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Rockford has unrealized opportunities related to energy efficiency and renewable energy. That's a delicate way of saying "without a serious commitment to energy efficiency, we will continue to fall behind other communities that have begun to find ways to become more competitive and attractive." Our basic conservative nature has allowed our community to fall into bad habits that lead to chronic overspending for energy when we could be saving money and re-investing it in other areas of our community".
A serious commitment to energy efficiency could be a "Hail Mary" pass to help differentiate our city from others . Our quarterback, Mayor Larry Morrissey, knows the playbook and has sized up the competition. With our support, the City Council has pledged bipartisan support for his signing of the "Cool Cities Initiative". By doing so, Rockford has joined more than 1,000 other cities in America in efforts to reduce their "carbon footprints". The question is: Are the rest of us willing to get in the game, to block and tackle where necessary, and to take advantage of every opportunity to move the ball towards the goal? Have we demonstrated our knowledge of the game? Are we ready to make the tough calls?
For starters, we are hemorrhaging precious dollars.....every year., Illinois' economy bleeds $22 billion, every year, to pay for non-renewable energy sources, including coal, natural gas and petroleum. Almost half ($10 billion, every year) is due to the high price of natural gas. Even a modest improvement in the efficiency of our buildings could therefore save billions of dollars and add thousands of jobs. Economists tells us that saving approximately $40,000 can add or retain one job, with benefits.
The conditioning of buildings (heating & cooling) accounts for more than 40% of all energy consumption in America. Natural gas is the primary fuel used to heat those buildings. Approximately half (50%) of the electricity needed to air condition them in the warm months comes from the burning of coal. Poorly insulated homes and buildings not-only contribute to our carbon footprint through the burning of coal and natural gas, they also cause us to spend money on energy that could be spent on education, food, retirement, and savings. Clearly, the efficiency of our buildings is a big deal, and worthy of serious scrutiny and even more serious investment. A serious, year-round commitment to energy efficiency in buildings requires a commitment to superior insulation, even to "super-insulation".
Speaking of education, it's no secret that Rockford and countless other communities have had tough economic challenges with education. Rockford spends approximately $15 million every year on energy, apart from transportation costs. If this number could be reduced, those savings could help pay for teachers, books, activities, salaries, and field trips.
We must begin to think about how to re-define our great city so that we draw and retain the best and brightest. If our mayor and quarterback has signed the "Cool Cities" initiative, signaling the dawn of a new green day, then we must get in the game to help draft standards that will differentiate Rockford as a "Green City" sincere on responsible energy and energy efficiency standards. Even our President Elect has signaled his intent to green our nation.
You get what you pay for...and what you expect. According to the Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance, across the nation, homebuilders associations tend to resistce to energy efficiency programs or other efforts to raise the bar with more rigorous building codes. This seems to be based upon the assumption that added costs will make the homes less competitive. Superior insulation materials and installation techniques always cost more than their cheaper but less effective competitors. However, several leading communities that are serious about reducing non-renewable energy consumption and related costs have seemed to focus on creative ways to finance just the incremental difference in these costs, with an emphasis upon the tax credits that would accrue the donors and designers. They have learned that adding energy efficiency to homes can raise market value.
So what plays do we implement on the field now as we begin 2009? Here are a few options. Bids are currently being evaluated for 77 scattered site HUD homes to be built by up to 5 area developers. These homes could be made more comfortable and affordable to operate, and they could contribute to the reduction of our collective "carbon footprint". Or... they could go to the lowest bidder. If we are a "Cool City", wouldn't it be really cool if we set more rigorous , local ("green") standards for the energy efficiency of those buildings? This will require an investment, however, since HUD does not set clear goals. All HUD home building bid documents contain this clause:
Energy Efficiency: The Contractor shall comply with mandatory standards and policies relating to energy efficiency which are contained in the energy conservation plan issued in compliance with the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (Publ. L. 94-163) for the State in which the work under the contract is performed.
Sounds good, doesn't it? The problem is that this reference does not lead to anything useful or meaningful that could be used by local developers, contractors, government officials or community members as an understandable standard of excellence. With respect to Illinois, the operative word seems to be "mandatory", because the state reportedly only holds bidders to voluntary behavior with respect to energy efficiency. The Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy program of the U.S. Dept. of Energy has reviewed residential energy codes in all the states. Although Illinois expresses support in principle for the excellent Home Energy Rating System (HERS), it lags far behind many other states in that there is no uniform commitment to the latest International Energy Conservation Codes (IECC) and enforcement status is "voluntary, without amendments". One handy excuse for not acting is, of course, the lack of home rule. Are there any trick plays to get around that opponent? Maybe it's an opportunity for the private sector to step up. Energy efficiency upgrades can qualify designers and builders for significant tax credits.
It isn't rocket science. Consider the following questions. If a family with very low to modest income lives in a HUD home, what would make us believe that they could afford to overspend for their energy costs? Did you know that around the country, families that live in HUD homes are sometimes forced to leave due to inability to pay their rent and energy costs? So when a HUD home becomes vacant, how much more does it cost the city of Rockford or HUD to maintain it? What about the costs to find a new tenant for a unit that becomes vacant? If a unit has a greater vacancy rate or becomes a revolving door for tenants, doesn't that increase the hidden costs to the city of Rockford or HUD? Finally, why would we put people who are experiencing the most economic challenges in a home with poor energy efficiency standards?
Most home builders and home improvement contractors are professionals who set out to do the best job possible within the boundaries of what the customer can afford. However, they compete with each other under guidelines set out in the uniform building code system, which sets minimum standards. Therefore , any community defines what it will accept as minimal quality standards in its housing stock through its building code....and its enforcement of that code. If the local building codes do not establish a clear standard of excellence, then quality will be determined by a classic competitive "race to the bottom", and we will never get to the goal line. Let's ask Rockford Housing Authority to green this project and every new project going forward so that we reduce our carbon footprint in the city of Rockford and save valuable dollars that can be re-invested in our community.
Going forward, let's also celebrate and emulate what is happening on 7th Street. Two projects that have happened in the last year epitomize what we are talking about. Just east of the Amcore Bank building, the Zion Development is just finishing the renovation of Lantow Lofts, a former pharmacy. This building now has 7 beautiful, market rate condominiums and Katie's Cup coffee house and gathering place. It is an absolute jewel of energy efficiency and renewable energy technology. Solar thermal panels on the roof preheat water for the condos and the kitchen. Ground source (geothermal) heat pumps take advantage of the constant temperature of the earth (55 degrees F) below the building to heat and cool the basement and first floor. Sprayed in place polyurethane and glue-sprayed cellulose insulation provide a superior building "envelope" that will save thousands of dollars in energy costs every year, and provide a much quieter environment, especially in the condos. The entire building was computer modeled as part of the designing of the energy system. This permits an accurate estimation of what the building should be able to save over its "life cycle".
Further north, at the intersection of 7th street and 1st Avenue is the Just Goods Free Trade store and Charlotte's Web venue. This building now features the first roof-mounted vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) in the state of Illinois. The monitoring system is being fine tuned and will soon be able to report the performance of this 3 kilowatt system, which is capable of providing a significant % of the buildings electrical needs. It also has been super-insulated with spray foam in the attic above the 2nd floor apartments. An ongoing fundraising effort has demonstrated strong, grass-roots community support, and ongoing plans call for the addition of a 3 kW solar array later this year. The project also received a significant grant from the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation, and has received excellent cooperation from the City of Rockford's building department.
For both projects, the added efficiencies achieved through super-insulation has been a critical aspect that allows the renewable energy technologies to perform up to expectations. It is a good start.
Let's create a program for inspecting the quality or performance of insulation. While were at it, let's promote energy rehabbing of abandoned buildings that are vacant or slated for demolition? Let's put Rockford to work rebuilding our great city for the future.
A serious commitment to energy efficiency could be a "Hail Mary" pass to help differentiate our city from others . Our quarterback, Mayor Larry Morrissey, knows the playbook and has sized up the competition. With our support, the City Council has pledged bipartisan support for his signing of the "Cool Cities Initiative". By doing so, Rockford has joined more than 1,000 other cities in America in efforts to reduce their "carbon footprints". The question is: Are the rest of us willing to get in the game, to block and tackle where necessary, and to take advantage of every opportunity to move the ball towards the goal? Have we demonstrated our knowledge of the game? Are we ready to make the tough calls?
For starters, we are hemorrhaging precious dollars.....every year., Illinois' economy bleeds $22 billion, every year, to pay for non-renewable energy sources, including coal, natural gas and petroleum. Almost half ($10 billion, every year) is due to the high price of natural gas. Even a modest improvement in the efficiency of our buildings could therefore save billions of dollars and add thousands of jobs. Economists tells us that saving approximately $40,000 can add or retain one job, with benefits.
The conditioning of buildings (heating & cooling) accounts for more than 40% of all energy consumption in America. Natural gas is the primary fuel used to heat those buildings. Approximately half (50%) of the electricity needed to air condition them in the warm months comes from the burning of coal. Poorly insulated homes and buildings not-only contribute to our carbon footprint through the burning of coal and natural gas, they also cause us to spend money on energy that could be spent on education, food, retirement, and savings. Clearly, the efficiency of our buildings is a big deal, and worthy of serious scrutiny and even more serious investment. A serious, year-round commitment to energy efficiency in buildings requires a commitment to superior insulation, even to "super-insulation".
Speaking of education, it's no secret that Rockford and countless other communities have had tough economic challenges with education. Rockford spends approximately $15 million every year on energy, apart from transportation costs. If this number could be reduced, those savings could help pay for teachers, books, activities, salaries, and field trips.
We must begin to think about how to re-define our great city so that we draw and retain the best and brightest. If our mayor and quarterback has signed the "Cool Cities" initiative, signaling the dawn of a new green day, then we must get in the game to help draft standards that will differentiate Rockford as a "Green City" sincere on responsible energy and energy efficiency standards. Even our President Elect has signaled his intent to green our nation.
You get what you pay for...and what you expect. According to the Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance, across the nation, homebuilders associations tend to resistce to energy efficiency programs or other efforts to raise the bar with more rigorous building codes. This seems to be based upon the assumption that added costs will make the homes less competitive. Superior insulation materials and installation techniques always cost more than their cheaper but less effective competitors. However, several leading communities that are serious about reducing non-renewable energy consumption and related costs have seemed to focus on creative ways to finance just the incremental difference in these costs, with an emphasis upon the tax credits that would accrue the donors and designers. They have learned that adding energy efficiency to homes can raise market value.
So what plays do we implement on the field now as we begin 2009? Here are a few options. Bids are currently being evaluated for 77 scattered site HUD homes to be built by up to 5 area developers. These homes could be made more comfortable and affordable to operate, and they could contribute to the reduction of our collective "carbon footprint". Or... they could go to the lowest bidder. If we are a "Cool City", wouldn't it be really cool if we set more rigorous , local ("green") standards for the energy efficiency of those buildings? This will require an investment, however, since HUD does not set clear goals. All HUD home building bid documents contain this clause:
Energy Efficiency: The Contractor shall comply with mandatory standards and policies relating to energy efficiency which are contained in the energy conservation plan issued in compliance with the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (Publ. L. 94-163) for the State in which the work under the contract is performed.
Sounds good, doesn't it? The problem is that this reference does not lead to anything useful or meaningful that could be used by local developers, contractors, government officials or community members as an understandable standard of excellence. With respect to Illinois, the operative word seems to be "mandatory", because the state reportedly only holds bidders to voluntary behavior with respect to energy efficiency. The Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy program of the U.S. Dept. of Energy has reviewed residential energy codes in all the states. Although Illinois expresses support in principle for the excellent Home Energy Rating System (HERS), it lags far behind many other states in that there is no uniform commitment to the latest International Energy Conservation Codes (IECC) and enforcement status is "voluntary, without amendments". One handy excuse for not acting is, of course, the lack of home rule. Are there any trick plays to get around that opponent? Maybe it's an opportunity for the private sector to step up. Energy efficiency upgrades can qualify designers and builders for significant tax credits.
It isn't rocket science. Consider the following questions. If a family with very low to modest income lives in a HUD home, what would make us believe that they could afford to overspend for their energy costs? Did you know that around the country, families that live in HUD homes are sometimes forced to leave due to inability to pay their rent and energy costs? So when a HUD home becomes vacant, how much more does it cost the city of Rockford or HUD to maintain it? What about the costs to find a new tenant for a unit that becomes vacant? If a unit has a greater vacancy rate or becomes a revolving door for tenants, doesn't that increase the hidden costs to the city of Rockford or HUD? Finally, why would we put people who are experiencing the most economic challenges in a home with poor energy efficiency standards?
Most home builders and home improvement contractors are professionals who set out to do the best job possible within the boundaries of what the customer can afford. However, they compete with each other under guidelines set out in the uniform building code system, which sets minimum standards. Therefore , any community defines what it will accept as minimal quality standards in its housing stock through its building code....and its enforcement of that code. If the local building codes do not establish a clear standard of excellence, then quality will be determined by a classic competitive "race to the bottom", and we will never get to the goal line. Let's ask Rockford Housing Authority to green this project and every new project going forward so that we reduce our carbon footprint in the city of Rockford and save valuable dollars that can be re-invested in our community.
Going forward, let's also celebrate and emulate what is happening on 7th Street. Two projects that have happened in the last year epitomize what we are talking about. Just east of the Amcore Bank building, the Zion Development is just finishing the renovation of Lantow Lofts, a former pharmacy. This building now has 7 beautiful, market rate condominiums and Katie's Cup coffee house and gathering place. It is an absolute jewel of energy efficiency and renewable energy technology. Solar thermal panels on the roof preheat water for the condos and the kitchen. Ground source (geothermal) heat pumps take advantage of the constant temperature of the earth (55 degrees F) below the building to heat and cool the basement and first floor. Sprayed in place polyurethane and glue-sprayed cellulose insulation provide a superior building "envelope" that will save thousands of dollars in energy costs every year, and provide a much quieter environment, especially in the condos. The entire building was computer modeled as part of the designing of the energy system. This permits an accurate estimation of what the building should be able to save over its "life cycle".
Further north, at the intersection of 7th street and 1st Avenue is the Just Goods Free Trade store and Charlotte's Web venue. This building now features the first roof-mounted vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) in the state of Illinois. The monitoring system is being fine tuned and will soon be able to report the performance of this 3 kilowatt system, which is capable of providing a significant % of the buildings electrical needs. It also has been super-insulated with spray foam in the attic above the 2nd floor apartments. An ongoing fundraising effort has demonstrated strong, grass-roots community support, and ongoing plans call for the addition of a 3 kW solar array later this year. The project also received a significant grant from the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation, and has received excellent cooperation from the City of Rockford's building department.
For both projects, the added efficiencies achieved through super-insulation has been a critical aspect that allows the renewable energy technologies to perform up to expectations. It is a good start.
Let's create a program for inspecting the quality or performance of insulation. While were at it, let's promote energy rehabbing of abandoned buildings that are vacant or slated for demolition? Let's put Rockford to work rebuilding our great city for the future.