Danville Vermont             

                        Energy Conservation - ~DRAFT from Town Plan~

OVERVIEW:

 Energy conservation should be considered in any comprehensive land use planning process. Homes and businesses use a variety of energy sources for heating like fuel oil, gas, wood, electricity, the sun, and coal. With a heating season that generally lasts seven months of the year, it is clear that energy consumption is a significant issue for everyone. Substantial economic savings can be realized through energy conservation. Every dollar not spent on energy is available for local investment or saving, and to meet other basic needs. Reducing energy usage also reduces the adverse environmental impacts of energy production, transport, and use. Energy conservation can be facilitated through effective land use planning, building standards and design, and improved transportation efficiency.

 Effective land use planning can promote energy conservation. Development densities should be highest toward the center of Town, which is also served by municipal water and sewer, with lower densities in the outlying areas. By directing new development in this manner, we limit the potential for costly and energy-inefficient scattered development. By allowing customary home occupations, the Zoning Ordinance also helps support energy efficiency by reducing the need for some residents to commute to work. Decisions concerning public capital expenditures on roads and other municipal infrastructure should be mindful of energy conservation.

 The setting, design, and construction of buildings strongly influences the amount of energy needed for heating and cooling, as well as the amount of electricity needed for lighting. Proper subdivision design, building orientation, construction, and landscaping provide opportunities for energy conservation measures such as less vehicular travel, passive solar space and domestic hot water heating, natural lighting, and photovoltaic electricity production. Additional energy savings can be realized by retrofitting existing buildings with insulation, more efficient doors and windows, weather stripping, compact fluorescent lights, and more efficient appliances.

 Renewable energy resources offer long-term advantages over non-renewable sources. Solar, wind, hydro, geothermal and wood or wood gasification may become more prominent in the Town’s energy mix. The Town should support efforts to research and develop these and other alternative, ecologically sound energy sources.

 GOAL:

 To encourage energy conservation and maximize community independence from nonrenewable energy resources.

 OBJECTIVES:

 1.      Site and building design, and construction practices that promote energy conservation should become required components for all new building construction and for existing building renovations.

2.      Encourage and develop renewable energy systems in residential, commercial and municipal applications. 

3.      Facilitate energy conservation as related to local transportation needs.

4.      Raise community awareness of the importance of energy conservation. 

5.      Promote community self sufficiency and independence with respect to energy needs and encourage the use of the least environmentally damaging sources of energy.

6.      The Town should make an effort to minimize its own energy consumption by using appropriate conservation and efficiency practices.

7.      Land use planning should encourage energy efficiency.

 RECOMMENDED ACTIONS (Policies, Tasks & Programs):

 1.      Revise zoning by-law to encourage energy conservation. 

a.       Protect access to solar, wind and other renewable energy resources for existing buildings.

b.      Provide materials for applicants when they pick up a permit application that illustrate how to build efficiently, such as those offered by Efficiency Vermont.

c.       All applications for new building construction and additions and renovations must be accompanied by a plan and statement regarding how energy conservation will be addressed within the proposed project.  Examples of energy conservation principles include but are not restricted to insulation, building orientation, landscaping, glazing type and location, earth sheltering, measures to reduce infiltration, and heating and ventilation.  

d.      Discourage the use of electric heat during peak periods.

e.       The approval of residential developments should be made conditional on meeting standards noted in item ‘c’ above.  Major development proposals should fully and effectively address energy conservation and efficiency concerns.

2.      Provide information on and work with local lenders and institutions to offer financing incentives, such as the Energy Efficient Mortgage Program, which will encourage energy conservation in new building construction and building improvements.

3.      Modify design control, setback, and aesthetic restrictions to promote utilization renewable energy resources such as installation of solar panels on a rooftop in the design control district or the construction of a greenhouse subject to reduced setback requirements.

4.      Consider reduction of property tax assessments on property improvements, which are designed primarily to take advantage of renewable energy resources.

5.      Attract small business(es), which specialize in renewable energy related services to locate in town.

6.      Actively manage town forestlands for firewood production for local use and encourage management of private forestlands through the state current use program.

7.      Facilitate carpooling by maintaining and creating designated park and ride sites at appropriate locations such as in village areas and on US Route 2.

8.      Create and maintain a ride sharing bulletin board at a public location such as the town hall and on the town website.

9.      Through the zoning by-laws, promote compact village growth, cluster development and encourage settlement patterns that reduce travel requirements for work, services, shopping and recreation. Suggested by-law changes include:

a.       Reduce minimum lot size and set back minimums within the village area,

b.      Emphasize or assign priority to service related or municipal projects within the village sewer service area,

c.       Encourage a diversity of commercial, recreational, health and other services to locate and remain in town,

d.      Local transportation projects should plan for and encourage alternative modes of transport, which are of greater energy efficiency.

10.  Promote use of local raw materials to maximize energy efficiency. 

11.  Town highway maintenance decisions should consider the energy savings of using gravel in lieu of asphalt road surfaces. 

12.  Support the creation of a Conservation Commission and appoint the Town Energy Coordinator with specific responsibilities to address energy conservation goals and to increase public understanding and offer cost saving suggestions for individuals, businesses and the community as a whole.

13.  Energy conservation should be made a part of Danville elementary and high school curricula.

14.  Energy conservation related information sharing should be facilitated through workshops for local builders and homeowners by dedicating an area of the Pope Memorial Library to energy conservation resources.

15.  Planning grants for energy conservation related issues should be actively sought.

16.  Investigate the feasibility of running school buses and town trucks off of bio-diesel or another less polluting and more sustainable fuel source.

17.  All efforts at energy reduction should be used when constructing, maintaining or retrofitting public facilities.

18.  Promote pedestrian, bicycle and public transit opportunities.

19.  Encourage installation of highly efficient heating systems and maintain and operate existing heating systems to maximum efficiency possible.  For example wood-heating systems should be designed and operated to achieve efficient and thorough combustion to minimize polluting emissions.

20.  Residents shall be encouraged to acquire and use high efficiency lighting equipment and modern high efficiency appliances.

21.  Heat loss analysis should be performed, where possible, on existing heated structures and recommendations to improve existing conditions should be made.

22.  Inventory current energy usage in Town buildings and identify and incorporate energy conservation opportunities. 

23.  School and other public buildings should consider renewable resources for heating.

RESPONSIBILITY FOR IMPLEMENTATION:

 Selectboard, School Board, School Administration, Town Energy Committee/Coordinator, Conservation Commission, Planning Commission, Pope Memorial Library, Development Review, Consumers, Interested Individuals, Town Clerk, Village Traffic Safety Committee possibly in consultation and cooperation with the state District Transportation Administrator, local business interests, Listers, Zoning Administrative Officer, Local lending institution in cooperation with the town energy coordinator and resident mortgagees.

Send mail to Mert.Leonard@DanvilleVt.com with questions or comments about this web site.