13th Annual Upper Valley Energy Committee Roundtable
On March 18, 2020, Vital Communities hosted a one-hour Local Energy Showcase Webinar featuring five brief and inspiring stories of local energy action from across our region.
Presentations
- EV charging lessons from Bethel
- Progress toward a multi-town energy coordinator
- Energy-saving window inserts for low income residents in Thetford, Strafford, and surrounding towns
- A townwide survey about climate change in Windsor
- An Upper Valley eBike lending library
Renewable Heat Resources
By popular demand, our 2020 Energy Committee Roundtable would have featured a discussion on the topic of renewable heating options. Heating is the second largest source of energy use and carbon emissions in our region (behind transportation). We had gathered an expert panel to help us understand what renewable heating options are available (e.g. advanced wood heat systems and heat pumps) and how those options fit into our region’s renewable energy, energy efficiency, and carbon emissions goals.
Check out these resources from our panelists!
General Renewable Heating and Cooling Information
- Overview of Renewable Heating from Renewable Energy Vermont
- 2020 Showcase of Emerging Renewable Heating Systems – Slides from Matt Sargent at Efficiency Vermont
- 2019 Vermont Energy Action Network Progress Report – Includes data on current renewable heating in Vermont, and how renewable heating fits into Vermont’s climate and energy goals.
Rebates Available for Renewable Heating
- Efficiency Vermont Rebates for heating and cooling equipment
- NHSaves Rebates for heating and cooling equipment
- NH Public Utilities Commission rebate for advanced wood heating systems
Don’t Forget Energy Efficiency!
Efficiency Vermont and NHSaves have MANY programs to help you reduce the amount of energy you need for heating and cooling, whether your heating fuel is renewable or not!
More about Air Source Heat Pumps
- 8 ways NOT to use a heat pump from Efficiency Vermont
More about Advanced Wood Heat
More about Sustainable Forest Management
- 2011 International Panel on Climate Change Report Chapter 2: Bioenergy
- 2017 Vision for New England Report about how conservation easements and active management are helping preserve forests
- Goldman Sachs Conservation Fund – An example of ways to keep forests as forests by encouraging “working forests”
- Benefits for songbirds thanks to good forest management (VT Audobon and NY Audobon)