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City of Melrose

Energy Commission


Douglas Dick
Co-Chair
Ellen Katz
Co-chair
Susan Gitelle Baron
Secretary
Mary Beth Calnan
Treasurer
Howie Newman
Communications Coordinator
(781) 662-2616
melroseenergy@yahoo.com

Created in 2005, the Melrose Energy Commission is a group of Melrose citizens who are volunteering their time to help the city and its residents save energy. MEC members have diverse and extensive experience in areas pertaining to energy usage, efficiency and policy.

 

 
Support Clean Energy

 

Members MEC in the news
Accomplishments Bylaws

 

MEC Fact Sheet
(Requires Adobe Acrobat)

Books about saving energy

Future Projects

 

Calendar

 

Links

 


Borrow a Kill A Watt meter from the library
Melrose citizens can measure the electricity usage of household items and appliances by borrowing a Kill A WattTM meter from the Melrose Public Library. And by filling out a simple one-page survey, you’ll receive a free energy-saving compact fluorescent bulb, courtesy of National Grid.
For more information about this program, click here. For a downloadable Excel worksheet, click here.

 

GOALS
The Commission is working with city officials to:
  • Save taxpayers money by helping to reduce energy consumed by city facilities and functions

  • Educate Melrose residents about energy savings and efficiency opportunities

 
MEETINGS
The Melrose Energy Commission meets monthly in the Mayor's Conference Room (2nd floor) in City Hall. Melrose residents are welcome to attend and participate, and are also encouraged to become members of the Commission. See the calendar for the next meeting date. For additional details and/or to be placed on the MEC mailing list, contact the Melrose Energy Commission at 781-662-2616 or melroseenergy@yahoo.com.
For further information about the Melrose Energy Commission, use the links above.

 

CLEAN ENERGY CHOICE

By participating in the Massachusetts Clean Energy Program, Melrose residents support clean, renewable energy (such as solar or wind energy generation). Participants pay a small premium on their monthly electric bill and these funds help sponsor the development of renewable energy in the state.
A portion of these funds are also returned to Melrose in the form of state-funded matching grants for use in renewable energy and low-income energy projects. Contributions to the program are tax deductible.

WIND POWER

Another option available through Mass. Clean Energy is to make a separate contribution to the New England Wind Fund. These contributions are eligible for a partial tax deduction.  Please visit www.newenglandwind.org

HOW TO SIGN UP

For further details about Clean Energy Choice, including information about enrolling, see www.masstech.org/CleanEnergyOrg/option1.htm. You can also contact National Grid about this program by calling 1-800-322-3223 and asking about GreenUp (National Grid’s Clean Energy Choice program is referred to as GreenUp.)

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Contact the Melrose Energy Commission at melroseenergy@yahoo.com if you have further questions.

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MEMBERS
MEC members represent a wide array of backgrounds, including engineering, policy, environmental protection, communications, sales and installation, utility regulation, evaluation and analysis, and law.
 
Douglas Dick, Co-Chair, a LEED accredited architect and partner in the Cambridge firm, LDa Architecture and Interiors, specializes in sustainable design and construction for new and renovated homes, affordable housing and adaptive re-use projects throughout New England.
 
Ellen Katz, Co-Chair, Fiscal Director for the Cambridge Dept. of Public Works, has been actively involved with energy-efficiency projects for the City of Cambridge.  Katz has more than 20 years of experience in environmental programs and policies.
 
Mary Beth Calnan, MEC Treasurer, works for the City of Melrose as the Melrose Recycling Coordinator. She will act as the City's liaison to the Melrose Energy Commission. 
 
Susan Gitelle Baron, MEC Secretary, is a compliance analyst in the health care industry.  On behalf of local organizations in Waltham, she organized educational forums to disseminate environmental information. Baron was also instrumental in placing a non-binding carbon reduction resolution on the November 2008 Melrose ballot.
 
Gregg Aloi, whose educational background is in electrical and mechanical engineering, has more than 30 years of commercial property management experience with Prudential Insurance Company, BankBoston, StorageNetworks and Comcast. He developed the first energy-use database for all municipal buildings in Melrose. 
 
Susan Murphy, an attorney for the past 13 years, is chair of the Melrose Conservation Commission.
 
Howie Newman, a communications specialist, worked for the Consortium for Energy Efficiency for nine years and has 28 years of experience in journalism and public relations.
 
David Shakespeare works for the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection and has more than 20 years of experience in environmental policy and analysis. A member of the State Leading By Example Council, he recently presented papers on renewable energy and energy efficiency at the 8th World Renewable Energy Congress and at Building Energy 2008.
 

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MEC IN the news
 
4-16-09 Join Energy Energy Commission's New Group
 
3-12-09 Melrose offers free weatherization seminar
 
1-22-09 ‘Kill A Watt’ and save a penny here, a planet there
 
11-6-08 Solar panels installed at Middle School
 
11-1-08 Melrose Goes Green
 
10-31-08 'An Inconvenient Truth' comes to Energy Fair Nov. 8
 
6-17-08 Seventh-graders embrace Energy Commission
 
4-10-08 Melrose residents can opt for clean energy
 
12-05-07 ’Tis the season to save energy
 
11-15-07 Melrose Energy Fair draws record crowd
 
9-20-07 Teachers fine-tune energy curriculum at national conference

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Accomplishments

Solar panels at Melrose Middle School
The Melrose Energy Commission worked with city officials to obtain a $340,000 Massachusetts Technology Collaborative grant for a 30-kilowatt photovoltaic panel at the school. Click here to find out how much electricity is being generated by these panels.

 

Purchase of city streetlights
After conducting an extensive economic analysis of Melrose’s streetlights, the MEC recommended to city officials that the streetlights be purchased directly from National Grid. The purchase is expected to be closed in early 2008. By purchasing – rather than leasing – these lights, Melrose stands to realize an annual net savings of about $100,000.

 

Accruing more than $10,000 in state funds for renewable energy projects
By promoting the state’s Clean Energy Choice program, the Commission enlisted more than 100 Melrose households to contribute monthly payments (through their utility bills) in support of renewable energy.  These contributions have earned Melrose more than$10,000 in matching state funds that will further promote renewable energy through equipment (such as photovoltaic panels), consumer education and building analysis.

 

Energy education in Melrose schools
Using funds from the Clean Energy Choice matching grant, two Melrose Middle School teachers – Nancy Naslas and Eric DiAntonio – were able to attend July’s National Energy Education Development (NEED) curriculum training seminar in Washington, D.C. The teachers reported back to the MEC to explain how they are incorporating the lessons from the training into their existing curricula.
In addition, the Melrose Energy Commission helped secure $500 from KeySpan Energy to fund the cost of NEED curriculum materials for the public schools.

 

Melrose enlists in EPA’s Community Energy Challenge and U.S. Mayors Climate Agreement
Identifying these initiatives as excellent opportunities for energy savings in city buildings, the MEC worked with Mayor Dolan to enlist Melrose in these EPA and state-sponsored programs.
Through these programs, Melrose and other New England cities are benchmarking the energy usage of city and school buildings, and then committing to an energy reduction of at least 10 percent.

 

Melrose Energy Fair
The MEC organizes and manages the annual Melrose Energy Fair. The most recent event was held Nov. 15, 2009, at Memorial Hall. This event is designed to create public awareness about opportunities for energy efficiency, renewable energy, energy audits and financial assistance for low-income families.
First held in December 2005, the fair provides hands-on demonstrations and information for consumers. Exhibitors include local retailers, contractors and utility representatives.

 

Consumer education
The MEC regularly contributes stories to the Melrose Free Press and Melrose Weekly News about energy-saving opportunities for consumers. Through these media outlets, the Commission also keeps Melrose residents informed about energy-efficiency projects undertaken by the city.
In addition, the MEC offers presentations about energy efficiency at local venues, such as the Melrose Public Library and Milano Senior Center.
The MEC has also facilitated free public access to energy-savings documents at City Hall
.

 

Energy audit of city buildings
In coordination with the School Department and Department of Public Works, the MEC has initiated an inventory of energy consumption in city buildings. The objective of this project is to establish baseline levels which can be used in developing energy-efficiency opportunities. In conjunction with this effort, the MEC has arranged for an accelerated scheduling of energy audits for city buildings by National Grid. The Commission is also investigating other energy audit opportunities, including grants from the state and energy performance contracting.

 

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FUTURE PROJECTS
Working with city officials, National Grid and other organizations, the Melrose Energy Commission is exploring the following energy-efficiency opportunities:
  • State funding for efficiency projects
  • Memorial Hall HVAC upgrade
  • Evaluation of wind energy projects
  • Water-efficiency projects
  • Solar-powered lights, irrigation system for Ell Pond Park
  • Bio-fuels for city facilities, equipment and vehicles
  • Distribution of “smart meters” to residents
  • Renewable energy projects
  • Insulation and weatherization retrofit of city buildings

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calendar
2009 Monthly Meeting Schedule
January 22 May 28 September 24
February 26 June 25 October 22
March 26 July 23 November 19
April 23 August 27 December 17

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links
 
Clean Energy Choice http://www.massenergy.com/options.html
   
Covanta Energy www.covantaholding.com
   
Energy Federation Inc.            www.efi.org
   
ENERGY STAR® www.energystar.gov
   
KeySpan Energy www.keyspanenergy.com
   
Mass Energy Consumer’s Alliance www.massenergy.com
    
Mass. Technology Collaborative www.mtpc.org
   
National Grid   www.nationalgridus.com
   
New England Wind http://www.newenglandwind.org/wind/home.php
   
MassSAVE www.masssave.com
   
Books about saving energy Click here
   

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