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Friends of
Baker Park
will host their 3rd
Green Neighbor Forum
on Saturday,
February 28, 2015
8:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Hood College
Whitaker Campus Center
This exciting half-day program introduces homeowners and business owners to practical steps we can take now to improve our local environment, reduce storm water run off, and make our back yards more hospitable to local fauna.
This year's focus is on tree canopies and their positive impact on storm water runoff, air quality, and energy costs.
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EVENTS &TRAINING
NEIGHBORHOOD GREEN WORKSHOP
February 19, 2015
6:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m.
Thurmont Regional Library
Community Room
RSVP by February 16, 2015 to
301-600-1350
Winchester Hall
3rd Floor Hearing Room
Wednesday, February 18
3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
4TH ANNUAL
GREEN HOMES CHALLENGE RECOGNITION EVENT
Wednesday, February 25
Delaplaine Visual Arts Education Center
6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
FREDERICK COUNTY SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION MEETING
Winchester Hall
3rd Floor Hearing Room
Wednesday, March 18
3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
CATOCTIN CREEK PARK
TREE PLANTING
April 23rd and April 25th
Please contact
Daniel Saltzberg
301-600-2325 |
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Looking for a Green Builder, Contractor or
Eco-Expert?
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provides a searchable database of a wide variety of contractors and professionals in fields such as solar energy, landscaping, architecture, home performance and more.
Leafkey.com also verifies credentials! |
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RESOURCES for
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
IMPROVEMENTS
at HOME | |
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SHOP TAX FREE WEEKEND!
February 14-16, 2015 is a tax-free weekend on select ENERGY STAR products including air conditioners, clothes washers, furnaces, heat pumps, standard size refrigerators, compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL), dehumidifiers and programmable thermostats. A list of ENERGY STAR items may be found at: www.energystar.gov.
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Ready to GO SOLAR?
Save with |  |
Volume Discounts!
a nonprofit initiative, is currently running a volume discount program for solar photovoltaic arrays in Maryland, Northern Virginia, and DC.
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BUSINESS RESOURCES FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY IMPROVEMENTS & RENEWABLE ENERGY
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OSER STAFF
Manager
Project Manager IV
Green Homes Program Coordinator
Community Restoration Coordinator
Intern
Project Manager III
Sustainability Program Coordinator
Chesapeake Conservation Corps Volunteer |
Join Our List
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Photo Credit: Kai Hagen |
Winter Greetings! You may be tempted to hibernate for the next six weeks now that Punxatawney Phil has seen his shadow, but don't! There are a number of great events coming up that I don't want you to miss. Be sure to certify in one of our three challenges at www.frederickgreenchallenge.org so that you can attend the Green Homes Challenge Recognition Event on February 25th; get chances to win great prizes; and meet elected leaders like our new County Executive, Jan Gardner. Join us at the Green Neighbor Forum on February 28th where you can learn how to improve the environment and reduce stormwater runoff in your neighborhood. On March 5th, join the Monocacy and Catoctin Watershed Alliance as it learns from Kerry Kyde at the Department of Natural Resouces about early detection of invasive species. There are lots more events to enjoy, so end your hibernation and join us!
Shannon Moore |
MCWA UPDATES |
Take a moment to check out the new articles posted on the
Join us for a MCWA meeting to be held on Thursday, March 5th at 1 p.m. at the Catoctin Creek Park and Nature Center to hear Kerrie L. Kyde, Invasive Plant Ecologist with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, talk about her efforts to develop a system to allow early detection of invasive species on state-owned property.
The Monocacy and Catoctin Watershed Alliance is coordinated by the Frederick County Office of Sustainability and Environmental Resources.
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GREEN HOMES CHALLENGE UPDATE:
Pre/Post Survey for the Green Homes Challenge
SAVE THE DATE! - 2015 Recognition Event |
When the Green Homes Challenge launched in 2011, a pre-survey was implemented to measure how the first participants scored on awareness and implementation of green living practices before starting the Challenge. Issuing the same survey as a "post-survey" to the pool of 374 pre-survey responders at the end of 2014 provided one measure of the effectiveness of the Challenge. 101 individuals completed the post-survey. Ninety percent (90%) of post-survey respondents improved their score, with 12% increasing their score by more than 50%, 33% increasing their score 30-49%, and 38% increasing their score 10-29%. The average pre-survey score improved from 88 points to 121 points in the post survey, a total average improvement of 27%. Most individuals reported greater knowledge of green issues or took up more energy saving behaviors which boosted their scores.
SAVE THE DATE!
Frederick County officials and OSER staff will recognize Certified Households at the 4th annual Green Homes Challenge Recognition event on Wednesday, February 25, 2015 at the Delaplaine Visual Arts Education Center. 400 Frederick County households have certified in the challenge.
 The Recognition Event will include prize drawings for certified households from our event sponsors. Households will receive an entry for every challenge they are certified in! It's not too late to take the Challenge and certify!
Some of the great prizes this year include:
- A Free Aeroseal Duct Sealing from Atlas Energy Home Solutions (valued at $1950);
- a One Year Preventative HVAC Maintenance Agreement from Frederick Air and Holtzople Heating and Air Conditioning;
- a $500 discount on a grid-tie solar electric system, and, a $1,000 discount on a grid-tie with battery back-up solar electric system donated by Mountain View Solar;
- a Rain Barrel donated by theScott Key Center; and
- winery tours, gift certificates to local businesses and more! Visit our Green Homes Challenge Recognition webpage for a full list of sponsors!
If you are interested in becoming a sponsor for the event, please contact Suzanne Cliber at SCliber@FrederickCountyMD.gov.
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WATERSHED MANAGEMENT UPDATE:
Englandtowne Stream Restoration |
As of November 2014, OSER's 3rd stream restoration was completed! A watershed assessment conducted in Bennett Creek watershed identified a stream channel leading to a storm water management pond located in the Englandtowne Subdivision in Frederick County as a source of excess sediment and pollution. Five hundred linear feet of the existing stream channel upstream of the pond was stabilized and restored. The objective of this restoration project is to reduce sediment loading to the pond and comply with NPDES permitting requirements. The stream restoration focused on:
- Stabilizing the existing head cuts and eroding stream bed and banks,
- Creating a naturally appearing and self maintaining stream channel, and
- providing improved aquatic and terrestrial habitat.
Data was taken during pre-existing conditions and data will be taken for another five years post-construction to determine the effectiveness of the restoration.
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Englandtowne Stream Before Restoration |
 | Englandtowne Stream After Restoration
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COUNTY ENERGY INITIATIVES:
County Receives Award for Leadership |
The Maryland Energy Administration presented Frederick County with an award for its leadership in the Maryland Smart Energy Communities (MSEC) Program at an awards ceremony at the Maryland Association of Counties Winter Conference on January 7. In a recent press release, County Executive Jan Gardner congratulated our county divisions for their successes and the Office of Sustainability and Environmental Resources that coordinates this program.
To participate in the first two years of this grant program, Frederick County adopted three energy policies for energy efficiency, renewable energy, and transportation petroleum reduction and is using grant funds to help implement three related energy saving projects:
- 3 Ford Fusion Energi and 2 Ford C-MAX Energi Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles as well as 3 charging stations were procured for Fleet Services;
- An LED lighting project is underway for the Law Enforcement Center parking lot; and
- TransIT is acquiring several all-electric refurbished buses.
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One of Fleet's new Ford Fusion Energi Hybrid vehicles |
The goals and required activities related to the three policies follow:
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Energy Efficiency Policy - Establish an energy consumption baseline and develop a plan with the goal of reducing electricity consumption of city/town or county-owned buildings by 15 percent within five years of the baseline year. -
Renewable Energy Policy - Reduce conventional centralized electricity generation serving a local government's buildings by meeting 20 percent of those buildings' electricity demand with distributed, renewable energy generation by 2022. -
Transportation Policy - A local government must establish a petroleum consumption baseline for all local government vehicles, and put in place a comprehensive program designed to reduce the baseline by 20 percent within five years of the baseline year.
OSER has submitted an application for a third year of funding with the MSEC program and hopes to receive grant funds to implement additional energy saving projects for County divisions. Back to Top |
MUNICIPAL HIGHLIGHT: City of Brunswick |
 Mayor Karin Tome is proud of the great strides the City of Brunswick is making with sustainability initiatives. The City recently enrolled in the Sustainable Maryland Certified program and their Green Team, (aka Sustainable Brunswick) led by the enthusiastic, 4th-generation Brunswick volunteer, Antonette Vasseur, has put together an Action Plan to address issues such as energy efficiency, green living practices such as composting and recycling, and water quality.
Some highlights of the City's/citizen's accomplishments include;
- Building a Sustainable Brunswick Resource Center inside of City Hall where citizens can get updates on projects and goals, collect educational materials to take home, and learn about volunteer opportunities and events, such as Sustainable Saturdays, River & Park clean ups, and Food Forest harvests;
- Implementing a Saturday Farmer's Market in 2014 to address Brunswick's "food desert" caused by the lack of a grocery store in town (contact Jonathan Spurrell for information on vending or volunteering);
- Creating a Food Forest on land donated by Grace Episcopal Church where the healthy harvest was sold at affordable prices at Brunswick's very first Farmers Market;
- Providing mulch and compost to assist local citizens with the installation and maintenance of a Community Garden in an empty urban lot;
- Initiating the Sustainable Saturday program where one Saturday every month the City hosts a workshop in their City Park Building from 10 a.m. to noon. Their first program, Compost 101, attracted more than 20 participants and was facilitated in partnership with the Frederick County Office of Recycling and
- Implemented a Pet Waste Program that includes an ordinance, pet waste stations located throughout the city and educational materials informing citizens on proper pet waste disposal and the benefits it has on the City's stormwater management.
Future goals for the City include:
- Participating in Maryland Green Schools, first focusing on Brunswick High School and creating a curriculum for the Environmental Studies Club to achieve Green School status in two years;
- Participating in the Tree City USA program;
- Providing Residential Energy Efficiency Incentives; and
- Implementing Green Purchasing practices.
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Planning for Your Next Water Heater - Learn about Heat Pump Water Heaters | |
When a water heater fails, you typically want to replace it right away. At these times, you are less likely to take the time to research new water heating options or compare the cost of purchase along with the operating costs among models. That's why doing your research up front can really pay off.
Here's a new type of water heater to consider: an air-source heat-pump water heater. These work like a refrigerator in reverse; it draws heat from the surrounding air into a compressor on the top of the water heater and then releases it directly into the water through a condenser. Even though they can cost ~$1,000 more than a traditional water heater, according to the Department of Energy, a heat pump water heater can be as much as two to three times more efficient than traditional electric resistance water heaters. This translates to up to 40% savings on your utility bill. The ACEEE estimates that yearly operating cost are ~$273 less, and the lifetime cost ~ $2,644 less, than a traditional minimum efficiency water heater.
Air-source heat pump water heaters require about1,000 cubic feet of air space around the unit (roughly a 10' x 10' room). It is best to install them in a space with excess heat, such as a furnace room, as they tend to cool the spaces they are in. Heat pump water heaters will not operate efficiently in a really cold space. Likewise, they are not always as efficient in colder weather but can be used to help cool your home during summer.
A heat pump water heater is an easy way to save on your utility bills and provide more benefits over traditional water heaters, such as heating and cooling your home. They are not difficult to use or install and will help you conserve energy.
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MYTHBUSTERS:
MYTH: Idling Your Car in the Winter |
 According to a 2009 study, many Americans believe that you need to idle
your car for at least five minutes before it is safe to drive in cold weather. This is untrue and a waste of resources, time and money.
The myth is based on the fact that carbonators require warm- up time in order to provide the correct air-fuel mixture. When the correct mixture is not delivered, the car can back fire or even stall. In the 1990s many car companies started to replace old fashioned carbonators with electric fuel injection which does not require pre-heating. Now a standard feature, electric fuel injection allows cars to safely pull out of the driveway as soon as you start the engine according to many car experts.
 According to the EPA cold weather can decrease fuel efficacy by as much as 12%. A colder engine cannot run as efficiently and will require more fuel until it heats up. Idling however, will not help your engine reach the ideal temperature faster. The best way to increase your cars temperature is to drive normally. This will heat the car's engine much faster than idling because the engine will be working at a higher RPM.
A study in energy policy found that idling was responsible for 1.6% of all greenhouse gas emissions. By avoiding unnecessary idling, we can save roughly $5.9 billion per year on fuel costs as a nation.
Help us reduce emissions and save time and money by not idling this winter!
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The Frederick County Office of Sustainability and Environmental Resources advances practical solutions for protecting the environment, conserving energy, and living sustainably
in Frederick County.
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