Lake George Climate Action Plan Project Public Workshop, November 8 th, 2017 Jim Yienger, Climate Action Associates LLC
Project Goal and Timeline Joint Project of Town and Village Climate Action Plan (9 Months) CEC Certification to Bronze Level Covers 130 measures and actions Use logos on community outreach materials and press releases. Recertification required every five years.
Climate Change 101 The issue and causes
Why do fossil fuels increase CO2 concentrations?
Electricity and fossil fuel use in facilities Electricity, natural gas, fuel oil, propane, used in buildings, operations & for lighting Vehicle and equipment fleet Gasoline, diesel, natural gas & LPG used in on and off-road equipment Landfills GHG Sources Direct methane emissions from landfills you own Indirect methane emissions caused by waste you create Wastewater treatment methane Methane and N2O from biological processes Refrigerants HFC coolants used in vehicles, ice rinks and HVAC systems in large buildings Agriculture, industry, and other sources.
1745, world s first oil refinery in Russia Global GHG concentrations are rising FAST
So what does this mean for New York s Climate? Climate Impacts
NY climate is heading south Climate Zone is shifting southward +1.7 to 3.7ºF by 2020s +3.5 to 7.1ºF by 2050s +4.1 to 11.4ºF by 2080s +4.4 to 13.6ºF by 2100 Less snow cover Hello Atlanta!
In New York State higher observed temperatures and less snow since 1970 Annual mean +2.4 F Winter mean +4.4 F 20 less days with snow on the ground
Extreme Events Flooding events Heat and cold waves Mohawk River / Scotia during Tropical Storm Irene
Infrastructure Risks due to Extreme Weather Events Roads, bridges, culverts Flooding, material stress and fatigue Wastewater system inundation Power systems / grid failures
Agricultural and Ecosystem Impacts Changing crop zones Biome shifts more oak less maple Invasive weeds and pests from the south Disease vectors advance north
Climate Action Planning Reduce GHG Emissions and Adapt to a Changing Climate
CAP Focus: Government operations or community, or both? Government Operations Buildings / Facilities Fleet Street lighting Wastewater treatment Solid waste / landfills Etc. Community Wide GHG Emissions Community-wide Plan Residential, Commercial, Industrial energy use Solid waste practices Land use planning and zoning Transportation planning Etc. Government Operations 2-4%
Baseline GHG Emissions Set a Goal GHG Mitigation Develop Strategies to Meet the Goals Implement and Periodically Review Progress
Natural Resources Inventory Vulnerability Assessment Adaptation Set Goals and Develop Strategies Implement and Periodically Review Progress
Town and Village GHG Emissions 2016 Government Operations
Town GHG Emissions (tons) 550 Facilities/Buildings 298 Electricity 114 Natural gas 129 Fuel Oil 25 Propane - Kerosene 30 Fleet Fuel Use 252 Gasoline 82 Diesel 170 Village GHG Emissions (tons) 882 Facilities/Buildings 649 Electricity 462 Natural gas 155 Fuel Oil 22 Propane 10 Kerosene - Fleet Fuel use 233 Gasoline 121 Diesel 111 2016 Baseline GHG Emissions 1431 Tons
100 Tons GHG Emissions / Facility 90 80 70 Town GHG emissions (550 tons) 60 50 40 30 20 10 0
250 Tons GHG emissions / facility 200 Village GHG emissions (882 tons) 150 100 50 0 Water Filtration Plant WWTP Sewer Pump Stations Firehouse Pump Stations Visitor Center DPW Garage Wood Shop Water Tanks Bandstand Village Hall Rec Center
Employee Commute Summary Employees 48 Average daily commute (miles) 19.04 Total annual commute (miles) 201,036 Average MPG 18 Fuel (gallons) 11,169 GHG Emisssions per (tons/year) 108 Employee Commute
GHG Mitigation Options Reducing GHG emissions
Baseline Emissions 1431 Reduction Goal 40% Required Reductions 572.4 EXAMPLE ONLY Lake George CAP Score Card Sector Actions GHG Savings (tons) 1. Energy Efficiency 1.1 LED Lighting Retrofits 50 1.2 HVAC Replacements 35 1.3 Etc. Etc. 2. Renewable Energy 2.1 Solar Installation 60 2.2 Geothermal / Biomass Heating 8 2.3 Community Solar / Green Power 140 3. Sustainable Fleet 3.1 Higher MPG vehicles 210 3.2 Electric Vehicles 20 3.3 Etc. Etc. 4. Solid Waste / Employee Commute 4.1 Etc. Etc. 5. Non energy GHG emissions 5.1 Refrigerant reductions 5 5.2 Etc. Etc. TOTAL Plan Savings 528 Require Savings 572 Difference -44
Energy Efficiency WWTP and Pumping Variable speed drives (20% savings) High efficiency motors Efficient HVAC and LED Lighting Furnace upgrades (10-15% savings) LED lighting (50% savings) Insulation / Building Envelope Attic insulation (20% savings) Walls (5% savings)
Lake George Town Hall LED Retrofit $2500 investment Estimated $120 150 / month savings 2-year payback! savings are maximum when staff does work Reduces ~2 tons GHG emission per year WIN-WIN Climate strategy
Renewable Energy Rooftop / ground mount solar Geothermal heating Biomass heating Small scale hydro Bio-digestion of organic waste
Community Distributed Generation (Solar Farms) Enables shared investment in large-scale solar Develop public/private partnerships Buy into a 3 rd party project Deep GHG reductions possible Eliminate all electricity-related GHG emissions Currently 45% of Lake George Government operations emissions come from electricity use Offset All Lake George Electricty Emissions? Lake George Baseline Electricty Use 1,841,004 Solar Array Size (MWh) 1.5 Acreage Needed 7 Production (KWh) 2,250,000
Sustainable Fleet Fuel Economy (20-30% possible) Right Size Fleet - easy savings Fleet MPG goals? Alternative Fuels Electric drive vehicles (GHG savings 50%) Reduce emissions further though solar Biodiesel Route Optimization
Thank You Q/A Jim Yienger Climate Action Associates Mr_jjy@climatetools.com