EMAC calls for codified net‑zero approach and standing building oversight to rein in rising energy costs

The Energy Management Advisory Committee urged the Board of Selectmen to take concrete steps to lower municipal energy costs, recommending the town codify high-efficiency or net‑zero expectations for new construction, establish a permanent standing building committee and appoint or contract an energy manager or consultant to oversee projects and operations.

EMAC Chair Peter Schweinford told the board the town’s energy budget had risen to about $9.2 million and argued the town loses savings when efficiency and commissioning are not required or followed through. He warned of cases where installed systems were never connected and argued that codification would make efficiency a durable requirement rather than voluntary guidance: “If it’s codified, if it becomes an ordinance then it’s something that people will do,” he said.

Schweinford recommended at least three practical steps: require high-efficiency design standards in ed‑specs and major projects, create a standing building committee (or a small in‑house building office combining DPW and GPS expertise) to reduce repeated outsourcing and improve continuity, and hire or contract a commissioning agent to ensure systems (for example, solar arrays) are completed and turned on. Board members acknowledged the recommendation and expressed interest in exploring a consultant or part‑time professional to start the work because adding long‑term staff is budget‑sensitive.

EMAC said the town could recoup substantial operating costs from measures such as rooftop solar at the new civic center, which EMAC estimates could save hundreds of thousands over decades depending on contract terms. The committee asked the board to urge RTM and other bodies to adopt consistent ed‑specs and to consider a townwide energy manager to centralize institutional knowledge and seize available incentives.