Southampton Energy Committee Update  - Free Seminar on Wood and Pellet stoves

The Energy Committee has been hard at work on various issues pertaining to saving energy and money for the town and residents. Among our current projects is an effort to study all the town buildings, including the school, highway garage, town hall and other structures to establish a baseline of their energy use. We can then determine if various energy saving upgrades should be made. Many of these upgrades could be done at no cost to the taxpayers. This involves taking advantage of certain grants available for "Green Communities" as well as enrolling in programs where outside contractors such as Siemens come in and upgrade our facilities. The Siemens program is revenue neutral, meaning that they get paid for the energy upgrades from the fuel savings - they guarantee it!

Becoming a Green Community

You may have heard mention of the term "Green Community" on the radio or in the local newspaper. This is a designation obtained from the state certifying a town or city is taking certain steps to improve energy efficiency and cutting down on energy use. As of this writing, your Energy Committee is studying this program to see if our town would benefit from being enrolled. Besides the savings in energy, Green Communities are eligible for millions of dollars from a fund which is financed from the current cap and trade auctions which our commonwealth is a part of. Those with interest in finding out more about the Green Communities or Northeast Cap and Trade Programs can visit the following web sites: http://www.rggi.org/home - Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (cap and trade) http://tinyurl.com/2a4focy - News Story on Ma. Green Communities (note- you can find both links and more on our web site at: www.sohoenergy.org).

Free Seminar - Heat Local with wood and pellets!

The Committee is putting on a FREE Home Energy Seminar with a focus on using clean and locally available wood and pellets (renewable biomass) for home heating. The seminar will be presented by Committee member and Southampton resident Craig Issod, who is a nationally known expert on the subject of wood heating. His 30+ years of experience in the renewable energy field will assure that ALL your energy questions can be answered. Find out why clean wood and pellet heating could be part of the solution to our energy problems - and why Western Ma. is particularly well suited to benefit from the new revolution in clean burning biomass appliances. Craig will also give the details of current and proposed tax credits and rebates which will allow you to purchase a new stove or upgrade and save up to $1500! Be an informed consumer - learn before you buy and learn before you burn! Attend the Southampton Wood Energy Seminar at Town Hall on Sept. 16th from 7:00 to 8:30PM. Please let us know if you intend to come to our Sept. Seminar by sending an email to energy@town.southampton.ma.us or mail a note to us at the address below.

Yours in Energy Savings!

Craig Issod, Mike Buelher, Chuck Kaniecki, Kurt Boisjolie Southampton Energy Committee C/O Town Hall, P.O. Box 397, Southampton, MA 01073

 Free help and resources for residents to save money and energy! (second headline smaller)

Energy Fact - Did you know that Mass. is #4 in the United States in terms of per person energy use? Yes, Ma. is doing a good job in saving energy, but our goal is to become #1 - the most energy efficient state in the USA!

The Southampton Energy Committee was formed in 2009 with the purpose of helping our town, both residents and the town government, save money and energy and tackle energy-related issues. Part of our mission is to reach out to Southampton residents and inform them of current programs which may benefit them. As part of that effort, we will be writing a short column in this publication, the first of which you are now reading.

The first year has been quite exciting for the Committee, with efforts involving everything from participation in the new Master Planning process to the organization and presentation of a Home Energy seminar for town residents. We are also involved in many other efforts, including the refit of township buildings to save energy - an effort that will not cost the town a single dollar. A full update and first year report has been posted on our new web site: www.sohoenergy.org

The web site contains many links designed to educate and inform Southampton residents about federal, state and local programs which encourage conservation and renewable fuels. Some of these program expire at the end of 2010, so it is important for you to consider making upgrades or new purchases now - since part of the tab will be covered by Uncle Sam or our Commonwealth.

One important program to keep in mind are the Federal Tax Credits for Consumer Energy Efficiency. These cover many home improvements, from the purchase of an efficient wood or pellet stove, to the upgrading of windows, insulation, water heaters and many other items. This particular credit expires Dec. 31, 2010, so now is the time to get to work on your planning if you have any such improvements in mind. You can find the detailed information at www.energystar.gov which is also linked to from our web site.

Another important site for Southampton residents is www.masssave.com. This web site allows you to enter your zip code and find all state and local incentives and programs which your home might qualify for.

Lastly, The committee may try to offer a free advice and referral service for Southampton residents. Please contact us at at southamptonmassenergy@gmail.com or by post at the address below with your energy queries.

Thanks for listening!

Craig Issod, Mike Buelher, Chuck Kaniecki, Kurt Boisjolie
Southampton Energy Committee
C/O Town Hall, 8 East Street, Southampton, MA 01073