Meeting Minutes of May 25, 2010 Clean Energy Committee Meeting
Called to Order
A regular meeting of the Clean Energy Committee was held at the Enfield Town Hall, Enfield Street, Enfield, Connecticut on May 25, 2010. The meeting was called to order by Chairman LaPlante.
Roll Call
Roll call was taken G. LaFleur, G. Mark and C. Hall absent.
Public Comment
There was no public comment.
Minutes of Preceding Meeting
Motion was made to approve the minutes of the May 25th meeting by J. Myjak, seconded by R. Gwozdz. V. Higley abstained from voting, all other present members approved.
Old Business
Energy Challenge
The Committee reviewed some of the Connecticut Light and Power data for the buildings and compared average daily usage. K. LaPlante compared the data from CL-P to the information received from the building captains, there seems to be discrepancies between most of the numbers that were reported. The committee discussed the issues with meter readings and if CL-P changes the format of the readings for the bills.
V. Higley noted the efforts, and lack thereof, in the Town Hall. Noted storm windows that are not shut and windows that are open on the first floor during times when the air conditioning is on.
S. Moriarty noted that the Adult Day Care has been making good efforts and suggested to them that they raise the air conditioner a few degrees to save on usage.
J. Myjak noted that the lights are on at the Senior Center during inappropriate times, also that the thermostats are located in the vestibules. The committee discussed proper placement of thermostats and the impact of poorly placed thermostats on a building’s energy consumption.
R. Gwozdz noted that the Pearl Street Library has been doing well. He mentioned the computers in Town buildings being set to a standard setting for power saving and that individuals cannot vary those settings. Joel Cox noted that the IT department may be able to allow some changes to the computers in the library to maximize their efficiency.
The Committee discussed changing light fixtures in buildings and noted that even when bulbs are out, the ballast is still pulling electricity.
K. LaPlante stated that doing degree days is most likely unnecessary unless it has a big impact on the overall results. She went on to note that Lamagna Center and Town Hall have pretty high usage. The staff at the Lamagna Center reportedly turns off some lights at the circuit breaker and not with a switch. The Committee wondered if this was a safety issue.
The Committee discussed the fact that regardless of savings the challenge will have a good result in that it will produce valuable information. R Gwozdz stated that he thought a presentation to Town Council might be a good idea in order to discuss rates, usage and other information obtained from the challenge.
J. Cox will send out an email to Town staff updating them and encouraging them to keep up the good work.
July 4 Celebration
J. Cox informed the Committee that he was told that there would be a separate table for the committee and that it would not have a cost associated with it. V Higley stated that it should be confirmed again due to the problems encountered last year.
K LaPlante questioned if the Committee should have a float for the parade and the Committee went on to discuss some ideas. There was some curiosity if a Town vehicle like the Hybrid could be used, Joel Cox will enquire if this is possible.
The Committee discussed several ideas for the parade and also the possibility of borrowing a truck from V. Higley’s husband.
New Business
Clean Energy Grant
K. LaPlante stated that the Committee needs to apply for a grant from the Clean Energy Fund. She noted that the grant application process is fairly straight forward and does not require a tremendous amount of information. The Committee discussed what the possibilities would be for using the money. The Committee discussed using it for the next Energy Fair and to get the word out about the School Challenge.
Sterling Planet
K. LaPlante asked if there were any updates from the Town Manager regarding the agreement with Sterling Planet. There were no updates from the Town Manager’s office thus far.
Correspondence
V. Higley noted correspondence from a local supplier, Northeast Energy Partners. She stated that she was impressed because they are a local company.
J. Cox gave the Committee information that was received from CTEnergyInfo.com regarding an event calendar that can be used to promote events of the Committee.
Adjournment
V. Higley made a motion to adjourn that was seconded by S. Moriarty, adjourning the meeting at 8:11.