Energy Efficiency
Sub-Committee
Meeting: June 25, 2008 via phone
Present: Richard Faesy (VEIC) , Garth…, Kevin Cosgrove (Addison Housing Trust), Keith Levenson (VEIC), Elizabeth Chant (CVOEO), Amy Demetrowitz (CHT), Rebecca Masure (NCMC)
Existing Properties/ Retrofits
Priorities – We need to identify the worst energy hogs in the affordable housing portfolio and target resources to those buildings first. Amy will look for information from VHCB and HVT about energy costs per unit for the portfolio. We recommend targeting resources based on cost per unit for fuel at this point.
Standards –
Cost of fuel per unit
We hope that with data on energy cost per unit we can begin to find where we want to get the energy costs per unit to with efficiency resources available. We agree that we should push the current standards for efficiency but still try to reach as many properties as possible. We were not able to identify exactly what that balance is at this point.
Heating systems and controls
Much of the work of Weatherization and VEIC is rightfully targeted at increased insulation and air-sealing. The next level of effort should be targeted at improved efficiency in heating systems and controls.
Fuel Switching
In analyzing properties we should be conscious of planning for future fuel switching opportunities.
Immediate measures
The following efficiency measures are immediately available for property owners to undertake without efficiency staff:
-change light bulbs to florescent
-install low-flow faucets and showerheads
-install weatherstripping and door sweeps to increase resident comfort level so they don’t turn up the heat.
Barriers –
Funding
While increased efficiency will have the greatest long-term benefit to our properties, there is not adequate funding to meet the needs. Once we have information about fuel costs in the affordable housing portfolio we’ll try to estimate a funding need.
Staffing
There are not enough trained auditors or insulation contractors available to meet the demand for services even at current funding levels. There is some training happening for auditors through VTC. Can we work with Vo-tech programs in high schools to get more training?
Accurate fuel cost projection in energy calculations
The standard future energy cost that the Weatherization Program is required to use in projecting cost/benefit of efficiency measures actually predicts a reduction in oil costs over the next few years. We won’t have an accurate projection of the cost benefits of efficiency measures if we aren’t using realistic projections for the cost of fuel. The standard information comes from the Energy Information Administration (EIA) within the DOE. We need to assure that our energy projections are more realistic and suggest that actual Vermont based fuel cost information and projections from the DPS would be more appropriate and accurate.
Energy Code
The efficiency levels required by the Vermont Residential Energy Code are no longer adequate. We should push the State to update those standards.
Next meeting: We decided to set that meeting once we have the data on fuel costs per unit.