Title/Name/Summary
The Village of Orland Park Energy Efficiency and Conservation Municipal Action Plan or ECOMAP
History
The Village of Orland Park was selected by Commonwealth Edison, an Exelon Company, for a Community Energy Challenge. The ComEd Community Energy Challenge is a competitive program designed to help municipalities develop and implement energy efficiency and conservation projects that reduce energy use while advancing municipal sustainability objectives.
The Village of Orland Park is recognized by ComEd as one of twelve communities that has demonstrated commitment to leadership in environmental and energy issues. Like the other eleven communities, Orland Park was asked to create a municipal energy plan to reduce the amount of energy used by municipal operations, residents and businesses while achieving complementary community objectives. This plan is called the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Municipal Action Plan (ECOMAP).
For the first year of ECOMAP, the goal is to reduce the energy footprint of the Village by 0.5% to 1.5% or begin the downward trend in energy consumption and establish a benchmark for future reductions. As a municipal action plan, ECOMAP outlines seventeen (17) tasks and over one hundred (100) deliverables and recommendations that will help meet the goals and objectives of the plan while improving the quality of life in Orland Park from an energy perspective.
ECOMAP is part of Orland Park’s smart energy initiative that will assist in the transformation of the way Orland Park residents, businesses and visitors acquire, use and think about energy. To do this, the plan seeks to:
• Revise code amendments, planning and development review procedures, and municipal economic development loans and incentive programs to increase energy savings;
• Target homes, businesses, schools and colleges, and faith communities for energy savings and to market energy saving products
• Work with the insurance community to develop mitigation strategies for energy-related risks
• Encourage local architects, engineers and designers to build green;
• Work with contractors to deliver energy saving programs;
• Increase local use of renewable energy resources and provide information and education on solar, wind, geothermal and other renewable energy systems;
• Target specific planning and public works projects and goals that reduce traffic congestion, green house gas emissions and save energy;
• Target municipal and other public buildings for energy savings;
• Establish Orland Park municipal energy conservation standards;
• Educate and provide information to major water consumers on water conservation;
• Use municipally sponsored recreational activities, events and programs to increase energy efficiency and conservation awareness and savings;
The ECOMAP budget is currently estimated at $1.5 million over five years in various direct program costs, with approximately $600,000.00 for the first two years, and $300,000.00 each year thereafter. As part of the ComEd Community Energy Challenge, the Village has already obtained from ComEd and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) $400,000.00, or $200,000.00 from each agency, for first year implementation funds. The Village will also obtain $520,700.00 in federal Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) formula funds to fulfill ECOMAP goals, objectives, tasks and deliverables for the first three years. The Village will also apply for EECBG competitive funds for ECOMAP as well as other energy efficiency programs, grants etc. from the State Energy Program.
In the ComEd Community Energy Challenge, ECOMAP proposes to save approximately 4,636,315 kWh of energy in the first year, which is approximately 0.5% to 1.5% of the total energy consumed by the Village of Orland Park in 2008 (baseline year). This equates to approximately 3,330 Metric Tons of Green House Gas emission reductions. In three years time, the Village proposes to save nearly 1.6% to 2.6% over the 2008 baseline and by the fifth year (2013) a full 3% to 4% over the 2008 baseline (approximately 15,000 to 17,000 Metric Tons of GHG emission reductions).
COMED AND DCEO FUNDING
The ComEd Community Energy Challenge (CEC) has released limited guidelines regarding how CEC funding shall be used. ComEd funds are for the private sector and DCEO funds are for the public sector. Both funds require a match or a split with the receiving entities. The following is a break-down of proposed uses for the DCEO funding and a break-down of proposed uses for the ComEd funding.
1. DCEO Funding
Below are the proposed energy efficiency projects that will use the $200,000.00 in DCEO incentives:
a. Conversion of 225 high pressure sodium street lights (200 watt) to LED lights (70 watt);
b. Conversion of 1 small 20 year old HVAC unit on the Civic Center to new energy efficient HVAC unit (or on the Franklin Loebe Center FLC);
c. Funding assistance to Carl Sandburg High School to implement “One 2 Five” energy management projects; (One 2 Five is a like a small energy audit conducted through the CEC);
d. Funding assistance to the Village of Orland Park Sportsplex to implement energy audit recommendations;
The proposed projects described above are a tentative proposal pending various budget decisions. Currently the Village is waiting to potentially receive $375,000.00 in HB 313 Member Initiative funding that may provide some (or all) of the Village’s share of the match to use the DCEO funds for some of the HVAC or Sportsplex projects in lieu of direct Village funding.
Current budget projections, however, may prevent the Village from capitalizing on the guaranteed incentives DCEO is offering Orland Park through the Community Energy Challenge because of the matching component. According to DCEO, the match for project costs is estimated at 30% DCEO incentive and 70% Village cost (30/70). For example, to use all $200,000.00 of the DCEO incentive, the Village will need approximately $660,000.00 in additional Village funds. Some of the DCEO funding can be used; however, it is not immediately clear how much of it actually will be until the budget is approved.
Depending on how much funding is available on the Village side, the allocation of these resources may be re-adjusted and re-structured.
2. ComEd Funding
Below are the proposed energy efficiency projects that will use the $200,000.00 in ComEd incentives:
a. $100,000.00 for the funding of the Commercial Façade Improvement Program (CFIP) for a
special 1 year expanded program implementation focused on energy improvements on building facades (e.g. signage, lighting etc.) in multiple BIZ zoning districts along 151st Street, 159th Street, 94th Avenue and Harlem Avenue. These areas are targeted because they use the most energy outside the La Grange Road corridor.
b. $50,000.00 for funding assistance to Orland Park car dealerships to incentivize energy efficiency upgrades for parking lot and building lighting, signage, and other energy using systems; This will also be through a special 1 year expanded program implemented through the Commercial Façade Improvement Program.
c. $50,000.00 for additional funding assistance through the new Smart Energy Improvement Loan (SEIL) Program to further incent businesses to improve their energy efficiency along the La Grange Road Corridor from Southwest Highway to 167th Street. SEIL is funded at $250,000.00 through a formula grant from the US Department of Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG).
The break-down described above is a tentative proposal pending budget decisions. Like the DCEO incentives, the ComEd incentives are 30/70. However, these dollars do not necessarily require a Village share. ComEd incentives are designed to subsidize 30% of a business’ project costs. Therefore the 70% match is required of the business. The Village has an opportunity to balance the match if the Commercial Façade Improvement Program were funded. The potential exists for the Village to increase the incentives from 30% to 50% by providing 20% of the cost for businesses.
Each program listed above will be reviewed and approved separately by the Committee. They will be administered by the Development Services Department.
Performance and ComEd/ DCEO Incentive Allocation
Depending on the performance on the above proposed programs and allocations, incentive funding may be shifted between projects in order to maximize leveraged dollars. These funds may be used with other funds (Member Initiative or EECBG) as well.
EECBG and Total Potential Funding for ECOMAP Deliverables
The Village of Orland Park will receive $520,700.00 in EECBG funds for four (4) ECOMAP deliverables (subject to US DOE approval): a) The Smart Program/ Residential Rewards Program ($25,000.00); b) Residential Exterior Insulation and Re-Siding Program ($50,000.00); c) Smart Energy Improvement Loan Program ($250,000.00); and d) Renewable Energy for Government Buildings Project ($195,700.00).
When combined with the above mentioned CEC funded projects, the Village will potentially have approximately $920,700.00 in energy efficiency funds to help residents and businesses reduce their energy costs, become more energy efficient, and save energy (subject to budget projections and decisions). After the initial $920,700.00, it is projected that ECOMAP will require $579,300.00 for direct program costs. Direct program costs include projects similar to those noted above. This funding is anticipated through other grants and awards and is not needed at this time. As a long range plan, ECOMAP will not require the remainder until years 4 and 5.
The proposed motion below is not committing the Village to provide funding, matching or otherwise. In the future, each project listed in the ECOMAP plan will be considered, reviewed and decided separately. The below motion is a motion to adopt the plan.
On August 24, 2009 the Development Services and Planning Committee moved 2-0 to recommend to the Village Board to approve the action plan titled “Energy Efficiency and Conservation Municipal Action Plan ECOMAP, A Smart Energy Plan”, prepared by the Village Manager’s Office and the Development Services Department, and dated August 24, 2009.
This is now before the Village Board for consideration.
Recommended Action/Motion
I move to approve the action plan titled “Energy Efficiency and Conservation Municipal Action Plan ECOMAP, A Smart Energy Plan”, prepared by the Village Manager’s Office and the Development Services Department, and dated August 24, 2009.