"We are excited to put these funds to work helping to stimulate the
economy, create jobs and reduce energy costs in Vermont communities,"
Swanson continued.
Prospective applicants were invited to submit proposals in five
categories: energy efficiency retrofits, financial incentive programs
for energy efficiency, implementation of transportation projects,
renewable energy technologies on government buildings, and traffic
signals and street lighting.
RETROFITS
Harwood Union High School was awarded $47,302.50 for energy efficiency
retrofits; the majority of the projects in this category entailed the
installation of insulation and generally tightening up buildings. Some
applicants also included replacing heating systems while a few included
window and door replacements and Energy Star appliance purchases.
The Waitsfield Elementary School was awarded $49,000 for energy
efficiency retrofits. According to WES Principal Kaiya Korb, the funds
will be put towards "replacing unit ventilators in the original
classrooms of the building (six rooms) and upgrading the gym air handler
that was built when the school was (1961). Also, upgrading controls on
all of those to be demand-controlled, as opposed to manually operated."
"We will begin the process of seeking out bids for this work over the
next few weeks and have been in collaboration with Efficiency Vermont
about this work since we began the grant application in December," Korb
continued.
Three Valley towns were also awarded grants in the retrofit category.
Fayston will receive $18,282, Waitsfield will receive $49,999, and
Warren was awarded $50,000. The Warren School was also selected to
receive $17,208.45 for retrofits.
The town of Waitsfield was also awarded $13,700 as a part of the
financial incentive program; all the proposals received in this category
were to implement Property Accessed Clean Energy (PACE) programs. The
four towns approved will pool their funds to create a PACE framework
usable by small towns and will create PACE programs in each of their
towns with central administration.
RENEWABLE ENERGY
The town of Fayston will also receive $57,716 from the renewable energy
technologies category. Grant funds can be used to implement and install
on or in any government building (including schools) of the eligible
entity the following renewable energy technologies: geothermal heat
pumps, biomass boilers, and combined heat and power systems.
The Vermont Clean Energy Development Fund board will award $5.8 million
for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects throughout the
state.
The awards were made public at a press conference held on Monday, March
29, at South Burlington High School. The CEDF received 323 pre-proposals
in December 2009 requesting over $13 million in funding. From the set,
162 applicants were invited to submit comprehensive proposals to support
their energy efficiency and renewable energy projects.
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