Summit County Energy Plan - Goals A. Explanation and Comparison: State and Summit County Goals B. Measurement and Verification A. Explanation and Comparison: State and Summit County Goals In 2007, Colorado established a state greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction target of 20% below 2005 levels by the year 2020. Summit County s GHG and energy efficiency goals match this 20% reduction by 2020 (from a 2007 starting point). Figure 1 and Figure 2 (below) outline where this 20% reduction will come from in Summit County and the State, respectively. Page 2 and 3 explain and compare state targets and Summit County targets. Figure 1. Summit Energy Efficiency Reduction Goal 1104 BBtus Lighting Efficiency Improvements 20% Industry Energy Efficiency 5% Greening Local Governments 5% Figure 2. Colorado State-Wide Update Building Codes 15% Demand-Side Programs and Incentives 55%
Expanded Demand Side Management Programs Weatherization clients typically see reductions in their utility bills by about 23% once their home is weatherized (Governor s Energy Office, 2010). The state: By reducing customer demand for electricity, utilities can avoid building costly power plants and transmission lines. Xcel Energy has made an initial commitment to invest $725 million in efficiency measures, reducing demand by 704 MW of electricity, the equivalent production of one large coal burning power plant. Demand side management is estimated to meet 41 % of the state s efficiency goal. Net economic benefit: $2.1 billion Summit County: Summit County benefits from investment in demand side management made by Governor s Energy Office and Xcel Energy. Local organizations like the High Country Conservation Center compound energy efficiency programs and incentives through local outreach and additional programs that leverage state-incentives. Increased efforts by Xcel Energy, Governor s Energy Office, High County Country Conservation Center and local builders and retrofitters to conduct energy education, audits and upgrades, will contribute to 55% of Summit County s energy reduction. Increases in Lighting Performance The state: Improvements in lighting technology and expanded use of highly efficient light bulbs and lighting applications in homes, institutions and businesses can meet 25% of our efficiency goal. Net economic benefit: $9.08 billion Summit County: Lighting is typically the number one energy expenditure for small businesses in Summit County. Programs through Xcel Energy, the High Country Conservation Center and local governments are targeting business and industry for lighting upgrades. We expect lighting upgrades to contribute to 20% of our energy reduction Industrial Efficiency Measures The state: Many Colorado-based companies, such as IBM, are already reducing greenhouse gas emissions while saving money. There are hundreds of industrial power customers in the state that could achieve similar energy savings. The state will meet 15 % of our efficiency goal through industrial efficiency. Net economic benefit: $970 million Summit County: While only 4% of Summit County s energy use is classified as industry by Xcel Energy, a significant portion of the commercial energy is used by larger business, including Ski Resorts. Representatives from the Ski Industry have been involved in creating the Summit County Energy Plan, are supportive of its goals and will be asked to commit to a specific energy reduction percentage. Industry representatives anticipate that a 20% reduction in energy use is feasible, accounting for 5% of overall energy use. We expect Summit County to meet 5% of our goals through industry. Greening Government, Leading by Example The state: The state is a tremendous consumer of energy and has an obligation to use that energy as efficiently as possible. The state s program of leading by example through energy efficiency will contribute nearly 3 percent of the statewide energy efficiency goal. Summit County: Summit County and Towns will set energy efficiency reduction targets. This commitment starts with tracking energy use and identifying cost effective measures capable of saving energy and increasing efficiency. The two largest energy consuming groups in Summit County are ski industries and local governments. We expect local governments to account for 5% of overall goal.
Updating Building Codes The state: Legislation passed in the 2007 session increasing efficiency standards in building codes will have an immediate impact on emissions from new homes. By continuing to update these codes, we can keep pace with technological advancements in construction methods and lower the energy impacts of a growing population. Updated building codes will provide the energy savings to meet 16 % of our efficiency goal. Net economic benefit: $1.32 billion. Summit County: Towns and the County are already required to follow IECC codes. These codes will ensure efficiency improvements. For example, IECC 2009 is 15% better than 2003. Adopting IECC 2012 will be a 30% gain in energy efficiency over 2006. Summit County s Sustainable Building Code, adopted by three Towns and the County in 2009, goes above and beyond the IECC. We expect building codes to account for 15% of Summit County s total energy reduction. B. Measurement and Verification 1. Summit County s GHG Target In the absence of a comprehensive county-wide GHG inventory, this calculation will encompass data and CO2 conversions from: The built environment. Energy used by buildings and operations (residential, commercial, public and industrial buildings and operations data from Xcel Energy). Renewable energy sources. Any locally produced renewable energy, Xcel Energy s Windsource program, Solar Rewards Program, and any other credits purchased through the Colorado Carbon Fund. Waste reduction. Embodied energy calculations and CO2 conversions from tons recycled, composted and sent to the landfill Transportation calculations are not included in the transportation goals at this time. Transportation GHG values are generally estimated from vehicle miles travelled (VMT). At this point we are exploring options for measuring VMT on a county-wide scale, but have not found a valid, cost effective method. Several different techniques exist for calculating VMT, including traffic counters, travel diaries and modeling, all of which are difficult on a county-level without additional resources. We will continue to explore options for transportation targets. Due to measurements tools available in our GHG analysis, energy efficiency is expected to account for 85% of the total GHG target. Renewable energy production (offsetting GHG production from coal-fire and natural gas power plants), will account for approximatley 10% of the total offset. Waste reduction is expected to account for 5% of the total. 2007 GHG estimate: 670,523 tons GHG 2020 GHG goal (20% below 2007 level): 536,418 tons GHG Built environment and renewable energy: 2007 Xcel Energy Data shows that approximately 670,443 tons CO2 were produced by residential, commercial, industrial and public buildings and operations, and street and highway lighting. This includes electricity and natural gas, as well as renewable energy produced through Xcel Energy s Windsource (3617 tons CO2 offset) and Solar Rewards programs (approx 197 tons CO2 offset). Colorado Carbon fund records show no donations in 2007.
Waste reduction: In 2007, Summit County Landfill accepted 60,779 tons of trash. Summit County Recycling and other recyclers diverted 23,379 tons of material. Waste reduction estimates use the Waste Reduction Model (WARM) model, which was created by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to help solid waste planners and organizations estimate GHG emission reductions. Estimates show that 30.7 tons GHG were offset by waste diversion, and 79.9 tons were created by not recycling or composting a remaining 60,779 tons material. 2. Built Environment Target 2007 Xcel Energy data show that 5,270 BBtu of energy was used in Summit County commercial, residential and public buildings. This number includes the portion of ski industry operations that are metered by Xcel Energy. 2007 Xcel energy building data data = 5,270 BBtu. 2020 built environment energy goal (20% below 2007 levels) = 4,216 BBtu Reduction target: 1104 BBtus 4. Waste Reduction Target Diversion Rate = Total Tons Recycled + Total Tons Composted/ Total Tons in Landfill + Total Tons Recycled + Total Tons Composted Where will the increased diversion rate com e from? - Volume-based pricing for trash pick-up typically increases community-wide diversion rate by 14-17% and recycling rates by 32-59%, according to a Duke University study. - Yard waste and food scraps account for approximately 17.8% of a community waste stream. An increase in community diversion rate of 10% is possible with the addition of commercial composting, which will have the largest effect on organic waste numbers. In the case of individual businesses and restaurants that have begun to compost, diversion rates have increased by up to 80%. Recycling and Composting includes: All recycling products processed at the MRF (Materials recovery facility) including electronics and household hazardous waste Asphalt and concrete Wood, generally slash and chips Biosolids - from the sewage treatment plant Tires The current Summit County diversion rate (2009) is 25%. In 2009, Summit County Landfill accepted 46,908 tons of trash. Recyclers diverted 15,455 tons of material. (These relatively smaller overall tonnage numbers in 2009 most likely reflect the corresponding economic town-turn. In 2007, 60,779 tons of trash were accepted by the landfill and 23,379 were diverted, for a 28% diversion rate.) Diversion target: 50% by 2020
4. Transportation As mentioned above, we are unable at this time to accurately measure VMT, or county-wide GHG from transportation. However, other Summit County-specific assessment tools exist. These include - Summit Stage user numbers - VMT and fuel efficiency in government fleets - Vehicle registration numbers indicating number of vehicles and fuel efficiency by type - Fuel purchased in Summit County