HomeMy WebLinkAbout12 Conservation Report Agenda Item # 12
WORKSHOP
To: Board of Directors
From: Doug Grandy
Date: May 07, 2008
Subject: Conservation Committee Monthly Report
1. WHY THIS MATTER IS BEFORE THE BOARD
This is a presentation by Doug Grandy of draft Chapters 6, 7 and 9 of the Water and
Power Conservation Plan Report.
2. HISTORY
This is the latest monthly report from the Conservation Committee.
3. NEW INFORMATION
1.Committee meeting minutes of the March 4 meeting.
2.Future meetings set: Tuesday May 6, Thursday June 5, and Tuesday July 1.
3.Water and Power Conservation Plan presentation of draft Chapters 6, 7, and 9 and
a schedule for release of the remaining draft chapters.
4. FISCAL IMPACT
No fiscal impact.
5. RECOMMENDATION
There is no recommendation.
Michael D. Holley, General Manager
6 Analysis Methodology
The analysis methodology used in this Plan is that provided by
KEMA Inc. through its contract with NCPA. The objective of that
project was to provide the Northern California Power Agency
(NCPA), the Southern California Public Power Authority (SCPPA) and
all of their combined members with a consistent set of values for
estimating energy and peak load reduction as a result of Public
Benefits programs. KEMA was directed to capitalize on existing
information and summarize it in a way that would be more
accessible to NCPA/SCPPA members. Because many of the existing
documents are complex and highly detailed, the project team
significantly condensed the available detail into concise and more
accessible measure summaries.
The study team created measure summaries for all of the measures
on the project list. The primary resources were the Database for
Energy Efficient Resources (DEER) database and PG&E's
workpapers. A goal of this report was to leverage existing results
and summarize them in a simplified manner that was more
accessible to NCPA and SCPPA members.
The DEER database is a tool that was jointly developed by the
California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and the California
Energy Commission with support and input from the Investor-
Owned Utilities and other interested stakeholders. The DEER
database includes detailed information on a select group of energy
efficiency measures. The results include the gross impacts,
incremental cost, and the equipment's useful life. The calculations
that are behind the DEER results include engineering calculations,
building simulations, measurement studies and surveys,
econometric regressions, or a combination of the approaches
depending on the specific measure. The objectives and focus of the
DEER data is to serve as a centralized source of information for
planning and forecasting issues for the energy efficiency programs
that are provided to customers across the state.
The DEER database takes the form of an interactive web site where
users can query the data for specific measure information. The
database is located on the CPUC website and is available at:
http://eega.cpuc.ca.gov/deer/.
The PG&E workpapers are the documents that PG&E has prepared
to document all of their measure savings calculations related to all
of their existing programs. The workpapers for PG&E alone are a
substantive set of measure details that PG&E uses to defend energy
savings assumptions. The papers are filed on a regular basis with
the CPUC. This NCPA/SCPPA measure summary product used the
2005 version of the PG&E workpapers. The workpapers typically
include measures not in the DEER database or that are new to their
programs.
Given that such a great amount of effort had been expended in the
development of an authoritative resource that would produce
results that would be on a consistent analytical basis with nearly all
other utilities in California, the Committee opted to use this
methodology to analyze potential efficiency measures in the TDPUD
service territory.
The KEMA report including the PG&E workpapers are available as
Appendix B to this report.
7 TDPUD's Unique Load Profile
Electricity
The hourly overall use of power in any jurisdiction can give important
clues about the use of power by end users, and can help reveal what
usage patterns may lead to the loads faced by the utility. The hourly
loads can also provide insight into patterns of use that cause costs to
be incurred by the utility to serve those loads. By examining closely
the load profile in the District, the Committee was able to discern the
usage patterns and amounts of electricity use that are prevalent at
various points in time. The Committee used this information to
evaluate some of the various potential strategies for reducing energy
use (e.g. since there is little variation in summer loads, indicating that
there are very few residential air conditioners, most residential air
conditioning measures were dropped from consideration).
Historical records of energy use were examined for insights into
energy use and its timing. Mr. Steven Hollabaugh, TDPUD's Assistant
General Manager for Electricity Supply, made a presentation to the
Committee on August 16, 2007, showing the nuances of the District's
load profile. He also provided hourly loads for the district from 2006
for the Committee to analyze.
Mr. Hollabaugh also presented information about the District's power
supply contracts. Since the District does not own generation, but
rather is a wholesale customer of a variety of generators, these power
supply contracts will reveal what the cost of power is at any given
point in time. Power contracts may charge for energy (MWh), capacity
(MW), fixed charges, or have other charge mechanisms.
Of importance to the work of the Committee is to use the power cost
information to determine what the savings would be for a given
strategy or set of strategies. For example, if capacity cost is
determined by the highest level of demand during the year, then an
energy conservation measure that reduces power consumption during
the peak would have capacity cost savings throughout the year, in
addition to its energy savings. Conversely, another energy efficiency
measure may have significant savings for a certain device, but if that
device is not typically in use during the peak, or if it doesn't account
for many kilowatt-hours of energy consumption throughout the year,
then it won't have much effect on the District's load profile or power
cost. The structure of the contracts will have a great effect on the
measures that ultimately will be recommended.
TDPUD Annual Loads
Truckee's load profile is driven for the most part by the recreational
and tourism aspects of the community. High daily peaks are driven for
the most part by increased occupancy of second homes, vacation
rentals and lodging. The TDPUD system is a winter peaking utility with
the winter peak being about 37 MW. The system peak occurs between
Christmas and New Years due to the influx of people into the
community. The summer peak of about 23 MW is centered around the
July 4th holiday period and is also tied to increased town occupancy.
Daily peaks (shown in Figure 7-1) are higher from Thanksgiving
through the end of the ski season than they are during the rest of the
year. The annual system peak occurs on the Saturday between
Christmas and New Years with a great degree of regularity. This peak
is followed closely by the President's Day holiday weekend. Peaks on
other winter weekends are also noticeably higher than winter
weekdays. The daily peaks taper off from the end of the ski season to
Memorial Day. There is then an increase through the July 4th summer
peak and then the load levels out through Labor Day.
Figure 7-1
2006 TDPUD Daily Peaks
40 ......._.........._......___.........__......._...._............._........................._..................._..._..._._.__..._._----..................w.__..._.------.._. ..__.__..._------__._....._....._..__.w..................._._._.....................W._..W..............__._._._....__...._.€
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35
PresidenPs XMA
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30
Thanks
giving
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25 - - - -- - - --- -- 1
July 4 Labor !
Memorial
20 -- -— -- - --- - - - i
i
15 - - ---- - - ----- - -- - --
i
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0
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Daily load profiles
The TDPUD system load profiles vary by season. Winter load profiles
peak in the evening due to the incidence of electric heating and extra
holiday lighting loads. Weekend afternoon and evening loads are
higher than weekday loads because of increased occupancy of second
homes and area lodging facilities. Winter weekday and weekend loads
are shown in Figure 7-2.
Figure 7-2
TDPUD 2006 Winter Load Shapes
40
35
30
1
3
3
--- - r
25 _- ---
--- - ---- ...A
or
- '► —
------------
+-winter wkday
10
—�►—•winter wkend
5 -- - --0---winter peak —--.—
-------------
3
0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
hour
Summer daily load shapes are more constant over the day for the non-
holiday periods. Weekday loads are constant at about 20 MW from
about 11 am to 6 pm with a slight dip in the early evening and an
increase later in the day. The increase in late evening loads could be
caused by the operation of some of the major summer loads on the
TDPUD system operating in the late evening (waste water treatment,
water system pumping, etc). Summer weekend loads are slightly lower
in the day but the late evening peaks are similar to weekday loads.
Figure 7-3 presents summer weekday and weekend load profiles.
Figure 7-3
TDPUD Summer Load Shapes
25 ._._._................_...... ..__._......._....... _.__..__.-------.._._ _....._.-----.._.___....._._...._......_____...._._._.._..___.__......_ _....___.__._..... . ..._.___._............_....._..__ _._...__.._.......,
i
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- ---- ------- _l�— Al
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15
10
- -
o summer wkday j
--o--summer wkend
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--♦--summer peak
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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
hour
Comparison to Other Areas
To look at the uniqueness of the Truckee loads this report makes a
comparison to the California Independent System Operator (CaISO),
Northern California Power Agency (NCPA) and Sierra Pacific Power
(SPP) loads. CaISO operates the power grid for about 80 percent of
California. SPP serves Reno and the northern Nevada region and NCPA
is the total of municipal loads for cities in the NCPA interconnected
power pooling agreement.
Recent legislation regarding conservation programs and GHG
reductions assume that all utilities in California have similar loads.
That is to say there is an assumption that the daily peaks of utilities
follow the same pattern as the CaISO. For TDPUD this is not the case.
For most if not all other utilities in California the peak is in the summer
months when it is hot and not in the winter as in TDPUD. For
comparison purposes Figure 7-4 shows a comparison of daily peaks as
a percentage of annual peak for both TDPUD and the California ISO.
Percentages were used eliminate the difference in size of each entity.
While the TDPUD peak is about 36 MW the peak for the ISO is over
50,000 MW. It is easy to see that the ISO peaks are more variable in
the summer (caused by air conditioning loads) while the TDPUD peaks
are relatively constant and the TDPUD loads vary more in the winter
when the ISO loads are relatively constant. It can also be seen that in
contrast to the TDPUD daily peaks which are higher during weekend
and holiday periods that the CaISO daily peaks are significantly lower
on weekends and holidays.
Figure 7-4
Comparison of Daily Peaks
(as a percentage of system annual peak)
2006 Normalized Daily Peaks TDPUD vs CISO
1 o0°io
i
° -- - -- - —
i 5 i
-f 'i --- i - ---
i b
i
bi
70%
60%-
i
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a
40%
—o—tdpud
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h O N 4 o vi O F D� M
Cp
Figure 7-5 provides a similar comparison for TDPUD and the Sierra
Pacific (SPP) region. While the majority of Sierra Pacific load is
centered in the Reno and northern Nevada area and not subject to
California regulations, it is interesting to look at because it is the
closest utility region to TDPUD. Unlike the CaISO the SPP region shows
an increase in loads from Thanksgiving through the end of the ski
season caused by a fraction of the service area which serves the Lake
Tahoe Basin. There is smaller variation in weekend and holiday
differences because the Tahoe Basin is a small fraction of the overall
SPP control area. Summer loads for SPP are driven by temperature
related air conditioning loads of Reno and the surrounding areas.
Figure 7-5
Comparison of Daily Peaks
(percentage of system annual peak)
2006 Normalized Daily Peaks TDPUD vs SPP
f �1
90% --- -------- ---- ——- AT
80% _ -
s
- - - -
60%
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a 40% s(
i
30% --- - - - �--tdpud
- *-spp
20%
s
t
10%
0% (y
c$ a a
Figure 7-6 provides a similar comparison to the total NCPA daily peak
loads. What is notable in this comparison other than the similar
summer pattern is that the NCPA peaks appear to greatly decrease
during weekend periods while the TDPUD peaks increase during the
weekend periods in the winter (especially in winter and holiday
periods) and are relatively constant in the summer with the exception
of increases in holiday periods.
Figure 7-6
Comparison of Daily Peaks
(as a percentage of system annual peak)
2006 Normalized Daily Peaks TDPUD vs NCPA
(daily peak as a percentage of annual peak)
goo°i° ... . _.... ..M.__.._...___..__..___._._...
t 3
11
—---- - 1441 Z
1
80% — -- -- -- - --- — -- 1 !:
' t t a ltt ii';tit .1 If
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70% 4t1 1 41 is IE i tt tE t 1111 1*% 1 �{
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CO N M )
Comparison of seasonal daily load shapes
Figure 7-7 provides a comparison of winter weekday load shape
between TDPUD and the CaISO. The TDPUD loads exhibit higher loads
in the early morning and late in the evening caused by the incidence of
electric heat in the TDPUD area. The CaISO loads have smaller
increases in these time periods caused by a lower incidence of electric
heat.
Figure 7-7
Comparison of Daily Winter Loadshapes
Winter weekday load shape
100.00% .................
....._._....___.__.__..,_.-._.,...-._..._..._._.....,..._......._.,._..._._..............._...................._....... ....._.,..._.....-._..-..-__...._................._.-..-..
m 60.00% -- -- ------ -------—
c 50.00% ---- --- - - �._
a 40.00% -— --- — ---
30.00% --o--CISO
-- --TDPUD
20.00% - -- - —- — J
10.00%
0.00%
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
Figure 7-8 provides a comparison of summer loadshapes for TDPUD
and the CaISO. This is where there is a marked difference in daily
shape between TDPUD and other utilities. The summer TDPUD loads
are relatively flat throughout the daylight hours while the CaISO loads
show an increase over the afternoon caused by air conditioning load.
Figure 7-8
Comparison of Daily Summer Loadshapes
Summer weekday load shape
100.00% ....._.._............___. _._.._._....____.-.._._----_..----__._...__. ...--------
"A `.
90.00% -- .------- - -- — - •1�
80.00% Nb
r
70.00% /
60.00% — ----- —� _,
a
R
c 50.00%
A
0
a 40.00% -- ---- -
-------------- --
30.00% - --- - - -- - -
-4-CISO
--♦--TDPUDI
10.00% --- -------
0.00%
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
Given that Truckee is a second home destination and has a climate
unlike the rest of California, it should come as no surprise that the
Truckee load profile is unique in the state.
The consequence of this unique load profile and the TDPUD's power
contract structure is that the most economically efficient programs in
Truckee are those that reduce kilowatt hours overall not those that
shave the highest peaks. The Committee therefore focused its
attention on conservation or efficiency measures that produce the
most kWh savings, regardless of the time of day or time of year they
are used. The Committee also avoided measures that are primarily
aimed at air conditioning efficiency improvement.
Water
Figure 7-9 depicts the water use by month for the most recent 3
years. The baseload between November and April represents the
indoor uses, such as personal hygiene, cooking, and washing, which
would not be expected to change based on weather or time of year.
The large midyear increase peaking in July and August can be
attributed to landscape watering. The amount of water used in this
peak period has grown to about 2/3 as much as all other uses
combined. Also, the load has grown dramatically in the spring
months, showing a 66% increase during May and June over the 2-year
period.
Figure 7-9
Monthly Water Use
400,000,000
350,000,000 ----- - --- - -- �M., .
300,000,000
250,000,000
-, -+-2005
o ----—---- - - - - - }` - — -- -2006
200,000,000 � -- —_--. , 6-2007
W
150,000,000
100,000,000 ---- ---- --- ---- - --- —
50,000,000
)acJJA 0&�`
Given the significant growth rate in landscape watering, the
Committee felt that this area had high potential for efficiency
improvements. Advances have been recently made in landscape
watering control technology, such as systems that communicate with
irrigation controllers to indicate the expected plant evapotranspiration
rate for the day, and controllers that regulate the frequency and
duration of watering cycles to maximize soil absorption and all but
eliminate runoff. Efficiency improvements for the indoor uses are also
well established and effective, so the Committee examined those
technologies as well.
Water and Power Conservation Plan
9 Conservation Measures Considered
Electricity
The DEER database presents a comprehensive list of some 5,500
efficiency measures that could potentially be used by any utility district
in the development of its conservation/efficiency programs.
Committee members combed through the list and eliminated measures
related to residential air conditioning, because with such a small
number of homes with a/c, the measure simply would not work in
Truckee. Similarly measures that would affect commercial equipment
that is not present were eliminated.
The following lists give the set of measures finally selected by the
Committee for recommendation. Table 9-1 lists the measures that
apply to residential facilities, and Table 9-2 lists the measures for the
Commercial Sector.
Table 9-1 Residential Measures
X = indicates existing program
Appliances
Clothes Washers X
Dishwashers X
Refrigerators X
Cooking Equipment
Building Efficiency
Attic/Ceiling Insulation
Caulking/Weatherstripping X
Floor Insulation
Wall Insulation
Windows
Electronics
Phantom Load Strategies
Battery Charging Systems
Digital-Analog Converter Boxes
Cordless Phones
TV/VCR & TV/DVD Combo Units
External Power Adapters
Home Audio
Televisions
1
Water and Power Conservation Plan
VCRs
Lighting
Ballasts
Compact Fluorescent Lights X
Exit Signs
Fixture Retrofit
Lamp Replacement
Lighting Controls
Space Cooling
Ceiling Fans
Shade Screens
Whole House Fans
Solar Attic Fans
Swamp Coolers
Window Treatments- tinting, films
Space Heating
Air Duct Leakage X
Air Duct Replacements X
Blower Door Air Leak Testing X
Ground Source Heat Pump X
Programmable Thermostats
Solar Thermal for.Space Heating
Water Heating
Energy Efficient Water Heaters X
Non-Electric Water Heaters
Water Heater Wraps.
Solar Water Heating
Energy Efficient Hot Tubs (pumps/motors)
Distributed Generation
Solar Photovoltaics
Table 9-2 Commercial Measures
X = indicates existing program
Appliances
Clothes Washers, Dishwashers, Refrigerators X
2
Water and Power Conservation Plan
Glass Doors on Open Display Cases
Strip Curtains on Walk-in Boxes
Insulated Hot Food Cabinet- Energy Efficient
Insulated Hot Food Cabinet- High Performance
Display Case w/Doors- Low Temperature
Display Case w/Doors- Medium Temperature
Building Efficiency
Door Gaskets
Door Auto-Closers
Electronics
Computers
Copiers & Fax Machines
Digital Duplicators
External Power Adapters
Notebook Computers/Tablet Personal Computers
Mailing Machines
Monitors
Printers, Scanners, All-in-Ones
Water Coolers
Lighting X
Exit Signs- Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs)
Channel Sign- LEDs`
Channel Sign- Replacement
Channel Sign- Retrofit
Replacing Incandescents
Replacing with Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFLs) & LEDs
Incandescent to Mercury Vapor
Fixture Replacements
Fixture Replacement- Linear Fluorescent
Hard-wired Fluorescent Fixtures
Incandescent External Pulse Start
Fixture Replacement- CFLs
Lamp & Ballast Retrofit
Lamp & Ballast Retrofit- Dimming
Lamp & Ballast Retrofit- Non-Dimming
Lamp Removal
Induction lamps & Fixtures
Occupancy Sensors
Photocells
High Intensity Discharge (HID) - Internal Pulse Start
HID Fixtures
3
Water and Power Conservation Plan
Case Lighting- Electronic Ballasts
Metal Halide Pulse Start Ret. Fixture
Ceramic Metal Halide (CMH) Fixtures
Motors
High Efficiency Motors
High Efficiency Pumps
Space Cooling
Programmable Thermostat
Chillers with Variable Frequency Drives (VFD) and without VFD
Split System Air Conditioner
Unitary Air Conditioner
Package Terminal Air Conditioner
Package Terminal, Split System & Unitary Heat Pump
Ground Source Heat Pumps X
Evaporative Condensers
Window Films
Space Heating
Programmable Thermostat
Central Forced Air Unit Distribution Leakage X
Ground Source Heat Pumps X
Water Heating
High Efficiency Electric Water Heaters"X
Energy Efficient Non-Electric Water Heaters
Distributed Generation
Solar-Photovoltaics
Fuel Cells
Energy/Load Management
Energy Management Systems
Summer Peak Load Controls
Other
Compressed Air Systems
Time Clocks- 7 Day with Back-Up
4
Water and Power Conservation Plan
Water
The Committee examined a number of issues surrounding water
conservation, and had presentations by Ed Taylor, Water Utility
Manager, on November 6, 2007, and by Michael Holley, General
Manager on April 3, 2008.
The TDPUD watershed is protected by federal law and isolated
morphologically. The only way to lose water from this system is
through runoff into the river, or through evaporation. The aquifer
appears to be sufficient to provide for the needs of the District for the
foreseeable future.
Delivery of this water to the District's customer-owners is another
matter. The costs of pumping the water over the significant elevations
present in the service territory amount to 8% of the District's electrical
load, the largest single electricity customer. The infrastructure to
deliver the water presents a large fixed cost. The energy used in
pumping creates a significant "carbon footprint" due to the
predominance of coal-fired power plants in the District's supply
portfolio. All of these issues offer good reasons to conserve water,
even though the commodity itself is plentiful.
Table 9-3 shows the water conservation measures presented by the
staff, and recommended by the Committee, for adoption.
Table 9-3
Water Conservation Strategies
Residential & Commercial
X= Indicates existing program
Appliance Efficiency
Clothes Washers- Energy Star energy & water savers X
Dishwashers- Energy Star energy & water savers X
Buildina Efficiency
Plumbing Design/Layout & Water Heater Location
Low & Ultra-low Flush Toilets
Grey Water Systems
Rooftop/Cistern Collection
Water Audits
5
Water and Power Conservation Plan
Landscaping
Low-water using plant species selection
Low-water Supply Irrigation Systems- i.e. Drip Irrigation and
TemporaryIrrigation System Controllers- i.e. E.T.
Hose Nozzles with adjustable water control
Soil Additives & Mulching
Artificial Turfs
Reclaimed Water
Water Audits
Water Heating
Low-flow Showerheads X
Faucet Aerators X
Point-of-use Water Heaters
R=
Inclining Block Rates
Water Conservation Rate Tied to Conservation Measures List
Extra Charge for Wasteful Irrigation
Recreation
Pool & Spa Covers
Education
Demonstration Garden
Water-saving Devices Demonstrations
Schools Education
Handouts'
Outreach, Events
6
TDPUD Conservation Committee Minutes
Tuesday March 4, 2008
(.Doug calls meeting to order 6:10pm
II.ln attendance were Joanna Walters, Doug Grandy, Gerald Herrick, Eric Perlman, Susie Sutphin,
John Hillstrom, Ronnie Colby.
III.Gerald moves to accept the minutes as is, John seconds the motion and a vote is taken. Minutes
pass with a voice vote.
IV.No members of the public in attendance. Gerald discusses Truckee Day scheduled for June 7m
Coordinator of the event, Beth Ingalls, has changed the name to Truckee Green and Clean Day to
include more of a "green message". If a group like the TDPUD cleans up an area, then a booth
area is assigned to that group to use during the luncheon. A booth was suggested to promote the
agenda of the committee. The booth could be staffed by committee members that hand out and
provide information on the conservation programs currently being offered by the TDPUD.
Historically they have had a few booths, this year they are looking to increase the number of
booths. No commerce is invited it is only open to educational and informative booths. Eric
suggested that perhaps the TDPUD would be a better choice to have a booth to increase the
outreach and community education of all the TDPUD programs. A conservation suggestion
bucket was suggested with the best idea winning a prize. Suzie said she might be able to get
some merchandise from Patagonia. The idea box includes the public in the process, this would
increase the awareness for the need to recycle or conserve and perhaps generate some new
fresh ideas. This is an opportunity to raise awareness with an already environmentally active
group of Truckee residents. Announcing the contest and prizes at the sign in areas (where bags
and T-shirts are handed out) might increase attendance at the picnic. Eric also brought up the
need to include TV's in the appliance recycling program. People watch an average 7 hours of TV
a day. Plasma and tube TVs consume way more energy than an LCD. Joanna suggested the
event timing would be ideal for promoting low-water landscaping and other water conservation
programs.
V.Doug recapped the Board meeting held on February 20th. Pres. Taylor had requested to see the
macro schedule of the Conservation Committee at the prior meeting, so that was provided. Doug
handed out the draft outline of the Conservation Plan, and asked for comments. He also asked
how the Board felt about the Committee possibly volunteering for the District in other roles outside
of the Committee. Lastly, he asked the Board's opinions on a suggestion to release draft parts of
the Committee's Water and Energy Conservation Plan in discreet pieces over a period of time,
instead of all at once as a finished product.
Possible volunteering options presented by the Board were working as docents on the Solar
Energy Tour and working the TDPUD booth on Memorial Day weekend during the Home Show. It
was stated that all volunteering should go through the GM. There were concerns that the
volunteering would displace TDPUD workers, open the TDPUD to liability, and possibly create
confusion within the District operations.
Some Directors were approving of the outline as presented but the Board warned that the
Committee needed to keep the document simple and short. With respect to the Committee
releasing draft chapters as they are produced, the Board would like to see some chapters from the
document in April, even if it is in rough draft form. Once the document is finished it will be open
Conservation Committee: Minutes: March 4, 2008 1
for public comment. If the material is sent to any board member it is out and in public, so the
Committee needs to be thoughtful about what is presented to the Board in April. The Board was
also concerned that too much jargon would be used, and requested that the Committee keep in
mind that it needed to be consumable and understood by the general public.
For the next board meeting, it was requested that Doug connect the document outline with the 5
points with which the Committee was charged. A discussion followed on possibly trimming the
scope of the document or breaking into more than one document. In reality, the Executive
Summary will be the primary section that people will read, so it is crucial that the Executive
Summary is as tight and concise as possible. Incorporating ideas generated from the public
would also be beneficial, in the Board's point of view. Which portion of the document should be
focused on and completed first? A discussion followed about breaking the document into `parts.'
Material that is supportive should be pushed to the back. Our primary goal is to provide the
information for the District to be able to move forward in a conservation-conscious manner with
the information we have provided in the Plan.
Michael called Doug before the board meeting, as a courtesy, to discuss the possibility of
reframing "Alan's" job description prior to hiring for the vacant position. This was a heads up
because the change might affect the committee in some ways because the new position would be
Conservation and Information Officer for the District. This is a good move because it releases the
position from duties outside the scope and elevates Conservation within the structure of the
District.
Michael gave the Committee the opportunity to add some decor and exhibits to the lobby of the
TDPUD to promote conservation and renewable energy. This is an opportunity to get the
conservation message out and set the tone as soon as you walk into the District offices. Tons of
ideas were thrown around, creating a program for school kids to create the material used, a kiosk
to calculate carbon output, exhibits of various energy saving equipment, etc. Possibly the
Outreach subcommittee should spearhead the project?
VI.The Committee members were directed to the section of the document that covers
Recommendations. All of the recommendations were reviewed with changes made as necessary
for clarity. The Board recently approved a voluntary green tag program for customers. Building
green power generation is intimidating so this is a start. There is a lot of confusion with the
difference between green tags, white tags, renewable energy credits (REC's) and the authenticity
of the tags. The industry is moving towards more regulation and becoming more transparent. In
the future, there needs to be a central organization like the stock exchange to regulate the
industry. Until then, purchasing green tags is still an environmental good choice. Local renewable
energy would be the best way to go in terms of the security for our power supply and public
awareness. There is only one way energy comes into town, from the east, so building a local
power supply would create energy security. It would also give people the ability to point at the
source of their local clean power. Purchasing green tags does not send the renewable energy to
the specific customer -- it creates an offset for the damage created from using non-renewable
energy. There are 2 issues; the carbon footprint and public relations. Both could use some
support in the local community. Solar panels on the roof of the TDPUD would be the equivalent of
walking the conservation talk. Every town building should be a showcase of conservation. These
enhancements cannot come out of the 2.85% Conservation budget based on the wording of the
legislation.
The outreach group created the bullet point for creating recommendations for other agencies in
town, sanitary district, the airport and school district. The sewer district and sewer authority (T-
Conservation Committee: Minutes: March 4, 2008 2
TSA and TSD) are creating a lot of natural gas; this could be collected and used to power the
facilities for T-TSA and TSD. Currently, it is used to provide some heating and flared off. This
could be cleaned up and used. The agencies would still need to supplement with natural gas.
Joanna also wants to see the 2.85% collected separately on the bill, so it would have its own line
item. The money would then be easy to track, increasing the transparency and accountability. It
might motivate customers to recoup the -3%. You could include ideas on how to save 10% with
the separation of the fee on the bills. This would remove all the questions on how much, where
and what is happening with the conservation money. It might also paint a bull's eye on the fee.
Questions followed about accounting questions within the District. No one seemed to know what
kind of check and balances were in place. Is there an annual, monthly or quarterly financial audit?
"TURN" is a watchdog group over investor-owned utilities to monitor utility activities. Should the
committee suggest an "ombudsman"- similar to internal affairs? The cost and size of the District
does not support. It is clear that to ensure the longevity of the programs recommended by the
Committee, financial controls need to be in place to protect the conservation budget. Perhaps the
Committee could meet annually to discuss the current state of affairs of the District, as a Citizen
Accounting Committee. An annual accounting of conservation programs should be looked as a
PR opportunity for the District to publicize all the money that was spent for public benefit.
VII. "Conservation Measures Considered" and TDPUD's Unique Load Profile were suggested as the
first chapters to review with the board. This connects very directly to the 5 points.
VIII. Meeting was adjourned 9:10pm
Conservation Committee: Minutes: March 4, 2008 3