CEAP on Keepin' On

For one year, I dedicated myself to facilitating the development of the La Plata Climate and Energy Action Plan (CEAP), in collaboration with a wide range of community volunteers (volunteers who had already been hard at work for a year-and-a-half before I came into the picture!). As a group, we put an incredible amount of time, energy and soul into the creation of the CEAP. Working with that group of dedicated volunteers was a pretty incredible experience. I was so inspired by their passion, knowledge and drive to create a plan that they hoped would help shape a stronger future for the local community they loved.

The vision for the CEAP was to impact personal, organizational, and governmental policies, practices, and behaviors in a meaningful, measurable, and cost-effective way to minimize or neutralize local greenhouse gas emissions and to adapt successfully to climate change. The City of Durango and La Plata County recognized that climate change is not just a global problem, but something that is already having impacts here in our local community (projected impacts described below):

The community volunteers engaged to create the CEAP came up with the following emission reduction targets and strategies (and 42 recommended actions within the six strategies below).

The CEAP was officially submitted to elected officials in June of 2011. The City of Durango passed a resolution on August 2nd, 2011 that the plan is finalized and accepted by the City of Durango for timely consideration of its recommendations. However, the county chose to not pass a resolution regarding any sort of planned action. Since the CEAP was submitted, neither government entity has begun implementing recommended actions under the umbrella of the CEAP. Thousands of volunteer hours went into the creation of the CEAP, a plan that we were all incredibly proud of, a plan that we thought could really benefit our local community.

To realize that this amazing piece of work was just going to sit on a shelf was a pretty demoralizing experience. But just because the CEAP was never officially adopted and purposefully implemented, it doesn't mean that action hasn't been occurring in our community that supports its goals. The City of Durango has done a lot to promote resource conservation within their operations, increase multi-modal transportation through many different projects, and has switched to single-stream recycling. La Plata County has also taken action to be more resource efficient through partnering with the City on recycling events and greening their own operations. LPEA, as well, has contributed to the cause through its Green Power Program, its highly successful commercial lighting program, as well as the recently developed Community Solar Garden policy. 

Here at 4CORE we have also been hard at work, weatherizing 628 low-income homes, conducting energy audits on and assisting with upgrades for 30 businesses, launching a Solarize campaign to increase installations of rooftop solar, coaching fleets on alternative fuel options, and conducting resource efficiency education presentations and training. Even though our local governments haven’t directly encouraged or supported implementation of the CEAP, our community has continued to work on a variety of grassroots activities that work to achieve the CEAP goals.

Two years later we are faced with a different political climate than we were when the CEAP was submitted. New local leadership is placing more of a priority on sustainability initiatives. Durango Mayor Dick White (a former member of the CEAP Steering Committee) made the following comment:

“I very much want to see these initiatives advance during my term as Mayor . . .  I think that the easiest way forward would be to update the [emissions] inventory, even as the City (and, I hope, the County) begin to consider what CEAP actions make sense for near-term consideration.”

According to Gwen Lachelt, La Plata County Commissioner,

"Several county residents [have] request[ed] that La Plata County take up the CEAP again. The La Plata County Commissioners will be meeting before the end of the year to discuss priorities for 2014 and the CEAP will be on my list as it was during my campaign . . . If the CEAP is a priority to county residents I would urge folks to send letters to the three La Plata County Commissioners . . . [Additionally], the EPA has been planning to lower the federal ozone standard and if that were to happen tomorrow, La Plata County would be in non-attainment due to the high ozone concentrations that currently exist. I believe it is critical that we work cooperatively with the oil and gas and coal industry as well as the local governments in the region to address this issue in order to protect public health, the environment and our economy." 

As a community, we've had some setbacks in the sustainability department, but also a lot of positive developments. And with strong local leadership in support of taking action to address climate change, I think we have a bright future on the horizon. I’m excited to be a part of this community and to help see these actions unfold!

About the Author Amanda Saunders is Program Coordinator at 4CORE. She was born in Florida and earned her Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. While in Chapel Hill, Amanda worked with the town to conduct a greenhouse gas inventory for their Climate Action Plan. Outside of work, Amanda enjoys climbing, hiking, skiing, traveling, reading, and soccer. Amanda manages the Resource Smart Business Program.

Radon Education Grant Received

La Plata County Extension and 4CORE are teaming up to raise radon awareness. EPA has approved grant request for Radon Education in Southwest Colorado through Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. CSU Extension will provide workshops beginning in December to discuss the impacts and prevalence of radon in our area.  Short term radon test kits will be available.  In addition, 4CORE will conduct radon testing and education for low-income residents.

“I’m very pleased that we’re going to be able to provide this resource again and that we will have kits again,” said Wendy Rice, Extension Agent.  “There are a variety of factors that can impact the amount of radon drawn into a home. Two homes, sitting side by side, could have completely different radon levels,” she explained.  “You just can’t tell without testing.”

Radon has been definitively linked to lung cancer after long-term exposure. It is the primary cause of lung cancer second only to cigarette smoking, though it is easy to prevent through testing and mitigation.

EPA recommends mitigation for homes testing at four (4) picocuries per liter (pCi/l) or greater. Figures released by EPA showed that homes in Colorado are at high risk because of granite and soil content. Levels in La Plata County have ranged from 1 - 315 pCi/L.  If mitigation is needed it should only be done by National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) certified technicians.

The screening kit provided by CSU Extension Office ($5 with class/$10 without) is a complete three-day screening test that has no additional reading costs. The kit is a reliable tool and if results above four pCi/l are received, an additional test should be conducted before mitigation takes place.

The kits are easy to use and any interested resident is encouraged to contact the Extension office about participating in the testing program at 970-382-6465.

Low-income residents should contact 4CORE at 970-259-1916 to determine eligibility and schedule a test.

First Businesses ‘Going Beyond’

The Resource Smart Business Program (RSBP) is pleased to announce Renae Marie and the Durango Double Tree Hotel as the first businesses to be certified at the ‘Going Beyond’ level. This is the highest level of certification in the program and is only achieved by implementing three improvements in each area of energy efficiency, worksite wellness, and sustainability.

"We have worked hard to bring our business into the light, both literally and figuratively," said Renae Muller, owner of Renae Marie Apparel and Gifts. Our utility bills have decreased and our employees are enjoying new benefits. I feel good knowing that we are making a positive impact in our community and our world by becoming more sustainable with the eco-friendly products we carry and recycling efforts made within the store. The partnership with the RSBP and La Plata Electric Association have made reaching the ‘Going Beyond’ level of Resource Smart Certification an easier task."

Renae Marie made energy efficiency improvements, including changing their lighting system to LEDs,>installing weather stripping on the front door, and insulating their water heater. Worksite wellness was improved by creating "The Box of Gratitude" for employee recognition, providing a wellness package to staff that aligns with personal interests and needs, and providing healthy snacks for employees. Sustainability was improved by creating a new green business mission statement, carrying eco-friendly products, and re-purposing salvaged doors and wood to make display tables. These changes equate to an estimated $1,370 saved per year.

The DoubleTree Hotel in Durango changed their rooftop, restaurant, and parking lot lighting to LEDs, and upgraded the meters on the rooftop air handlers to improve energy efficiency. Sustainability improvements include sharing sustainability information and tips with staff and stakeholders, setting up new computers on power strips, proposing a Director of Sustainability to coach all of the Hilton branches on integrating sustainability into hotel operations, and joining the City of Durango’s ‘Way to Go club’ to encourage alternative commuting methods. Wellness actions include the creation of a comprehensive wellness program focused on physical activity, mental wellness and healthy eating, with a mentor program and support system for achieving individual plans and goals, an incentive system to encourage and track participation, provision of healthy meals at work, a corporate discount rate at the Durango Recreation Center for employees, and wellness education in newsletters. These upgrades are anticipated to save them almost $14,000 in annual operation costs.

Renae Marie is located at 809 Main Ave. in Durango or at www.facebook.com/pages/Renae-Marie-Apparel. The DoubleTree in Durango is located at 501 Camino Del Rio and can be found at http://doubletree3.hilton.com. Stop by their businesses to support Resource Smart Certified businesses.

For more information or to apply for RSBP certification, please visit the website or contact Amanda Saunders with 4CORE at (970) 259-1916.

About RSBP

The Resource Smart Business Program is a voluntary certification program that helps La Plata County businesses identify potential areas for improvement and implement smart business decisions that reduce operational costs, improve employee wellness, boost brand integrity, and increase profitability. Participating businesses learn how to assess energy consumption, worksite wellness and overall sustainability. Businesses that complete the six-step certification and make positive changes based on program recommendations become ‘Resource Smart Certified’ and receive recognition and promotion for their efforts. RSBP is administered by the Four Corners Office for Resource Efficiency (4CORE) in collaboration with , Local First that was awarded to La Plata County in 2012. For more information, please visit www.resourcesmartbusiness.com.

Put your Money Where Your House Is

While you read this, if you read this, I want you to think about your favorite appliance. Mine is, without a doubt, the refrigerator (more on this later).

Let me first take a moment to tell you about 4CORE. 4CORE is a 5 year old 501(c)3 not for profit organization, with the mission to serve Southwest Colorado as the leading resource for the effective and efficient use of energy to promote and sustain vibrant local communities.

What exactly does that mean? It means we are working to curb the dollars each of us spend to buy energy for transportation, our homes, as well as our work place in order to keep money from leaving our community (we are energy importers). Energy has been cheap for a long time, so conserving it and the dollars to buy it hasn't seemed to matter, but as energy costs increase, it does matter. It matters for your wallet and for our community.

The obvious extension is that energy matters for our country and for the whole world. I believe it also matters for the environment. A quick look at a few numbers is pretty staggering: Viewing the global population calculator, which, as I'm writing this blog, is reading 7.2 billion people. This is mind boggling, and leads me to invoke the word ‘sustainable’ (able to be used without being completely used up or destroyed, involving methods that do not completely use up or destroy).

If I were to ask you how your job or your marriage was, and you said, “it’s sustainable”, that doesn't sound very good. So let me ask you, rhetorically, to ponder if you think our current energy consumption levels are sustainable? This reminds me of the bumper sticker ‘Earth First- we’ll mine the other planets later’.

Where We Have Come From

A Watt Steam Engine, fueled by coal,
propelled the Industrial Revolution 

The coal fired ‘Watt Steam Engines’ of the early industrial revolution are now around 250 years old, so aside from having fires in our caves for a long time, the machine age and now gadget age are relatively young. To bring this dialog home the Durango Discovery Museum/Power House, which was commissioned in 1893 is now 120 years old. This was the same year of the iconic Chicago Worlds Fair, where Alternating Current (AC) electricity lit the ‘White City’ and Pabst Beer won the ‘Blue Ribbon’ as a micro brewery).

Durango always seems to be on the cutting edge. Back then each small town had to have their own power generation as the ‘grid’ we appreciate today wasn't available. Each town also had their own diaries, saw mills… One might say that communities were more sustainable, or independent. 

My, How We Have Grown

http://visual.ly/how-does-american-energy-consumption-measure-global-context

How do we, in the United States rate on the global scale of energy use? It is nice to see that the U.S. is still number 1, but I am afraid that China and India will probably surpass us in time. Compared to the world La Plata County only has 51,000 people with almost 26,000 housing units (actually, 25,860 housing units according to the 2010 census).

The average home uses $84 worth of electricity/month equaling around $1000 per year, multiplied by 26,000 homes equals over $26,000,000 million/per year spent on residential electricity in La Plata County (this does not count industrial or commercial uses).

If you recall, my Favorite Appliance is the Refrigerator
You have to love the thermodynamic cycle of a heat pump working in reverse to keep food and beer cold and fresh! My grandmother Ethel had an old chest cooler on her back porch in Washington D.C. where I grew up. She had an electric fridge inside the house, but always kept the old cooler stocked full of Frostie Root Beer on ice. This was a pre-electric ice chest, and before electrification, ice was cut from the Potomac River in the winter, capped with saw dust and stored in buildings, then delivered to the neighborhoods throughout the year.

Nothing tastes as sweet as that root beer used to from that antique cooler, and she would let me have as many as I wanted. I remember the milk man delivering whole milk to our back porch in heavy glass bottles, then picking up the empties. We continue to innovate as a species and things are different today. Our modern grocers stock almost everything imaginable year round. I have heard that the average piece of fruit travels 1,600 miles. However, the home grown fruit, or tomato is always the sweetest.

Our Durango Power House has evolved from producing its own power in 1893, to shutting the power house down in the mid 1970’s, and is now an awesome interactive museum.

Enough about our community, what about me? And you? 
In our evolution, let us remember how to innovate and evolve toward energy efficiency. The price of energy is increasing, as is the cost to our planet as we grow in population and use more. The first step starts, literally, at home. Find out how much energy you could be saving by getting a HomeRx assessment. Make the upgrades that will $ave you the most and make your home more comfortable.

Maybe you Buy Local, but take the next step... Put your money where your house is.

About the Author

Born and raised in the Washington D.C. area Gregg Dubit has been in Southwest Colorado for over 20 years. Gregg has a Bachelors degree from The University of New Hampshire, Durham in Forest Resource Management, and from Fort Lewis College, Durango in secondary education. Greggs’ previous experience includes Commercial energy auditing, Residential Services Network training and certification, residential general contracting, residential real estate inspection services, high school math and science teacher, former ski patroller, and aged outward bound instructor. In addition, Gregg is an avid dog musher, proud father of Lydia and Hayden, and happily married to Gretchen.

Confessions of an Energy Addict

Hello, my name is Gregg Dubit, and I am addicted to energy.

I feel better having said that. I am also the Director of 4CORE, and this is my first ever ‘web log’ or blog.  I am honored and proud that 4CORE is helping to Solarize our community and blogging seems like a great way to tell my thoughts and story on ‘going solar’.

Remember when your mom said, ‘eat your veggies before you have desert’? The same analogy applies to energy use in the home. Insulate, air seal, and maintain or upgrade your appliances first, to have an efficient home. Hire an energy auditor and prepare your nest for the winter. Then for dessert; ‘go solar’.

Our family still eats our veggies: We boosted our attic insulation, we insulated our basement, and we continue to look for ways to make our home more energy efficient. I still have to chase my kids around the house to get them to power down and turn off the lights, ROKU, Wei, computers, TV and the list of high energy consuming plug in devices seem to grow monthly.

I personally thought solar photovoltaics (PV) was not within my financial reach. I thought solar was for wealthy people, and it has been. My wife and I discussed going solar a lot. We were on the fence between our 10-year old daughter (Lydia) needing braces, and the need to upgrade a vehicle, as well as another set of snow tires. There was always something to keep us from investing in solar. I have admired the concept of ‘Going Solar’ but thought I could not afford to put solar on my house.

But I still did not have the cold hard cash to throw down.

Enter Solarize La Plata (SLP), never under estimate what a committed group of volunteers can accomplish. The SLP committee has made ‘going solar’ easy. Solarize La Plata is a grass roots effort to make Solar possible for more people, maybe even you. Competitive local loans, and very competitive pricing on solar installations with professional NABCEP certified, local contractors.

On top of all that, La Plata Electric Association (LPEA), is a proven leader among the 44 electric cooperatives under Tri-State for supporting solar on your home with well-organized, professional grid tied interconnect policies (meaning you don’t need to buy $10,000 worth of batteries to go solar), and you will even qualify for a renewable energy credit (thank you LPEA).

What was the tipping point for us on the solar decision? 

Actually there were several tipping points.

After doing the math, subtracting the incentives from the LPEA Renewable Energy Credit, and then subtracting the 30% federal income tax credit available - ‘going solar now’ is possible. My wife Gretchen and I piloted a loan to put PV on our home. Our system went live just a few weeks ago and we are now offsetting our home’s use of electricity. We plan to pay off our loan over the next seven years and we are hedging that utility prices will increase, making our investment even smarter.

Solar power is an opportunity like a back yard garden. We still depend on others for most of our food, but the elk, broccoli, cucumbers, tomatoes, potatoes, berries, and lettuce we grow or get locally just taste better and make me feel good. I will still depend on LPEA for electricity, and I greatly appreciated how quickly they performed repairs after the last wet snow storm a few weeks ago. But I'm smiling, having gone solar and knowing I am making electricity while the sun shines.

My Energy Use Confession

I built a ‘hillbilly hot tub’ 10 years ago with a cattle stock tank and an aluminum submersible wood stove. We enjoyed many years of soaking, but splitting an additional chord of wood to heat it was not that relaxing. To upgrade to a modern electric hot tub, or not to upgrade.

Remember when I said I was addicted to energy? Let me tell you, Gretchen and I  really fought over this new appliance. Keeping 300 gallons of water 102 degrees outside is not sustainable. After all, the leader of 4CORE could not be caught relaxing in an electric hot tub, supplied with coal fired power (I imagined that I should be tarred and feathered). Gretchen made the case that this electric hot tub would be an investment in our marriage, soaking under the stars after the kids are in bed – and she was right (again). But compromise often comes with conditions, and my condition for the hot tub was that we invest in solar PV, before I turn 50.

So there you have it. I have come out of the closet – The director of 4CORE is addicted to energy.

What about you? What is your story about energy use?

If you have money, aka cash, solar offers a smart return on investment (ROI) which will outperform most stocks and bonds, and this is represents a local investment, with local contractors. If you don’t have the cash but still want to ‘go solar’ check out the competitive lending options.

If you would like to check out my array, come to the 1st Solarize Open House we are hosting, this Sunday, November 3rd  1:00 to 4:00 pm at our home: 2525 County Road 124, La Plata Canyon, direction signs will be posted – (please leave your dog at home- we have plenty).

Thanks for reading,

Sincerely, Gregg

About the Author

Born and raised in the Washington D.C. area Gregg Dubit has been in Southwest Colorado for over 20 years. Gregg has a Bachelors degree from The University of New Hampshire, Durham in Forest Resource Management, and from Fort Lewis College, Durango in secondary education. Greggs’ previous experience includes Commercial energy auditing, Residential Services Network training and certification, residential general contracting, residential real estate inspection services, high school math and science teacher, former ski patroller, and aged outward bound instructor. In addition, Gregg is an avid dog musher, proud father of Lydia and Hayden, and happily married to Gretchen.

Sunshine to Power More Homes in La Plata County

Solarize La Plata County is offering a limited time opportunity for homeowners in La Plata County to generate their own solar power through a simplified process at a reduced cost. The campaign is launching with an informational event hosted by the Discovery Museum on October 22^nd at 5:30 PM, and a chance for interested participants to sign up. Complimentary food and beverages will be served. 

 

Solarize La Plata was initiated by the Four Corners Office for Resource Efficiency (4CORE) and a group of committed citizens in the spring of this year. Goals include installing solar photovoltaic (PV) systems on 100 homes in La Plata County with a total of 325 kilowatts (kW) in system capacity. The Solarize model, developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and the City of Portland, was so successful that the U.S. Dept of Energy (DOE) adopted it and published a Solarize Guidebook for other communities to follow.

 

"This idea started in Portland by a neighborhood group that organized so they could collectively make informed decisions concerning installation of residential PV systems on their homes," said Robert Lea, Solarize La Plata Chairman. "Our changing political climate and the decrease in solar panel pricing is generating excitement about a local campaign, and our dedicated group of volunteers is setting Solarize La Plata in motion."

 

Solarize La Plata is partnering with the City of Durango, local lenders, and La Plata County-based solar contractors to create incentives to make going solar an affordable venture for more residents. As with many other Solarize campaigns around the country, it is expected that Solarize La Plata will result in increased market demand for PV in Southwest Colorado.

 

"Solar power is reliable, maintenance free and can be generated at your home," said Gregg Dubit, 4CORE Executive Director. "Now is a great time for solar. Many people don’t think they can afford solar, but we have lowered the price, motivated local banks to offer competitive loans, and are making it financially feasible for more residents to go solar."

 

The Solarize La Plata group will begin accepting applications on their website after October 22nd.

The Inside View on Window Coverings

By Sarah Sumner, Interior Designer and owner of Fusion Interiors

I believe it is human nature to love a beautiful view.  I search for them wherever I go: on the top of a mountain, at the top of a sandstone cliff on Cedar Mesa in Utah, or inside a home.  Beautiful views create good feelings. One of my latest projects, providing interior design for a new home in Pagosa, was oriented to magnify the beautiful view of Squaretop Mountain. The owners love this area so much they had June Jurack (a water color painter known in Durango for her whimsical gift cards) paint the view on a label for their home-crafted wine.  

Large windows are often installed that showcase incredible views. However, unless the windows have been well designed with thoughtful planning, those “take your breath away” glories come with a price.  I have worked with numerous homeowners who complain that their lovely and large windows either heat the room up or cool it down too much, or the room occupants are blinded with glare.

There is one window covering family that offers many solutions to the issues posed by excess heat, cold or glare. The Duette Architella honeycomb shades by Hunter Douglas were first invented in Broomfield, Colorado over 30 years ago. From its humble beginnings it has grown to be the number one window covering in climates such as ours. The Duette Architella is energy efficient to the maximum!

Four reasons why Duette Architella shades are so popular :

1. Cold and Hot Climate Benefits; shades reduces cold, exterior air from entering and prevents interior air from escaping; and vice versa for the hot climates.
2. Reduces Energy Consumption; shades are one of only a few that are so insulating they qualify for a Federal Tax Credit. See website for details.

3. Environmentally Sensitive; Some fabrics are GREENGUARD certified. Select fabrics contain sustainable and recycled content.
4. Versatility; They come in hundreds of fabrics and colors, five different head rail systems including a vertical system for sliding glass doors, and various opacity options, from sheer to semi-opaque to blackout.  They are low profile to retain most of the view.

There are numerous other window covering solutions. Most shades are available with hard wired motorization, which include options for home automation and integrated IPAD apps (for the techy person, tons of info can be provided).  Many types of window shadings are on the market today, including the infamous Silhouette shade, and the new Solera Soft Shades by Hunter Douglas.

Sunscreens are popular in offices and restaurants to retain the view yet cut the glare. Some shades look like drapes but roll up in a low profile such as the Vignette and Roller Shade Collections. For the fabric lover, custom draperies also offer high insulation and glare cutting capabilities.

The need for window coverings tend to be similar for most people; heat, cold, glare, privacy, and aesthetics. The best options for meeting those needs are varied and complex. To get the most out of your time and money, consult a professional who can assist you with balancing your needs and your budget. You will be glad you did.

Tell me about your favorite view: email Sarah or call 970-749-0061.

About the Author
Sarah Sumner is the owner of Fusion Interiors and LEED accredited in Interior Design and Construction and has a specialty in green design for interiors. She is located at 700 Main Avenue Suite A in Durango, CO.