Our mission is to respond to the global warming crisis by promoting energy efficiency, alternative energy, and environmental initiatives throughout the town of York, Maine.
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By Deborah Mcdermott
dmcdermott@seacoastonline.com
May 13, 2013 2:00 AM
YORK, Maine — York resident Eric Hopkins remembers the conversations he had with the late philanthropist Cynthia Raymond when the two worked to found York Goes Green in 2005. How could they increase awareness among the town’s residents about renewable energy; and more particularly, how could they get the kids involved?
That conversation came full circle recently, when he learned that the York Middle School received a very competitive Maine Efficiency Trust grant to install solar panels on the gym roof. If all goes well, the array will be in place by fall, generating an anticipated 12,717 kilowatts of electricity annually.
“It’s nice to get a win,” said Hopkins, who worked on the grant proposal with York School Department director of facilities Zach Harding and folks from Revision Energy in Portland, who donated their time. “We’ve been working so hard on this for a while now. To see it come together like this is pretty awesome.”
The $22,278 grant was awarded under Efficiency Maine’s “community demonstration project” for renewable energy. Only $200,000 was available statewide, and the program was open to the entire University of Maine system, municipalities and public school systems and nonprofits.
“It was kind of a perfect fit for what we were thinking of doing, because it had a strong education component,” he said. And education, he said, is key to this project.
As proposed, the 40-panel array will offset the school’s entire fleet of laptops purchased under the Maine Laptop Initiative for seventh- and eighth-graders — some 300 machines in all.
“York Middle School students use their laptops every day,” wrote Hopkins in the grant proposal. “The laptops are a critical educational tool and intimately connected to (students’) life as a learner.”
Hopkins said the laptops are already very energy efficient, using about 15 watts of electricity an hour. Two solar panels the size of a piece of paper, he said, are enough to power one laptop for 20 years. The symbiosis of these two technologies forms a learning moment, he said.
“The idea is to connect this to curriculum, through science and math,” he said. Principal David Williams intends to incorporate more science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, concepts into the curriculum, said Hopkins, and saw the panels as a perfect tie-in.
“The science department sees the importance, and teachers see a ton of connections,” he said.
The grant proposal made clear that if York is successful, the program can be replicated in other parts of the state.
Hopkins said he spent hours on the application, sending it in with some trepidation. He was aware of the competitiveness, but he was also aware that the school had a very competitive proposal.
When he heard the news from Harding that they had been successful, he said he was gratified.
“It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. There were so many details. But I’m pleased with the way it came out,” he said.
The panels will likely be installed in July and an official “plug-in” ceremony will take place when students return.
Hopkins hopes that a plaque can be installed in the gym, honoring and thanking Raymond for her bright idea all those years ago.
The following article was contributed (via Socialmonsters.org) by Maria Delgado, a film student and a freelance writer living in New Mexico.
As a college student, you’re aware of the harsh environmental impact of the typical American lifestyle. Maybe you wish that you could live in a way that was more eco-friendly. Fortunately, there are many ways to do just that even on a limited budget. Here are a few ideas for living greener:
Unplug Electronics
To make it easier to reach the plugs, connect your computer and other equipment to a power strip. Then, put the strip in an easily accessible location. You’ll be able to cut the power to everything that’s plugged into it by simply flipping one switch.
Buy a Fuel-efficient Car
According to the EPA, all-electric cars are the most fuel efficient of all. The Scion iQ EV comes in at the top of the efficiency ratings with fuel usage equivalent to 121 MPG. The most efficient plug-in hybrid vehicle is the Chevrolet Volt, which gets 62 MPG. Such fuel efficient cars are not only good for the environment; they are great for your wallet as well. You’ll have fun driving past all the gas stations without having to stop.
Recycle Everything
You can go far beyond the normal curbside recycling offered by most municipalities. If you have old furniture to get rid of, give it to the local Goodwill. Old clothes can be donated to charities, or if they’re too worn for reuse as garments, they can be cut up and used as rags. Dead computers and other old electronics can be taken to municipal drop-off points if available, or they can be sold or given to a variety of recycling companies.
Walk or Bike Wherever You Can
Either form of human-powered transportation is free of toxic emissions. You’ll also be able to avoid traffic jams, and as a bonus, you’ll get to experience the environment right up close. Be sure to bring an umbrella if rain is in the forecast.
Shop at the Local Farmers’ Market
When you buy local produce, you help reduce air pollution since trucks won’t have to take your food all the way across the country. Better yet, you can ask the sellers about their growing techniques and pinpoint the ones that use organic methods or non-GMO plants.
Use Reusable Water Bottles
The convenience of being able to take a bottle of water with you cannot be denied, but typical plastic ones produce a lot of waste. Keep the convenience and avoid the waste by using bottles made of stainless steel. These aren’t only good for the environment – insulated versions help keep your drinks at the proper temperature as well.
These are just a few ways you can lower your environmental footprint while sticking to a college budget. Whether you start with something big or make small steps, you can make an immediate difference in the environment by your choices in daily living. Start today, and there will be less waste in the environment by tomorrow.
Community Talk: “Tar Sands Oil — Why it Matters to ME!”
Tuesday, May 28, 7:00 p.m. at the York Public Library, 15 Long Sands Rd.
Bob Klotz, co-founder of 350 Maine, will discuss the implications for Maine of a proposal to move tar sands oil from Canada to Portland Harbor for export overseas. Considerations include effects on climate change and threats to the Sebago Lake watershed and other Maine waterways. Q & A will follow. Free and open to the public. Refreshments served. The event is co-sponsored by Seacoast Citizen Action Network and 350 Maine York Region. See SeacoastNetwork.org for more information.
The following is excerpted from a Seacoastonline article by Roger Wood, dated April 4, 2013.
ELIOT, Maine — In the next several weeks, 160 electricity-producing solar panels should be arriving at the town’s Department of Public Works garage off Route 236.
When installed on the roof of the building, the panels should produce some 42,000 kilowatts of power during sunny days.
The town’s Energy Committee said the panels, manufactured by Maine-based ReVision Energy, will be installed free of charge on the reinforced roof, and maintained by the company for six years. In return, the town will pay ReVision 2 cents per kilowatt hour below Central Maine Power Company’s rate, approved by the Public Utilities Commission. Under the approved plan, the company will lease the roof for $1 a year.
Tuesday night, two members of the committee, Ben Brickett and Charlie Case, held an information session on the project at Town Hall for interested residents.
Brickett and Case told the group they had selected ReVision over Barrington, N.H.-based Seacoast Energy, which they said proposed a higher cost basis for the solar-generated power. Brickett pointed out that, over the 40-year expected lifespan of the system, the town could save $140,000 based on current CMP rates.
After six years, he said, the town will have an option to purchase and maintain the system at a cost of $40,000, spread over the expected system longevity of several decades.
Right now, the solar array will generate enough electricity to power the town garage and the adjacent transfer station. Excess electricity not needed for the buildings could be sold to CMP as a preferred pollution-free energy source.
Resident Andy Dudek quizzed Brickett and Case about the viability of a solar power system in New England, as opposed to systems installed in Southern California, which gets more sun.
Brickett responded that the generating capability and cost savings are already factored into the harsher weather conditions in Maine. He also pointed out that ReVision has installed some 3,000 systems, including at the City of South Portland planning office, the wastewater treatment plant in Thomaston, Oakhurst Dairy, and Proctor Academy and the Durham Boat Company in New Hampshire.
Case and Brickett also presented their vision for a Phase two project, to be considered two or three years from now. If implemented, it would be located at the capped landfill site near the transfer station, with some 1,000 solar panels mounted on the ground.
Brickett said that the array could generate enough power for all municipal buildings in town based on reduced energy use. He called the location “a good solar site. It’s town land that can’t be used for anything else.”
Case said the committee is working with town officials on energy efficiency programs to realize the cost savings. He also pointed out that the schools are large users of power, and that they plan “to start a dialogue with the schools” to reduce their electricity consumption.
In York, YEEC chair Eric Hopkins is trying to organize a similar effort to get a solar array installed on the York Middle School roof. If you would like to help in any way, please contact Eric via email at eric_hopkins[at]yahoo.com.
“It seems that only when financial ruin threatens, personal comfort is affected and an individual’s standard of living is lowered do we act to deal with problems that may have been visible for ages. If we do not realize that a nation is only as rich as its soil and water resources, the future is bleak.”
— Mary E. White, from “After the Greening: The Browning of Australia”
Using a financing tool called power purchase agreements, a large solar developer has struck a new deal with automakers Honda and Acura. This is expected to give a big boost to the “already-rapidly burgeoning solar leasing market.”
A proposal for a municipal solar project in Eliot is moving forward after getting the approval of the town’s attorney. The project is being financed through a relatively new process called a power purchase agreement. From Seacoastonline.com:
The proposal calls for the installation of a panel array featuring photovoltaic cells that would convert solar energy . . . → Read More: Town of Eliot installing solar array
York residents and York Energy Efficiency Committee members Eric Hopkins, Hilary Clark, and Melissa Enright were among those who were taking a stand for the environment and for future generations in Washington last weekend. From the excellent Seacoastonline article by Deborah McDermott:
In addition to reducing pollution, conserving water, and eliminating hazardous pesticides from the environment, organic farming typically uses 50% less fossil fuel than conventional agriculture.
As the world begins to wrestle with rising food insecurity associated with climate change, a report from Worldwatch points to the crucial role organic farming plays.
Rally for a tar sands free Northeast — January 26 in Portland
Imagine how devastating an oil spill into the Connecticut River would be. Picture dirty tar sands oil pouring into Sebago Lake or Casco Bay. We’ve seen what happens when tar sands pipelines spill, and it’s not . . . → Read More: Rally to keep the Northeast tar sands free
We can just as easily have an economy that is based on healing the future instead of stealing it. We can either create assets for the future or take the assets of the future. One is called restoration and the other exploitation. And whenever we exploit the earth we exploit people and cause untold suffering. Working for the earth is not a way to get rich; it is a way to be rich. -- Paul Hawken
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Climate change, Environmental regulations, Environmental toxins, Natural resources 
