Frederick County Office of Sustainability and Environmental Resources (OSER)
Fall 2015
In This Issue
Calendar of Events
Business Resources
OSER Staff Listing
Monocacy & Catoctin Watershed Alliance Articles
Green Homes Challenge Update
Monitoring and Maintenance
Solid Waste Public Forums
OSER Staff News
Power Saver Retrofits
Rule Your Attic!
Washington Gas Rebates
Green Business

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 CALENDAR OF EVENTS
  
 
 
Aldo Leopold 
Education Project
Fox Haven Learning Center
Oct. 28, 2015
Calling all naturalists, conservationists,
environmental educators!
240-490-5484 

Forested - Mushroom
Field Trip Day
Fox Haven Learning Center
November 1, 2015 
2:30 pm - 5:00 pm
Contact Lacy Walker for more information
Solid Waste 
Public Forum
November 9, 2015
Winchester Hall 
7:00 p.m.

Frederick County Sustainability Commission Meeting
November 18, 2015
Winchester Hall
3:00 - 5:00 p.m.

Solid Waste 
Public Forum
November 19, 2015
Oakdale High School
7:00 p.m.

  
 
RESOURCES FOR
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
IMPROVEMENTS
at HOME
  
Energy Efficiency Financing for Homeowners  

 
Home Energy Analyzer
and Homeowner Rebates
   
 
Be Smart Home Loan Program




  
Educational Resources



Wind Power for Your Home
A searchable database of green builders, contractors and eco-experts


For Maryland Homes & Businesses.   Save energy and money with rebates for natural gas equipment.
        

BUSINESS RESOURCES FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY IMPROVEMENTS & RENEWABLE ENERGY 

 

 


 
GREEN HOMES CHALLENGE 
FUN FACT 

Using a Smart Strip can cut the cost of vampire power in a home entertainment system in half. Even when your TV, DVD player, video game systems, and other electronics are turned off, they are still using electricity as long as they are plugged in. 

A Smart Strip makes it easy to cut off power to multiple devices when they aren't in use. Plug your TV or computer monitor into the "master" outlet on the Smart Strip, and plug any devices that you want to remain always on, such as a DVR or lamp, into the "constant-on" outlet.  

Other devices will only come on when the TV or computer monitor does, while devices plugged into the "constant-on" outlet remain on all the time. 

Find out more fun facts by taking the Green Homes Challenge!
Neighborhood Green Program
The Neighborhood Green Program helps landowners control storm water runoff and reduce pollutants from entering our local waterways feeding into the Chesapeake Bay by implementing best management practices like rain barrels, rain gardens, conservation landscaping and tree plantings.

Eligible landowners for this program must reside in Frederick County's Upper Monocacy Brook Trout or Potomac Direct watersheds.  

Click here for more information and to apply

 

Frederick County Office of Sustainability and Environmental Resources Staff

Shannon Moore
 Manager

Darlene Bucciero
Project Manager IV

Suzanne Cliber
Green Homes Program Coordinator

Jeff Feaga
Community Restoration Coordinator

Louisa McIver
Chesapeake Conservation 
Corps Volunteer

Angelia Miller
Chesapeake Conservation 
Corps Volunteer

Heather Montgomery
Project Manager III

Lisa Orr
Sustainability Program Coordinator
 
Matthew Witmer
Intern
Making Connections
 
    Photo Credit: Kai Hagen

Shannon B&W Head Shot
I am really excited to share our Fall newsletter because so many good things are happening to make Frederick County more sustainable! In that vein, the Frederick County Sustainability Commission and Frederick Community College Institute for Learning in Retirement sponsored "Toward a More Sustainable Frederick County" on the 16th of October. Participants learned about electric vehicles, solar energy, the future of the County's waste, the important role of streamside forest buffers, home energy efficiency, and other forward-thinking topics from subject matter experts.  County Executive Jan Gardner and FCC President Libby Burmaster keynoted the event.  They shared the successes of their organizations and the impact on the larger community. Among its many initiatives, FCC has implemented solar electric and electric vehicle charging stations.  The County Government has installed solar hot water on its Adult Detention Center, built a landfill gas-to-energy project through a public-private partnership at no cost to the County, purchased plug-in electric hybrid vehicles using a state grant, and is purchasing electric buses and charging stations using mostly grant funds.

Executive Gardner announced that a new Comprehensive Planning effort will take place, to be called "Livable Frederick", and that the County is considering solar electric on its capped landfill cell and on the roof of the transfer station.  I was really impressed by the knowledge of the seniors that participated and interested in their motivations for attending the event.  One gentleman told me he just wants to be more knowledgeable on these topics so that he can converse on them, another couple said that they want to get off fossil fuels. Former FCSC Chair Tim Jones talked about wanting to leave a better world for his children and grandchildren. Whatever your motivation, sustainability is for everyone.  Enjoy the fall newsletter- I hope you find something in here just for you.

Shannon Moore
MCWA Banner 
MCWA UPDATES
Take a moment to check out the new articles posted on the
 
The Monocacy and Catoctin Watershed Alliance is coordinated by the Frederick County Office of Sustainability and Environmental Resources.
GREEN HOMES CHALLENGE:
Climate and Energy Leadership Awarded for Green Homes Challenge

Executive Gardner with Frederick County's Climate and Energy Leadership Award, flanked on left by Sustainability Program Coordinator, Lisa Orr and on right by OSER Manager, Shannon Moore, and Government Affairs 
and Policy Director, Roger Wilson

On October 14, the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG) awarded Frederick County a Climate and Energy Leadership Award for the Green Homes Challenge.

Selected from more than 30 applications, Frederick County was the award winner in the Large Community category. This award recognizes outstanding efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase energy efficiency. The awards recognize and encourage local actions to advance the regional climate and energy goals established by leaders at MWCOG.  Shannon Moore recently spoke about the award on the latest edition of "Community Conversations" with Executive Gardner. 

To date, nearly 1,800 individuals or families are participating in the Green Homes Challenge. Collectively, their actions are saving them close to $1 million each year! The Challenge also informs participants of approximately how much energy, gasoline, water, carbon emissions, and specific water pollutants their household is saving. Try out the Challenge's online portal at
FrederickGreenChallenge.org.

RESTORATION PROJECTS:  Monitoring and Maintenance
Monitoring restoration projects - and performing maintenance as needed - is critical to project success. This summer OSER staff members have been monitoring bioretention projects (such as rain gardens and bioswales) and tree plantings to make sure that the projects retain their health and functionality over time.

Competing invasive vegetation (weeds, non-native aggressive vines, etc) can hinder the successful establishment of reforestation projects and bioretention projects. Bioretention projects receive stormwater from nearby impervious surfaces (parking lots, roofs, streets). The stormwater carries with it seed from many different sources. Once seeds enter rain gardens, they have all of the resources needed to grow and overtake native plants that were originally planted as part of the projects. Invasive vegetation can also spread via bird and animal feces or wind. OSER has a maintenance contract to weed its bioretention projects on a quarterly basis and mow its reforestation projects at minimum 3x a year during the growing season.

Urbana Elementary School bioswale BEFORE maintenance.
Urbana Elementary School bioswale AFTER maintenance.
Perforated tree shelter
Tree shelters, stakes, and guy wires left on too long can also undermine project success. Tree shelters are used to protect the seedlings from deer and mowers; the shelters also create a greenhouse effect that helps the seedling to grow. Some shelters have perforated laser lines that will split as the tree outgrows the shelter. Other shelters may not have this perforation; these shelters should be removed once the trunk of the tree fills nearly all of the void space within the shelter. Removing shelters too late may encourage rotting of the bark, insect infestations, or girdling of the tree. Guy wires and stakes left on trees past the tree's first growing season may also girdle the tree. Girdling a tree effectively eliminates the tree's ability to transport sugars and food from its leaves to its roots through its phloem (the innermost bark of the tree). OSER staff members utilize perforated tree shelters, and do not generally support trees with stakes and guy wires. 
Reforestation mowing.
 
Executive Gardner Welcomes Citizen Participation in Solid Waste Public Forums
On October 15, 2015, during a public information briefing, Frederick County Executive Jan Gardner announced that the Solid Waste "What's Next" Steering Committee will hold public forums to allow citizens to help shape the future of solid waste management in Frederick County.
 
"I'm excited to be kicking off this public outreach process," Executive Gardner said.  "I want our citizens to be engaged and share their ideas about our next long-term solid waste strategy for Frederick County.  Together we will actively examine all the ideas and alternatives available to us, such as resource recovery, composting, anaerobic digestion, zero waste initiatives and other options.  My objective is to have an open, transparent, impartial process that balances diverse ideas and perspectives."

A series of "What's Next?" Solid Waste public forums guided by a professional facilitator will provide residents with neutral environments in which to discuss ideas.  Each forum will begin with a presentation on the county's current solid waste management status.  Then the work of brainstorming begins, with a majority of time at each session designed to solicit maximum participation from and dialogue with the citizens who attend.

The forums are scheduled for the following dates and locations: 

For more information, visit the Steering Committee's website or call 301-600-2960.

OSER STAFF NEWS: Welcome Chesapeake Conservation Corps Volunteers!
Chesapeake Conservation Corps Volunteers Angelia Miller (left) and Louisa McIver at our booth at the 2015
 "In The Street" festival.
OSER welcomes our newest Chesapeake Conservation Corps (CCC) Volunteers Angelia Miller and Louisa McIver!  They will be working alongside our staff for one year and collaborating on many projects, specifically: surveying and eliminating polluted stormwater discharges to local waterways; reducing litter throughout the county, and; developing a county-wide reforestation program.

Angelia graduated this past May from Hood College with an undergraduate degree in Environmental Science and Policy. While at Hood, she interned with Friends of Frederick County and The National Aquarium in Baltimore. She was also a member of the women's soccer team throughout her college career and was named captain her senior year. Following her time with OSER and the Corps, she hopes to pursue a master's degree in the marine sciences.

Although originally from North Carolina, Louisa received her bachelor's degree in Environmental Science from Dickinson College  (PA) in 2014. She previously interned at The Nature Conservancy and Rock Creek National Park. During her time at Dickinson, she worked at the college's Biodiesel Shop, where she made fuel from used vegetable oil. Louisa was also a member of the college's ultimate frisbee team and served as team captain her senior year. After her year at OSER, she hopes to continue to work in the environmental field and possibly pursue a graduate degree. 

POWER SAVER RETROFITS: 2015 Program Saving Households More Than $670 Per Year
Ivan Finot of Atlas Energy Solutions applies
 spray foam insulation to a cantilevered section
 of a Power Saver Retrofits participant's home
OSER's third Power Saver Retrofits (PSR) program has attracted 142 moderate- and low-income applicants since the program launch in late May. For approximately 120 of these households, grant funds from the Maryland Energy Administration are providing up to $8,000
worth of energy saving home improvements -- all at no cost to homeowners! In addition to a Home Performance with Energy Star audit, program participants receive heating and cooling system (HVAC) tune-ups or replacements, appliance and hot water heater upgrades,attic and basement air sealing and insulation, duct testing and sealing, window and door caulking and weatherstripping, light bulb upgrades, and more!

As a result of PSR, household utility bill savings will range from a few hundred dollars per year up to nearly $2,000 per year, depending on the scope of projects and the original condition of homes. On average, individual households will be saving more than $670 per year. Collectively, 120 households will be saving approximately $80,640 annually or the equivalent of 733,000 kWh of electricity.
 
OSER will be applying to the Maryland Energy Administration for a 2016 grant to fund another PSR program next year. If funded, applicants on the current 2015 Waiting List will be served next year. OSER is currently accepting applications for the 2015/2016 Waiting List, so if interested, don't delay.
 
To participate, households must have a total household income that is less than 85% of the median income for Frederick County. For example, in 2015, $63,650 is the upper limit for a household of one; $72,750 for a household of two; $90,950 for a household of four, and $105,550 for a household of six. Other eligibility requirements may apply.  Click here to learn more or download a 2015 application to be on the Waiting List for the 2016 PSR program (pending funding approval).
    
ENERGY SAVERS: Rule Your Attic! 
 

Did you know that 90% of single family homes are under insulated? Is yours?  RULE YOUR ATTIC to find out!  The 2015 Energy StarŪ  RULE YOUR ATTIC campaign encourages everyone to:
  • Go up in your attic and measure the depth of your insulation.
  • Take photos or shoot video of the insulation level and attic.
  • Post and share them on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest (#RuleYourAttic).
Compare your results with the diagram below and take action!


You can also email your picture or video to insulation@energystar.gov.
ENERGY STAR will respond with expert advice on how you can make your attic more energy efficient by working with a contractor or do-it-yourself tips.  Check out the Do-It-Yourself Guide to Sealing and Insulation with ENERGY STAR.  Sealing air leaks around your home and adding insulation can help your home be more comfortable and energy efficient and can save up to 10% on your home's energy bills. Potomac Edison customers can take advantage of 50% rebates (up to $2,000) on attic air sealing and insulation by approved contractors. 

program by scheduling a reduced-cost audit (only $100), and then work with an approved contractor to make improvements and apply for the rebate. If grant funding is received to operate Frederick County's Power Saver Retrofits program again in 2016, moderate- and low-income household may be able to get this comprehensive audit, attic improvements, and more at no cost. If interested, get on the Waiting List by submitting a 2015  application.
   
ENERGY INCENTIVES:  
New Rebates from Washington Gas
Washington Gas is now part of the EmPOWER Maryland initiative that helps Maryland residents and businesses decrease their energy use, save money on utility bills, and help preserve the environment. According to the company, natural gas is a clean, reliable source of energy and is the fuel of choice for many homeowners and businesses throughout Maryland.

As part of the EmPOWER initiative, Washington Gas now offers a variety of substantial rebate incentives for a home or business purchase of high efficiency natural gas equipment and appliances. Homes and businesses must be served by Washington Gas and there is a limit of one rebate per product per year for each Washington Gas account.
 
For home purchases, rebates are available for ENERGY STAR gas water heaters, natural gas tankless water heaters, natural gas furnaces, programmable thermostats, and WiFi Enabled Programmable Thermostats. Rebates for residential equipment range from $30 for programmable thermostats up to $300 for an energy efficient natural gas furnace. For rebate applications and details on residential rebates,
click here.
 
For commercial purchases (including governments, schools, and medical facilities), rebates are available for storage, tankless, and large commercial water heaters, high efficiency natural gas furnaces, Infrared heaters, boilers and boiler equipment, programmable thermostats, and food service products such as fryers and steam cookers. Rebates are as high as $2,500 for boilers and $12,500 for large commercial water heaters. For rebate applications and details on commercial rebates, click here.
 
GREEN BUSINESSES: Advanced Biofuels USA
Advanced Biofuels USA, based in Frederick, MD, is a nonprofit educational organization that advocates for the adoption of advanced biofuels as an energy security, military flexibility, economic development and climate change mitigation/pollution control solution.

Advanced biofuels are sustainable, renewable fuels. Most often applied to transportation uses, advanced biofuels could also meet many other liquid fuel needs.  Advanced biofuels are made by breaking down or converting biomass into more manageable parts such as sugars (5-Carbon and 6-Carbon sugars), polymers, oils and other precursors. When these are put back together to form longer chain hydrocarbons, biogasolines, bio jet fuels, biocrude and building blocks for development of other biochemicals can be made.

Executive Director, Joanne Ivancic, has lived and worked in the Washington area for more than 30 years and has observed the development of advanced biofuels research and financing for nearly 20 years. "So many people only know about corn-based ethanol.  And many list solar, wind and geothermal as substitutes for petroleum.  We want to remind them that although those are great ways to replace fossil fuels for heat and power generation, oil is used for transportation, chemicals and plastics.  By using resources on AdvancedBiofuelsUSA.org, they can learn how truly sustainable, renewable advanced biofuels can fill that gap by replacing petroleum for transportation-planes, trains, trucks and automobiles-and chemicals and plastics," explains Ivancic. A graduate of George Washington University National Law Center,Joanne has worked for Senator Charles Grassley of the Senate Special Committee on Aging and  served as a lobbyist for Atlantic Biomass Conversions, Inc., promoting advanced biofuels research and production on Capitol Hill and with executive agencies.

Their website,www.AdvancedBiofuelsUSA.org, is a resource for everyone from opinion-leaders, decision-makers and legislators to industry professionals, investors, feedstock growers and researchers; as well as journalists, teachers and students. Technology neutral and feedstock and product agnostic, Advanced Biofuels USA's work is respected around the world.
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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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