity sector, showing that Edina is anticipated to exceed a
30% reduction in electricity-driven carbon emissions by 2025.
Ross Bintner presented calculations and research on the
Municipal Facilities focus area, including a rough greenhouse gas
inventory. The group discussed adding a business-oriented focus
area and decided that it would be beneficial. The team broke into
small groups by focus are to refine strategies and goals. Small groups included: Residential
Information Campaign, Schools and Service Learning, and Business Efficiency. The group
shared back with the group and noted actions to accomplish before the next workshop.
Workshop 3 Small Groups
Workshop 4 Strategy Work
CITY OF EDINA ENERGY ACTION PLAN
Workshop 5
The facilitation team gave a recap of the
resources available for implementation
and what the next steps for the plan
would look like. The Energy Action team
reviewed decisions made between
workshops four and five, including the
change of the Schools and Service
Learning focus area, as well as a desire
to call out the electricity-centric focus of
this planning document. The team voted to discontinue the Windsource® focus area as a
separate focus area, but to include components in the business focus area as well as the
residential focus area. The bulk of the workshop was spent in two small groups: Residential
Information Campaign and Business Energy. The small groups worked on finalizing goals and
strategies, and the residential small group worked to place actions on a timeline. Both small
groups cited a need to meet again and refine the strategies, goals, and actions of the focus
areas.
Workshop 5 Energy Action Team Group Photo
CITY OF EDINA ENERGY ACTION PLAN
Appendix 3: City of Edina Climate Change Goals presented on behalf of
the EEC by Bill Sierks
CITY OF EDINA ENERGY ACTION PLAN
Appendix 4: 2015 City Greenhouse Gas Footprint Analysis and Reduction
Concept presented by Ross Bintner
CITY OF EDINA ENERGY ACTION PLAN
Appendix 5: School Facilities
At the District level, the lighting standard for replacement and installation is LED. All new
construction will use LED lighting. Building management systems are being installed, allowing
for control of all building units, giving the ability to shut buildings off and decrease electricity
consumption. For paving projects, the District is using an Under Ground Water Retention
System to hold rainwater back. Fertilizer usage for District grounds has been reduced by one
third, as well as a reduction in salt distribution with eight staff members having been trained
and certified through the MPCA Salt Distribution Certification. When re-roofing facilities, the
District has committed to adding considerable insulation that will result in less heat loss.
Architecturally, the District has committed to a roofing requirement of R-30 minimum, with 5
½” base plus roof slope for drainage. Walls will have a minimum of R-13 wall assembly and
2.5” of insulation. Low-e Argon filled energy efficient glazing will be used. All paints are
required to meet low VOC Green Seal Standards, with exceptions for special epoxy or stains.
The District encourages skylights to provide natural lighting to interior spaces.
The District has also committed to several mechanically-oriented sustainable strategies. High
efficiency condensing boilers will be installed to serve the new building addition; there is a plan
for future building-wide conversion from steam to hot water. The hot water temperature will be
re-set based on outside air temperature. Variable speed pumps with premium efficiency motors
for hot and chilled water distribution will be used, and water chillers will be selected to exceed
code minimum efficiency standards. A cooling tower sump basin will be used to minimize
cooling tower water treatment. High efficiency condensing hot water heating plants will be
used. In new additions, perimeter fin tubs will be used for unoccupied heating. Air handling
units serving classrooms will have total heat recovery. Large volume spaces, including game
gymnasiums, will be provided with variable speed fans for multiple modes of operation to save
energy. High volume spaces will be provided with de-stratification fans. There is a planned
building wide conversion from constant volume reheat air delivery to variable air volume.
Carbon dioxide control of outside air volumes will be used to prevent over-ventilation during low
occupancy periods. Building Automation Systems controls will be installed for enhanced
control, monitoring of system performance, alarm logs, and trending to aid in troubleshooting.
Electrical sustainability strategies include using robust lighting controls for LED fixtures,
including dimmable fixtures, daylight harvesting, and manual on-switching. Occupancy sensors
will be used t conserve energy. There will be time of day scheduling used for lighting in
common areas and exterior lighting. District-wide exterior lighting is being systematically
replaced with LED. The District also plans to install photovoltaic solar panels on the high school
on an educational scale. A larger solar plant is being investigated for the new transportation
building site.
CITY OF EDINA ENERGY ACTION PLAN
Appendix 6: Focus Area Options Considered by the Planning Team
The Energy Action Team considered a variety of focus areas before voting on the final five,
which later evolved into a final three. The following list outlines several of the focus areas
considered by the team.
Residential Brainstormed Focus Areas
Information Campaign
There are more than 22,560 housing units in Edina (2010 US Census), and many potential energy
savings actions that could be promoted.
Windsource®
Almost 700 households have enrolled in Windsource®. In 2014, Windsource® cost $0.68 per block
(100 kWh) per month. For the lowest residential user in Edina, the cost would be $21.36/year, and
the highest would be $258.40/year.
Residential Redevelopment
Edina issued more than 100 home building permits this year and a similar number last year. There
were 46 Edina Energy Star Homes participants in 36 months, with average savings of 1,360 kWh.
Schools/Service Learning
There are 8,500 students at Edina schools, and almost a third of Edina households have children
under the age of 18. The school also has a green team. Opportunities would be to leverage the
May projects for high school seniors.
Feedback-based Neighborhood Competition
There are nine registered neighborhoods in Edina (Normandale, Pamela Park, Strachauer Park,
Morningside, Countryside, Concord, Arden Park, Chowen Park, Creek Knoll), and they represent
24% of Edina’s residential energy use.
Feedback-based School Competition
As we researched neighborhood competitions, this came up as an alternative. There are six
elementary schools with rough geographic enrollment areas. There are 3,752 elementary students.
Competition can be inspiring, and families may be connected to their schools more so than
neighborhoods.
Youth Sports Teams
There are many youth sports teams, including 90 at the high school. Some sports teams have
service hours. Distribution of materials at sports games has been ineffective in the past.
Neighborhood Association Engagement
There are nine registered neighborhoods in Edina, and they represent 24% of Edina’s residential
energy use. In 2010, the Morningside Neighborhood Association helped to distribute information
about Home Energy Squad visits.
CITY OF EDINA ENERGY ACTION PLAN
Business Brainstormed Focus Areas
Information Campaign
There are more than 4,000 businesses in Edina and several potential energy actions that could be
promoted. Businesses make up 66% of Edina’s electricity usage.
Outreach Through Organizations
There are several active business organizations in Edina, including the Chamber of Commerce (400
members), Rotary Club (160+), and 50th and France organization.
Target the Retail Sector
There are several retail businesses in Edina, including at 50th and France, Southdale, the Galleria,
and Centennial Lakes Plaza. A recent lighting project saved a Galleria store ~50% in electricity
costs. Retail locations could be targeted geographically and through organizations.
Business Recognition and Awards
There are many businesses to target, but this would require extensive awareness building to be
successful. There are many electricity-savings actions that could be encouraged.
Windsource®
In 2014, Windsource® cost $0.68 per block (100 kWh). Average commercial consumption in Edina
is about 15,000 kWh monthly, so an entire usage subscription would cost approximately
$102/month with current Windsource® premiums.
Target the Healthcare Sector
Fairview Southdale hospital is a large facility that has already won awards for sustainability. There
are many clinics and medical offices in the Edina as well, and they could be targeted
geographically. Healthcare in general is a very energy intensive sector.
Other Brainstormed Focus Areas
Leverage School New Construction and Maintenance Projects
There are opportunities for efficiency and renewables in school projects, and a $125M bond
measure was passed in May to renovate schools.
Leverage a Campaign Like Edina Unplugged
There are many businesses and residents in Edina that could be reached and this could work as an
awareness campaign tactic.
Build Recognition of Edina as an Energy-Conscious City
The City is already enrolled in ICLEI, GreenStep Cities, and the US Mayor’s Climate Protection
Agreement.
Leverage Existing Environmental Action Groups in the Community
There are a few environmental action groups in Edina—Citizen’s Climate Lobby, Cool Planet, and a
school-associated group, Project Earth.
CITY OF EDINA ENERGY ACTION PLAN
Other Brainstormed Focus Areas
Target Hennepin County Facilities Energy Use
There are two Hennepin County facilities in Edina. Southdale Service Center, which includes a
library, and the Edina Library. In 2015, there was an article that discussed the possibility of moving
the Southdale Service Center.
CITY OF EDINA ENERGY ACTION PLAN
Appendix 7: Detailed Focus Area Timelines
Municipal Facilities Actions by Quarter
Q3 2016: (July-Sept)
· Review building study recommendations
· Meet with Xcel Energy to review the building study recommendations and evaluate
opportunities for program participation
· Prioritize projects based on energy savings potential and cost analysis
· Meet with Xcel Energy to learn about renewable energy opportunities
· Update City website
· Share an update with the Energy and Environment Commission (EEC)
Q4 2016: (Oct-Dec)
· Support implementation of prioritized projects
· Assess if any City facilities would benefit from Turn Key services
· Prioritize renewable energy opportunities, based on off-set potential and cost analysis
· Recommend adoption of renewable energy opportunities
· Research funding opportunities for projects
· Update City website
· Share an update with the EEC
Q1 2017: (Jan-Mar)
· Support implementation of prioritized projects
· Pursue implementation of selected renewable energy opportunity
· Research funding opportunities for projects
· Update City website
· Share an update with the EEC
Q2 2017: (April-Jun)
· Support implementation of prioritized projects
· Pursue implementation of selected renewable energy opportunity
· Research funding opportunities for projects
· Assist in development of a case study of City facilities
· Update City website
· Share an update with the EEC
Q3 2017: (July-Sept)
· TBD
CITY OF EDINA ENERGY ACTION PLAN
· Support implementation of prioritized projects
· Pursue education of City staff on energy conservation actions
· Update City website
· Share an update with the EEC
Q4 2017: (Oct-Dec)
· TBD
· Support implementation of prioritized projects
· Assist in development of a case study of City facilities
· Update City website
· Share an update with the EEC
Residential Information Campaign Actions by Quarter
Q3 2016: (July-Sept)
· Update on availability of community solar for Edina residents and include in messaging
· Develop and refine initial campaign messaging
· Scope potential research needs to support effective campaign
· July: Collect data to show energy information by neighborhood and draft information for
City website
· July: Start research for Sun Current feature / case study
· August: report on results of research
· August: Launch City website which will include clear summary of campaign, availability
to track, and links to take action
· September: Publish Sun Current feature
· September: Develop case studies and get more information
Q4 2016: (Oct-Dec)
· Oct: Design potential social media campaign design, launch phase I
· Oct: Use NextDoor (make the message catchy, a challenge, focus on new technologies)
· Nov: Conduct signups at Fall Event?
· Nov: Update City website with new tracking information (and revised message, if
needed)
· Dec: Advertise smart thermostat rebates
· Dec: Check on progress to goal
CITY OF EDINA ENERGY ACTION PLAN
Q1 2017: (Jan-Mar)
· Jan: Update messaging to reflect new opportunities
· Jan: (Start development for Sun Current feature 2?)
· Feb: Launch social media strategy phase II
· Feb: Update City website
· Feb: (Prep for EEC Forum?)
· March: Sun Current feature 2
Q2 2017: (April-Jun)
· April: EEC Forum
· May: Update City website
· June: (Prep for Fall Event?)
Q3 2017: (July-Sept)
· Aug: Update City website
· Sept.: Fall event
Q4 2017: (Oct-Dec)
· TBD
Business Energy Actions by Quarter
Q3 2016: (July-Sept)
· Begin to identify largest 400 businesses:
· Compile a database/spreadsheet of largest users, identifying contacts who are in
charge of billing as well as PR
· Use a map to help identify regions with high usage intensity
· Note that businesses with more square footage tend to use more energy
· Use City list of all businesses in Edina
· Use City records of water records
· Ask Xcel Energy to email the top 400 premises and invite them to self-identify, or to
email all of the accounts with account managers and ask them to self-identify
· Partner with local entities to help identify and contact largest businesses
· Chamber of Commerce and other local business organizations
· City Manager
· Mayor and City Council
· Economic Development Staff
CITY OF EDINA ENERGY ACTION PLAN
Q4 2016: (Oct.-Dec)
· Narrow in on first 100 businesses to contact
· Continue to identify largest 400 businesses
· Plan outreach to largest businesses.
· Launch campaign to call businesses to partnership: A big Council (Mayor keynote)
and Chamber presence, two or three local significant success stories highlighting (a)
why this made financial sense and how the company is paying for it; (b) the GHG
and other green impacts; and (c) why it’s important for their company to be able to
claim they are an Edina Emerald Energy leader.
· Type of contact: Leadership level outreach (emphasize recognition and $ savings);
Need to have both facility managers and other leaders on board.
· Invite business leaders or assigned representative to join the working group.
· Messaging: Publicize the campaign, with events where businesses can get
recognized. Money savings and recognition from a professional organization such as
Chamber of Commerce or the City (Emerald Energy Business award?). Need to have
the incentives lined up before the kickoff meeting, would need to ask the local
Chamber approve a recognition program several months before kick-off.
Q1 2017: (Jan-Mar)
· Continue planning of large business outreach
· Roll out outreach campaign to largest businesses
· Coordinate with City Council, who may provide guidance
· Track outreach
· (By December 31, 2016) Launch a city website that contains resources and program
information.
· Develop list of tracking software/tools to recommend to businesses.
· (By March 1, 2017) Develop and identify a tool that we will use to measure results
· Needs to set a baseline, measure, and report
· Research available software or reporting tools
· Leverage CERTs and/or others for technical energy assistance
· Plan first year awards event
Q2 2017: (April-Jun)
· Report to EEC, City Council
· Gather Recommendations for the future, including policy changes
· TBD
· Track progress
CITY OF EDINA ENERGY ACTION PLAN
Q3 2017: (July-Sept)
· Report to EEC, City Council
· Gather Recommendations for the future, including policy changes
· TBD
· Track progress
Q4 2017: (Oct-Dec)
· Report to EEC, City Council
· Gather Recommendations for the future, including policy changes
· TBD
· Track progress
CITY OF EDINA ENERGY ACTION PLAN
Appendix 8: Partners in Energy Planning Memorandum of
Understanding
CITY OF EDINA ENERGY ACTION PLAN
Appendix 9: Xcel Energy Demand Side Management Program
Summaries
CITY OF EDINA ENERGY ACTION PLAN
Appendix 10: Detailed Program Participation and Associated Savings
Residential Programs
Xcel Energy Residential Program Savings Information
Program Participants
(2013)
Participants
(2014)
Average MN kWh
Savings per Year
ENERGY STAR Homes 21 12 943
Heating System Rebates 250 193 621
Home Energy Audits 15 19 Indirect savings
Home Energy Squad 82 116 820*
Insulation Rebate 0 2 1,064
Refrigerator Recycling 138 165 1,036
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
0
200
400
600
800
1,000
1,200
Residential Efficiency Programs
* indicates programs for low income customers
** indicates Edina-specific savings
Average MN kWh Savings
per Year
Participants (2013-2014)kWh Savings Participants
CITY OF EDINA ENERGY ACTION PLAN
Residential Cooling 338 330 496
School Education Kits
(Available for 4th and 5th grade
classrooms)
n/a n/a 98
Residential Saver's Switch 438 790 8
*Edina-specific savings average
Xcel Energy Low Income Program Savings Information
Program Participants
(2013)
Participants
(2014)
Average MN kWh
Savings per Year
Home Energy Savings Program 10 14 386
Multi-Family Energy Savings
Program*
0 0 1,042
*Separate from the recently launched Multi-Family Building Efficiency program.
Business Programs
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
0
100,000
200,000
300,000
400,000
500,000
600,000
700,000
800,000
900,000
1,000,000
Business Efficiency Programs
* indicates programs for
the largest/industrial customers
Average MN kWh Savings /
Year
Participants (2013-2014)kWh Savings Participants
CITY OF EDINA ENERGY ACTION PLAN
Xcel Energy Commercial Program Savings Information
Program Participants
(2013)
Participants
(2014)
Average MN
kWh Savings
per Year
Business New Construction 1 2 457,204
*Commercial Efficiency 0 0 410,192
Computer Efficiency 1 2 3,987
Cooling Efficiency 33 38 6,009
*Custom Efficiency 2 1 129,790
Data Center Efficiency 1 0 538,633
Efficiency Controls 5 1 179,315
Fluid Systems Optimization 1 3 28,197
Foodservice Equipment 0 1 9,469
Lighting Efficiency 42 31 62,469
Motor Efficiency 12 9 38,363
*Process Efficiency 0 0 731,035
Recommissioning 1 1 89,923
*Self-Direct 0 0 926,303
Turn Key Services 5 1 18,333
Electric Rate Savings 0 0 3,532
Saver's Switch for Business 18 9 17
Small Business Lighting 51 59 23,019
*Indicates programs for largest/industrial customers
CITY OF EDINA ENERGY ACTION PLAN
Appendix 11: List of Relevant Case Studies
Additional case studies will be researched and referenced during implementation of this plan.
Business and Residential Case Studies
Case Studies/Clean Energy Resource Teams
This website includes a searchable library of case studies, including for businesses.
http://www.cleanenergyresourceteams.org/casestudies?field_region_tid=All&field_community_tid
=All&field_technology_tid=All&page=1
Cool California Challenge
This online resource sponsors challenges and provides tools for cities, businesses, and residents,
and recognizes small business leaders.
http://www.coolcalifornia.org/small-business/business-case-studies
Energy Benchmarking /City of Minneapolis
An ordinance requires buildings containing at least 50,000 gross square feet that is not classified
as residential or industrial use report their energy use to the City. There has been a phased roll out.
http://www.minneapolismn.gov/environment/energy/WCMS1P-116916
Live Energy Dashboard/Macalester College
Energy data is available by dormitory for weekly, monthly, and per resident usage.
(http://www.macalester.edu/sustainability/living-laboratory/meters/live-energy-data.html)
Master Water Stewards /Freshwater Society
Modeled after Master Gardener programs, volunteer community leaders participate in a 50 hour
course and are certified to install pollution prevention projects. (http://freshwater.org/master-water-
stewards-a-community-approach-to-protecting-water/)
Rock the Bulb/Puget Sound Energy
Through a combination of events, outreach, and prizes, residents were encouraged to switch from
incandescent lighting to CFLs.
(http://pse.com/aboutpse/PseNewsroom/NewsReleases/Pages/PSEs-Rock-the-Bulb-Campaign-to-
Give-Away-400000.aspx)