The Energy Task Force was sanctioned by the Select Board on
May 8, 2007 with the basic charge to explore renewable energy
as a resource to benefit town facilities and the community, and
to recommend feasible projects to the Town Manager and Select
Board. In March, 2008 the charge was expanded to:
"Explore and evaluate renewable energy to supplement
or replace conventional energy to benefit town facilities, infrastructure
and operations; to evaluate renewable and conventional energy
applications, options and costs with a goal to reduce the town's
energy consumption and costs; to identify attractive and feasible
projects; to advise and assist the town in development and implementation
of a local action plan for climate change; and to report to the
Town Manager, for presentation to the Select Board, your findings
and recommendations for funding and implementation."
Initially the Task Force identified projects attractive to
the town which would be based on the direct conversion of solar
energy to electricity, the utilization of solar energy to heat
potable water and the conversion of wind energy to electricity.
"Demonstration" projects were thought to be especially
attractive to increase the awareness of the potential of these
technologies to all of the town's residents.
Review of the work of other communities indicated that energy
conservation should be the first order of the day… "If
you don't use it you don't have to worry about how it's made.",
so we included energy conservation in our work and gave it top
priority.
Four projects have been developed by the Task Force:
- The installation of LED traffic lights to save energy (project
completed),
- The installation of a solar/PV array on the roof of Glenbrook
Middle School to demonstrate this technology (project awaiting
review by the select board),
- The purchase of the town's street lights from WMECo to save
rental costs and the improvement of these lights to save energy
(project still in development) and
- The insulation of the natatorium in the high school to save
energy (project nearly ready for formal review).
Please read the minutes of our meetings to get a blow-by-blow
description of all that has happened since the group's formation.
There is no corner on brains, ideas and energy within the
group members. If you are interested in energy conservation or
"greening" our town, please attend one of our meetings,
listen to our discussions and decide how you can help. We want
your help!
Members
Andrea Chasen
John Hoagland
Dean Kavanagh
Dick Kmetz
Jerry Nolet
Paul Santaniello
Roger Wojcik, Chair
E-mail messages for the Energy Task Force may be sent to Roger
Wojcik, Chairman, at rogerwojcik@hotmail.com
All of
the above meeting minutes + assorted documents are posted in
Adobe Acrobat Read format. For information on how to utilize
this useful reader, please consult our