VITAL COMMUNITIES
Upper Valley Corporate Energy Work Group
Corporate Energy Group
Vital Communities’ Corporate Energy Group meets throughout the year to discuss common energy issues among the Upper Valley’s largest employers. This group of business and institutional facilities managers and sustainability directors works to share best practices and collaborate on projects to increase energy efficiency, reduce reliance on fossil fuels, and address overall sustainability.
The commercial sector accounts for nearly 2/3 of the energy used in the Upper Valley. However the businesses and institutions in the Upper Valley are doing a lot of innovative work to address their energy use and carbon footprints. To read a carbon emissions report of select Upper Valley businesses and institutions generated by Tuck School of Business Professor Anant Sunadaram, please read here.To get your business or institution involved, contact sarah@vitalcommunities.org.
Resources for Small Businesses
Rebates, Incentives, and Support
New Hampshire: NHsaves.com/Save-Work
Vermont: EfficiencyVermont.com
What local businesses and institutions are doing to address their energy needs:
Adimab is improving its heat recovery systems to help increase energy efficiency, while meeting the company’s current energy demands.
Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital recently changed out 7 Metal Halide lights to LED’s in their Medical Office Building parking lot. The total watts dropped from 2,545 to 740. They will be changing more as they progress with the hospital renovation and construction of their new medical office building.
Co-Op Food Stores is actively engaged in pursuing energy efficiency projects, such as reducing refrigerant leaks, as well as working to become reliant on local green energy.
Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center In 2014, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC) converted their boilers from #6 Fuel Oil, one of the dirtiest fossil fuels, to Compressed Natural Gas. This conversion reduced fine particulate emissions, which pose the greatest health risks, by about 96%, sulfur dioxide emissions by over 99%, nitrous oxide emissions by about 75%, and carbon dioxide emissions by about 30%. DHMC has been installing electric vehicle charging stations for staff and visitor use, and is starting a large parking lot lighting retrofit to LEDs. We are also exploring opportunities to install solar on the DHMC campus.
Dartmouth Printing Company is currently converting the entire facility over to highly efficient LED lighting as well as planning to replace two aging HVAC units with more efficient models.
Downs Rachlin Martin conducted a comprehensive energy audit to target energy efficiency projects and work to adhere to LEED standards. They also are supporters of local energy and are working to approve the proposed Springfield, VT biomass project.
Hypertherm established an energy working group to set & measure kilowatt hour saving goals, and set up an incentive program to encourage employees to use transit and carpool.
Kendal at Hanover engages staff and residents in education and communication about energy usage, and encourage simple steps to change, such as powering the thermostat down by 1 degree and carpooling. Kendal is also a contributor to the efforts of the Town of Hanover to achieve the EPA Green Power Community Status, with Hanover ranking #19 in the nation in percentage of power consumed that is green.
King Arthur Flour recently conducted energy efficiency and retrofit projects such as recycling waste heat from their bakery to meet their current energy needs and keep money local.
Kleen Laundry recently transitioned to Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) from propane for operations.
Resources Systems Group engages in energy & transportation efficiency related consulting work. RSG actively seeks office locations in LEED certified buildings and near transit lines.
Timken Lebanon is auditing high energy assets to look for opportunities for savings, idle versa total shut down. Timken has completed a study with the compressors and is currently exploring heat treat. Working with a local vendor on a potential LED light project, they are also using their new control package to schedule HVAC units for vacation mode during the off hours and weekends.
Upper Valley Lake Sunapee Regional Planning Commission has been providing professional planning assistance to municipal boards since 1963. Our current staff’s areas of expertise include comprehensive planning, land use regulations, transportation planning, natural resource inventories, community/economic development, community engagement, energy planning, and hazard mitigation planning. The Commission provides technical assistance to its constituent communities to address energy planning and policies to increase energy efficiency and expand renewable energy opportunities.
What's Happening
Efficient Heating in Vermont
Check out this newly produced, six-minute YouTube video on Efficient Heating in Vermont, created by Two Rivers Ottauquechee Regional Commission.
The [...]
Nov. 19 Green Real Estate Crash Course
Vital Communities is offering its popular Green Real Estate Crash Course again on Tuesday, November 19, at Service Credit Union, just off I-89 [...]
12th Annual Roundtable – May 7
You're Invited!
The 12th Annual Upper Valley Energy Committee Roundtable is Tuesday, May 7, 5-8 pm in West Lebanon! This annual gathe [...]
Seeking Bids from Solar Installers by Nov. 30
Vital Communities is teaming up with Kearsarge Climate Action to launch a Solarize Kearsarge campaign in spring 2019, following on the tails of the up [...]
Lebanon Area Businesses – Join us on Sept. 27
So many small businesses in the Upper Valley are burdened with high energy costs. And not enough time to do anything about it!
We've got some g [...]
Get Stoked on Automated Wood Heat!
Boiler on its last legs? Looking to opt out of fossil fuels? Come learn about today's self-stoking automated wood heat! Opt out of oil with delivery o [...]
Weatherize Events in January
Weatherize Round Two kicks off this month across the Upper Valley region.
What is Weatherize?
Vital Communities partners community volunteer te [...]
Green Real Estate Network Kick Off
Working together to empower home buyers and sellers throughout the Upper Valley to understand home energy costs and invest in energy efficiency.
O [...]
Plug-In to Electric Vehicles at the Upper Valley Electric Vehicle Expo
Plug-In to Electric Vehicles at the Upper Valley Electric Vehicle Expo
Vital Communities, Upper Valley Sierra Club, and volunteers from several Upp [...]
Solar Expo in Lebanon 4/1
Solar Installers Expo
Hosted by the Plainfield, Cornish, Lebanon, and Enfield Energy Committees
Saturday, April 1 at 2 pm
Kilton Library at 80 Ma [...]
Vital Communities Program News
Celebrating our Volunteer of the Year
Ed. note: Vital Communities Executive Director Tom Roberts made the following remarks to honor 2019 Volunteer of the Year Bill Geraghty at our Open House on December 6. We are delighted to celebrate Bill Geraghty as ...more
Rooted in Community = Giving Back All Year
Locally owned businesses are rooted in the Upper Valley and donate time and money every month of the year as they support nonprofits, schools, and communities. Keep your dollars where your heart is and support the ...more
Join Us: Open House December 6!
Our annual Open House is one of our favorite events of the year—a chance to catch up with old friends of Vital Communities, make welcome new connections, and celebrate positive change in the Upper Valley ...more
Shop Indie Local this Season!
Every dollar spent at a local, independent business returns 2-4 times more to be re-spent in the community than a dollar spent at a non-local business. With consumers reporting that they will spend more than ...more
Support TLC Campaigns Now!
Invest in your community and contribute to campaigns today! Visit the TLC Upper Valley campaign page The Local Crowd (TLC) Upper Valley is a community-based crowdfunding platform that empowers individuals to support the businesses, organizations, and initiatives ...more
Exciting TLC Projects to Fund!
Invest in your community and contribute to these exciting campaigns! Whaleback Base Lodge Energy Efficiency Updates, Enfield You might not know this, but Whaleback is run by The Upper Valley Snow Sports Foundation (UVSSF), a nonprofit entity, ...more
Fall Guided Quest: Trees of Dartmouth Quest
Join Vital Communities' Valley Quest Coordinator Beth Roy on a guided treasure hunt of the trees of Dartmouth. Celebrate fall as we discover many exotic trees around the Dartmouth College Campus and learn about their ...more
A New Quest to Celebrate the Mascoma River Greenway!
Have you been on the Mascoma River Greenway yet? If not, it is time to check it out. I had a fantastic time follwing the new Quest of the Mascoma River Greenway. I took my ...more
Celebrate Farm to School Month With Our Fall Farm to School Forum
Meet Your Local Farm to School Network! The Upper Valley Farm to School Network invites you to gather in your region to build local connections with peers and Farm to School practitioners, and access resources. Find ...more
From the State House to the Farm House
Calling all Vermont Farmers! You're invited to the second annual From the State House to the Farmhouse event on Sunday September 22nd from 1-4 pm and talk one-on-one with your legislators and influence policy. Across the state ...more
A New Quest in Pomfret, Vermont
Earlier this summer I had the fortune of working with the amazing staff of the Artistree Community Arts Center in Pomfret, Vermont on offering a Questing Camp. Over the week the campers learned about the ...more
Stand in Your Circle of Strength and Lead
Ed. Note: On May 30, Vital Communities honored 12 community leaders who’ve added immeasurably to the vitality of the Upper Valley at its annual Heroes & Leaders Celebration. The following are the event’s keynote remarks ...more
Heroes & Leaders: Creating a Vital Upper Valley
Every spring, Leadership Upper Valley, a program of Vital Communities, hosts the annual Heroes & Leaders Celebration to recognize individuals who make significant contributions to the Upper Valley. In 2019, we are pleased to honor ...more
2nd Annual Curb The Car Day - Friday, May 17!
On May 17, 2019 the rest of the country is celebrating National Bike to Work Day, but here in the Upper Valley we’ll be taking it a step further with our second annual Curb The ...more
April Meet-Up Series for Beginning Farmers
We have an exciting project for new farmers in the White River valley portion of our region! The High Meadows Fund is supporting a series of free peer-to-peer gatherings for beginning farmers to build community and learn. ...more
Dazzlingly Reflective, 80's Style
We love pairing style with nighttime visibility, so we've ordered REFLECTIVE SLAP BRACELETS to reward people who bike or walk to Flavors of the Valley on Sunday, April 7! If you bike and walk to the ...more
Get your bike, boots, or shoes ready!
Get your bike, boots, or shoes ready! From our friends at Local Motion comes the Winter Edition of Vermont's Bike-Walk Challenge, February 1 to 8! Simply record two bike or walk commutes in the Go! Vermont app ...more
A Lot Lighter with More Hands: Leadership Upper Valley
On the bright, sunny morning of June 13, Cobb Hill was waking up, and the soon-to-be graduating 2018 Leadership Upper Valley class was just arriving for their final meeting. Before the ceremony at Harpoon Brewery, ...more
Staff
Ana Mejia
Climate Projects Coordinator
Transportation, Energy
Transportation, Energy
— Ana Mejia, Climate Projects Coordinator
Ana Mejia is the Climate Projects Coordinator at Vital Communities. She is a Southern California native and first arrived to the Upper Valley in 2018. Ana received her Bachelor’s degree in Geology from Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania and her Master’s in Environmental Sciences and Policy from Central European University in Budapest, Hungary, where she wrote her thesis on solar home affordability and energy efficiency programs for low income families. When she is not actively working towards creating sustainable communities, Ana enjoys swimming, cross-country skiing, birding, and trying out new dessert recipes with her KitchenAid mixer.
Sarah Brock
Energy Program Manager
Energy
Energy
— Sarah Brock, Energy Program Manager
Sarah Brock joined Vital Communities in 2013 as our Energy Program Manager. Through her work Sarah provides support for our region’s 40+ local energy committees, engaging with dozens of volunteers and clean energy businesses in programs like Solarize Upper Valley, Weatherize Upper Valley, and the Upper Valley Green Real Estate Network. Prior to joining the Vital Communities team, Sarah was an Environmental Philanthropy Associate with the High Meadows Fund, a supporting organization of the Vermont Community Foundation. Sarah now lives in Warner, New Hampshire, with her husband Zach and her chickens. When she's not busy advocating for energy efficiency, Sarah enjoys playing the trombone and taking walks in her backwoods to look for signs of New Hampshire's abundant wildlife.