Welcome

to the Tompkins County Climate Protection Initiative

309 North Aurora Street | Ithaca, NY 14850 | info@tccpi.org

Alternatives Federal Credit Union



  • Created new loan products for solar energy installations, with special terms for clients of “Solarize Tompkins”
  • Presented financing strategies at community gatherings to discuss renewable energy
  • Installed new Solar Panels on roof through leasing arrangement

ASI Energy

ASI Energy focused its efforts on Combined Heat and Power (CHP) initiatives in 2013; we completed many ”Initial Facility Assessments” for CHP and CCHP, applied for several New York State grants, gave presentations informing private corporations, graduate students and public officials about the benefits of CHP, and began new CHP projects in New York and New Jersey. Other major accomplishments included:

  • Partnered with NYSERDA for funding of various CHP projects
  • Brought on a new Senior Energy Engineer to join ASI’s growing staff
  • Received a 2013 Sustainable Tompkins Signs of Sustainability award for District Energy Utility Project Study
  • Presented at Syracuse Center of Excellence’s Symposium on Urban Reinvention and Resilience
  • Developed an innovative and unique engineering software program, Energy DiligenceTM, that will revolutionize the CHP and CCHP industry by delivering the most accurate computer and financial models available for CHP and CCHP projects
  • Negotiated and purchased www.combinedheatandpower.com
  • Volunteered with The Electricians, Hybrid Insulation Solutions and Home Depot to provide a high-performance commercial energy retrofit for United Way of Tompkins County

Black Oak Wind Farm


  • Completed DEIS and public review period
  • Awarded 10 year  NYSERDA contract for RECs worth $16.3 million
  • Completed a second equity investment round
  • Signed a Turbine Supply Agreement with GE
  • Solicited bids from selected General Contractors
  • Funded installation of high speed internet access in western Enfield

Cayuga Medical Center


  • Completed Biomass CHP study and made final determination not to proceed at this point.
  • Worked with a local contractor to explore the potential for a solar energy project at our Main Campus
  • Completed construction of the new Surgical Services addition, submitting for LEED certification.
  • Replaced all Laboratory courier vehicles with smaller, more fuel efficient vehicles
  • Installed EV dual charging station, for public use, through an approved grant.

City of Ithaca


  • Adopted Energy Action Plan
  • Installed solar PV on main Fire Station and Youth Bureau building
  • Purchased RECs (renewable energy credits) to offset 100% of City's electrical energy usage
  • Adopted revised zoning for downtown that included selective up-zoning and expansion of areas where on-site parking is not required to encourage increased density downtown
  • Funded the $12MM+ Commons Upgrade & Rebuild project to invest in upgrading the downtown pedestrian environment & continued vitality of the downtown
  • Invested $1MM in Breckenridge Place project, a 50-unit, LEED & EnergyStar certified downtown, affordable housing rental housing project developed by Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services
  • Facilitated infrastructure upgrades to support the downtown CHP & micro-grid system at Center Ithaca
  • City officials committed significant in-kind resources to the TC Sustainability Center (DeSarno serves as Board President) and facilitation of the Climate Smart Climate Ready Conference
  • Committed to jointly hire a Sustainability Manager with the Town of Ithaca (beginning 2014)

Climate Justice Youth Network


Youth Power Summit: April 20th - 22nd

  • Planning team consisted of six students each from a different local high school or college. (Schools represented include: Cornell, Ithaca College, Ithaca High School, Lehman Alternative Community School, New Roots Charter High School, Trumansburg High School.)
  • 150 students were recruited to attend from Tompkins County high schools and colleges, as well as regional colleges
  • Planning team accomplishments include:
    • Developed event vision and mission statement
    • Developed and implemented event work plan
    • Developed and implemented outreach strategy
    • Developed and implemented social, online and earned media strategy
    • Learned effective meeting management skills
    • Planned and implement an action resulting in the City of Ithaca divestment from fossil fuels 
    • Collaborated with partner groups, including the New Economics Institute, 350.org, the Anti-Oppression Resource and Training Alliance (AORTA), Climate Smart Climate Ready Conference
  • Organized 20 workshops and panels (See attached schedule)
  • Keynote speakers included: 
    • Esteban Kelly, Anti-Oppression Resource and Training Alliance (AORTA)
    • Lilian Molina, Former Climate Justice Director of the Energy Action Coalition
    • Julliet Schor, Professor of Sociology, Boston College; Author of Plentitude
  • Successfully asked the City of Ithaca to Divest from Fossil Fuels and received national media coverage for the decision

Summer of Solutions: June 15th - August 15th

  • Planning team of seven students and young people, ages 16 - 23, from seven different high schools and colleges
  • Planning team accomplishments include:
    • Developed educational materials on social and climate justice
    • Built Website
    • Developed event vision and mission statement
    • Developed and implemented event work plan
    • Developed and implemented outreach strategy
    • Developed and implemented social, online and earned media strategy
    • Learned effective meeting management skills
    • Planned and implement an action resulting in the City of Ithaca divestment from fossil fuels 
    • Collaborated with partner groups, including the Grand Aspirations, the New Economics Institute, and the Anti-Oppression Resource and Training Alliance (AORTA),
  • Hosted two discussion groups on Climate Justice, Power and Privilege for the planning team
  • Hosted a five hour organizer training for 25 young people (held at New Roots Charter School) covering the following topics:
    • Public narrative and personal storytelling
    • Relationship-based organizing
    • Building interdependent teams
  • Organized two part social and climate justice speaker series for youth and community members (the events were canceled due to harassment and threats of further harassment to our program team by individuals not-associated with the program). Speakers included: 
    • Helena Maria Viramontes, Graduate School Faculty, Department of English, Cornell University
    • Dr. Jolene Rickard, Associate Professor, Director American Indian Studies Department, Cornell University
  • Organized a youth-led listening project with 30 leaders in Tompkins County social justice and environmental organizations (this event were canceled due to harassment and threats of further harassment to our program team by individuals not-associated with the program).
  • Planning team learned the following skills:
    • Strategic planning (movement, campaign, action) 
    • Organizational and program development 
    • Deep facilitation techniques 
    • How to training for trainers 
    • Anti-oppression program development
    • Story-based strategy development and implementation
    • Campaigning with social and earned media 
    • Using Art and creative media for social justice

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County (CCETC)


Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

  • Collaborated with our partners at Broome County CCE and PPEF to generate the highest number of residential retrofits of any region in NYS in the Green Jobs Green NY program. 
  • Led a successful effort by a public/private consortium to secure funding for the development of a regional bulk wood pellet distribution system across the Southern Tier. The infrastructure will be installed throughout 2014 and when in place will facilitate the transition of tens of thousands of homes and thousands of commercial buildings from fossil fuels to wood pellets for space heating. Projections of annual GHG emissions reductions are in the thousands of tons.
  • Received NYSERDA funding for a woodstove change-out program to incentivize homeowners to switch from outdoor woodburners or old indoor woodstoves to high efficiency wood pellet burners.  Program will roll out in 2014.
  • Developed and piloted at the Lansing Residential Facility the Energy Warriors curriculum for training youth in residential detention facilities on energy efficiency and renewable energy.  The curriculum is intended to introduce youth to potential careers in energy efficiency and renewable energy and  give them opportuntieis to develop associated skills. The program will be expanding to four facilities around the state in 2014, and plans are underway for the second phase of the training which will include on-the-job training in the home communities to which the youth return when they leave the residential facilities.
  • Assessed our own building’s energy use at the 10 year anniversary of our comprehensive Flex Tech audit, and have realized a near-40% reduction in electricity usage over the past 10 years and a 15% reduction in natural gas usage, even while increasing the number of computer workstations by 250 percent. Combined with the installation of 25 KW of PV our consumption of fossil electric usage is more than 60% lower than it was 10 years ago.
  • Developed an Excel-based tool for calculating the potential for job creation, cumulative money saved and greenhouse gas emissions reduction with the transition from heating oil or LPG to wood pellets in the 8 counties of the Southern Tier. Once rolled out the tool will be used to help policymakers and others in the region understand the enormous economic potential of transitioning from fossil fuels to wood pellets for space heat.
  • Provided strong support to the GetYourGreenBack campaign described elsewhere in this document. That program has reached tens of thousands of county residents and helped thousands of them take new steps to save energy and money while creating jobs and reducing GHG emissions.
  • Our own outreach and education programs, related to energy efficiency and renewable energy branded under various CCE brands in Tompkins County reached over 20,000 individuals in 2013, including over 50,000 unique visitors to our energy efficiency and renewable energy web pages.
  • The Energy Corps, a group of approximately 10 university students in Tompkins County and 30 students in Broome County, continued their outreach and education efforts and greatly contributed to the successful residential retrofit  outreach and education campaigns that resulted in the highest rates in the state.

Alternative Modes of Transportation

  • The Way2Go Transportation Education program continues to provide thousands of people a year with information and opportunities to switch from the use of single occupancy vehicles to a wide range of alternatives.

Other:

  • Developed a crowdfunding website which has been used for fundraising for energy efficiency, renewable energy and climate change education and awareness building campaigns. The site has been especially effective in helping young people raise money for their energy and climate action campaigns.

Cornell University


  • Contracted with Distributed Sun, LLC to successfully seek funding from NYSERDA to construct a 2MW solar farm on Cornell property in the Town of Lansing. Upon completion in 2014 it will supply about 1% of Cornell’s electricity.
  • Launched the Think Big Live Green sustainability engagement campaign as a pilot in the College of Engineering. It builds on the previous CALS Green initiative and is planned to expand campus wide over the coming years. Components of the campaign include:
    • Green Ambassadors – peer to peer staff education and leadership
    • Monthly themes targeting specific behaviors
    • Green Offices/Green Labs certification program
    • Energy reduction competitions
      • First energy competition resulted in 191,000 kWh in energy savings ($15k avoided costs!)
    • Interactive Building Dashboard with real-time energy use data and information for more than 50 campus buildings
  • Numerous Energy Conservation Initiative projects have been completed and energy savings documented. Selected projects include:
    • Blue Light Service (security light system) – saves the equivalent energy of 8 homes
    • Mann Library Elevator Lighting – saves the equivalent energy of 2 homes
    • Comstock Hall – saves the equivalent energy of 77 homes
  • The 2013 Holiday Setback Program prevented 1200 metric tons of GHG emissions and saved $140,000.
  • Completed a successful NYSERDA application for an $870,000 grant to CornellNYC Tech for Greenhouse Gas Reduction.
  • The Marriott Student Learning Center (Statler Hall) achieved a Gold certification in the LEED for Commercial Interiors ranking system.
  • Building energy use intensity (EUI) metrics have been developed to monitor building energy use over time and prevent degradation of building performance. The overall Ithaca campus EUI for fiscal year 2013 is 10% lower than it would have been without energy conservation.
  • The Lights Off Cornell student group continues to recruit volunteers to turn off lights in campus buildings – to date they’ve turned off more than 500K lights, saving more 75K kg of CO2.
  • The Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future selected 9 research projects for its 2013 Academic Venture Fund awards with total funding of approximately $860,000 (a summary of these awards is available in PDF format). Projects include Understanding Clouds for Better Climate Prediction and Biodegradation of Cattle Manure Using Fly Larvae.
  • Sustainability was added as an overarching principle to faculty and staff Skills for Success, a tool used to assess the annual performance of faculty and staff and to guide employees in their professional development.
  • Cornell remained in the top 18% of schools using the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment, and Rating System (STARS) after the PSCC completed and submitted required data to be re-certified at the Gold-level.
  • Cornell moved to #5 from #10 in 2012 in the Sierra Club’s Cool Schools ranking.
  • Scored 99 – the highest possible score – in the Princeton Review 2014 Green Honor Roll – citing the 2050 carbon neutrality goal and $46 million investment in energy conservation.
  • Advanced sustainability at student orientation (composting and recycling outreach, free re-usable water bottles for all incoming students, etc.)

Downtown Ithaca Alliance

Throughout 2013 the Downtown Ithaca Alliance continued implementation of its Downtown 2020 Strategic Plan, which positions downtown as one of the region’s most sustainable and green centers of commerce. The location of downtown at the geographic center of the County and the regional trade area contributes to this sustainability. This location makes downtown the center/hub for regional transit and transportation, a key center for regional employment, a growing center for residential living, a key regional destination for tourism, a center for dining and food/beverage, a center for shopping, a center for entertainment and arts, and the center for community civic affairs. When growth occurs in the downtown, it is inherently more sustainability by virtue of its use of existing infrastructure, its ability to utilize and maximize public transportation, its ability to capitalize on walkability, and its capacity to reduce vehicle trips and miles driven.

Among the items addressed in 2013 were:

  • Passage of a new downtown zoning package.  This new zoning created additional opportunity for dense development in downtown. It created higher in places most appropriate for denser growth- in the center of the city.
  • The Re-build of the Ithaca Commons. The region’s pre-eminent pedestrian space is being completely re-built. The total project, now costing about $15 million, will result in a state-of-the-art pedestrian mall that will serve the community for years to come and serve as a symbol of the walkable city we desire and aspire to become.
  • Transportation demand management plan. The DIA has led an effort to craft a draft plan for a downtown transportation demand management (TDM) program. This plan is currently being circulated to stakeholders in an effort to generate support and funding.
  • Green Festivals. The DIA continues to work with community organizations on improving recycling and composting at major downtown events and festival.
  • A commitment to District Heating.  Downtown remains poised to undertake a modified district heating/CHP program. Led by folks from Energize Ithaca, the initiative continues to pursue the needed grant funding to start construction.
  • Clustering growth into the Downtown Core.  The Downtown 2020 Strategic Plan calls for the development of housing, office space, retail, and lodging in the central core. During 2013, the Seneca Way, Breckenridge Place, Hotel Ithaca (former Holiday Inn), Argos Inn, and Press Bay Alley projects were either launched or underwent their major construction. The Marriott Hotel, Harold’s Square, and Cayuga Green II projects also received their permitting approvals.
  • Coltivare announces a Downtown home.  TC3 announced that they would be undertaking a project in 2014 in the space under the Cayuga Street garage that will create a new internationally focused culinary arts program. The education center will also feature a working, full scale restaurant, event/meeting space, and a wine tasting area. The restaurant will feature produce and products raised at the TC3 sustainable farm.
  • The Downtown Walk Score:  In a 2013 article to the public, the DIA reported that downtown achieved a 94-96 walk score, out of a possible 100 total points. Walk scores rate the overall walkability of a given area and downtown Ithaca has the highest walk scores in the County. Second highest was Collegetown, with scores in the high 80’s. West Village in NYC sets the standard with a 100 score.

Finger Lakes Land Trust


  • Continued to work with a variety of partners to complete the first link in the Emerald Necklace Greenbelt
  • Created a handicapped accessible boardwalk and associated trail linking Hammond Hill and Yellow Barn State Forests in the Town of Dryden
  • Completed five more land protection projects within the Necklace, including acquisition of a new 196-acre nature preserve in the Town of Newfield and partnership with the Finger Lakes Trail Conference and the Cayuga Trails Club to establish the Bock-Harvey Forest Preserve in the Town of Enfield
  • To get kids outdoors and also encourage literacy, the Land Trust partnered with the Tompkins County Library Foundation to offer “Story Walk” at the Ellis Hollow Nature Preserve – this well received program links hiking, nature study, and the development of reading skills
  • Also partnered with the Town of Ithaca to secure 14 acres of conservation land on East Hill and added 86 acres of wetlands bordering Fall Creek to its Dorothy McIlroy Bird Sanctuary in southern Cayuga County

Get Your Greenback Tompkins


Community Outreach – CEOs, Youth, Churches

  • Community Educator/Organizers (CEOs), recruited and trained by GYGB, have engaged over 400 households from under-served communities around GYGB-related steps. As a result, there are new composters, new clients at local Farmers’ Markets, and new implementers of energy-efficient practices at home, to name a few. Considering the widespread frustration with engaging low-income populations, communities of color, immigrants, the young and old, and rural populations, and considering that this program is just one year old, this achievement is significant and promising.
  • Youth CEOs have begun to work on a youth network with the support of key adult allies across the county.
  • Relationships with representatives of five faith communities have been established and a discourse has been developed; tentative steps by at least two churches in carpooling and reducing energy use as a result of campaign support; statewide InterFaith Power & Light has offered support to produce outreach materials and offer webinars for faith communities.
  • Other presentations and outreach includes: Brigid Hubberman of the Family Reading Partnership, Community Arts Partnership, Loaves and Fishes, County Office for the Aging Advisory Council, CU Prof. Davvyd Greenwood and Action Research, workshop at Youth Power Summit, panel at Climate Smart, Climate Ready, United Way, CU VP for Community Relations Gary Stewart, TC Environmental Management Committee, GIAC seniors program, Looksharp, TC Office of Youth, Chad Devoe (Groton HS science teacher). Through this outreach the campaign increased its visibility, identified willing collaborators, and gathered input that helped shape campaign strategies.

Sector Development

  • The campaign has significantly enhanced the capacity of the organizations working in the four sectors of the campaign—food, building energy, transportation, and waste—to impact greenhouse gas reductions and local job creation. Sector organizations, including leading home and renewable energy contractors, reuse stores, and local farms, are stronger than they were a year ago. While it is difficult to determine to what extent the campaign has contributed to the increase in demand for their services, it has certainly been central to the collaborative relationships emerging among them, including the development of shared goals and initiatives.
  • The “Step of the Month” mini-campaigns have been refined to have greater impact. For instance, the Reuse store directory that came out of July’s effort has not only been in high demand by the stores and been used by 1000s, but visitors’ centers, libraries, government agencies, and museums have requested stacks of copies.
  • Considerable collaboration in Step of the Month mini-campaigns, with diverse actors including:
    • Transportation: TCAT, Way2Go, Rural Youth Services, New Roots, Creating Healthy Places of the Healthy Planning Council, RIBs, FL Cycling, 4 local bike stores, and a dozen employers who supported Bike to Work/School Day, Southside Community Center, GIAC,
    • Energy: CCE Energy Corps, over 200 volunteers from Ithaca College and Cornell University, Local Green Building chapter, all five local home energy performance contractors,
    • Food: Gardens 4 Humanity, Food Dignity Project, Ithaca Community Harvest, Tourism Center, TC Action, Brooktondale Community Garden, Master Gardeners, Cornell University greenhouse, CSA farms
    • Waste: TC Solid Waste, Compost Educators, Cornell Waste Reduction Initiative, Finger Lakes Reuse, 15 reuse stores (and another 15 involved more indirectly), Local First Ithaca
  • The transportation sector has made considerable progress towards adopting a single unified goal for the whole sector: reversing the proportion of drive alone and non-drive-alone trips by 2020 (from 60/40 to 40/60). This has required substantial coordination and analysis. It looks likely that the sector will use this to influence long-range planning efforts, as well as short-term coordinated planning and marketing in 2014.
  • Waste sector is more cohesive; preliminary framework for future collaboration has been laid.
  • Listserv for reuse was created to share ideas and information on issues of relevance
  • Streets Alive!, an event to encourage walking and biking for transportation, which Get Your GreenBack helped start and coordinate, reached new people and larger numbers in its second year, as 1000s of people joined in at the two locations, including a traditionally African-American neighborhood.
  • Farmer–chef relationships that developed out of original GYGB meeting have resulted in better sales from farms to chefs, and in Ithacafork.com website.

Large Employer – Benefit Package

  • Benefit Package has been researched and developed, including materials for presentations.
  • Meeting with Ithaca College HR rep resulted in their offering the lowest level of benefits (information on all the steps) to their employees.
  • Well along in conversation with Dan Roth to set up meeting with Cornell HR in Feb-March 2014
  • An Ithaca College professor of business and sustainability (Aimee Ellis) is keenly interested in collaborating on further developing the benefit package and helping businesses adopt it

Communications & Marketing

  • Large numbers of people, including populations that do not identify with the sustainability movement, are aware of the concept of getting one’s ‘greenback’ in the four areas of the campaign. Survey data indicates over ¼ of county population is aware of the campaign. Furthermore, almost 38,000 steps were registered on the Get Your GreenBack website by the end of 2013.
  • The campaign received considerable media attention, with regular related articles in the Ithaca Journal, Ithaca Times (including cover story), and Tompkins Weekly, and at least one article in a newspaper with national circulation.
  • Experimented with peer marketing with a “Compost Casual” and “Energy Social”, in which a person or family organized and invited friends to their home, shared information and their own experience, and provided hands-on learning opportunities. Promising results (6 participants in each of above), but the challenge is to find an organization to sponsor these going forward.
  • Developed transportation support structure for community festivals—over 500 people used this to find alternatives to driving to Porchfest, Apple Harvest Festival, Runs, etc.
  • Developed “Changemakers” exhibit with Sustainability Center and Sustainable Tompkins which used stories from GYGB steps to reflect diverse community engagement in sustainable behaviors.

Other Notable Accomplishments

  • Tools for supporting changemakers have been produced, including a refined website, and a 40-page educational booklet on the four sectors of the campaign.
  • The campaign has successfully leveraged community support and engagement; over 200 volunteers, including interns and volunteers from Ithaca College and Cornell, participated in outreach for the campaign. Currently working with three interns—a Cornell senior, an IHS senior in a government class, and a new immigrant.
  • Data entry and analysis of survey of over 1,200 area residents on GYGB type behavior; insights helped shape campaign in 2013.
  • With the help of an IC class and two students, conducted survey of residents on South Hill. Survey provided insights into differences between renters and homeowners and highlighted other issues on South Hill. The process of the survey helped build relationship among community leaders, Ward reps, IC professors, local landlords, etc.
  • Behavior science graduate did summer internship and researched effective behavior change campaigns in four sectors; shared research with sector organizations.
  • Researched housing patterns in Tompkins County; shared research with building energy sector.
  • Supported other initiatives, including serving on Solarize To. Steering Committee and pushing for inclusion of equity goals in this program, and supporting the ICSD Green Team. Continue to serve on Building Bridges planning committee, helping bring useful information on sector activities and relevant indicators for the discussion on moving towards a countywide process of “Collective Impact.”
  • Contributed to the creation of a countywide Bike Walk Advocacy group, which will be key in helping make the City of Ithaca and the county better places for walking and biking.

HOLT Architects


  • As part of HOLT's 50th Anniversary Celebration, invited the community to "An Evening with Ed Mazria", a talk on climate change, sustainability, and Architecture 2030. Ed introduced the concept of 2030 Districts as a structure for achieving reductions in energy and water use, and carbon footprints of urban buildings by 2030.
  • Graham Gillespie, HOLT President, presented at Sustainable Tompkins' and Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton's "Climate Ready, Climate Smart" conference on climate change. Graham presented on the Business Track: "What's Next? Resiliency in Buildings - The Living Building Challenge."
  • Andrew Gil, HOLT Associate and Sustainability Director, and Graham Gillespie attended the first 2030 District Summit in Pittsburgh. The conference brought together registered, developing and exploratory cities to the 2030 District Challenge.
  • Justin DeAbreau, HOLT Designer, along with Scott Reynolds of Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services, presented at the annual USGBC Conference in Syracuse on "Achieving LEED Platinum with Affordable Housing."
  • Completed LEED certification on the following projects:
    • Certified Laboratory Addition to Cayuga Medical Center.
    • LEED Gold Educational Opportunity Center for University of Buffalo.
    • LEED certifiable offices for Tompkins County Office for the Aging (COFA).
    • LEED Platinum for Housing INHS Breckinridge Place apartment building.
    • LEED Silver New Science Building for SUNY Broome Community College.
    • LEED Silver certifiable SUCF/Alfred University Health & Wellness Center.
  • In construction: LEED Silver certifiable Binghamton University Student Union Addition and Renovation.
    • In design: LEED Platinum Commercial Interiors for Park Foundation offices.
      • Andrew Gil serves on the TCCPI Steering Committee.
        • Andrew Gil serves on the USGBC Board for the Upstate Chapter.
          • Andrew Gil is developing G-Pro Training Program through USGBC for state campus facilities personnel.
            • Andrew Gil represents HOLT on the TCCPI Ithaca 2030 District Steering Committee.
              • In 2013 HOLT created an office “Sustainability Committee” tasked with:
                • Championing sustainable design at HOLT.
                • Charged with investigating next-generation changes such as architectural energy modeling integrated into the design process.
                • Increasing the level of efficiency and success with several in-place initiatives, such as reporting energy efficiency metrics to AIA2030.
                • Conducting monthly educational in-house seminars covering varying topics of sustainable design.
                • Developing and nurturing a culture of sustainable design amongst staff and developing architects.
              • HOLT continued to champion sustainable living and work as a signatory of the AIA 2030 commitment - to achieve consistent carbon neutral building design by the year 2030.
              • In-house, HOLT promotes a cleaner, greener office through composting, reducing and recycling waste, and moving towards paperless correspondence and record-keeping, and construction administration practices through use of the "HOLT Cloud."

              Ithaca Carshare


              • Ithaca Carshare saw continued growth in 2013, expanding their membership to 1,450 members and their fleet to 25 vehicles. This included the addition of 9 Toyota Prius C hybrids, which raised their fleetwide fuel economy by 23% over prior years. 
              • Executive Director Jennifer Dotson was elected as Board Chair of the International CarSharing Association (carsharing.org), which focuses on ethics in carsharing, with a focus on transit and active transportation first.
              • The low-income Easy Access membership plan, which subsidizes regular membership costs by more than half and reduces financial barriers to getting started with carsharing, saw continued uptake. Membership on the Easy Access plan grew from 41 to 55 members during 2013. 
              • 501(c)(3) status was granted to Ithaca Carshare, a recognition of how carsharing relieves the burden of government and acts as a community educator about the environmental and economic impacts of transportation.

              Ithaca College


              Four subcommittees report on their progress to the steering committee for our Presidents Climate Commitment Committee (PCCC): Climate Action Plan (CAP) Facilities; CAP Transportation; CAP Resource and Environmental Management Program (REMP); and CAP Education.


              Facilities

              • Work on improving the energy efficiency of our campus facilities continued through the good work of staff in the Facilities Maintenance, Preventive Maintenance, and Planning, Design and Construction groups. We completed substantial renovations of two major buildings on campus:
                • Hill Center saw its indoor pool replaced with a two-story classroom wing, and the level of building efficiency was substantially increased with the installation of an attractive, modern insulating façade and replacement windows.
                • The older Ford Hall section of the Whalen Center for Music also underwent an energy-efficiency facelift, with the addition of an insulating façade and replacement windows, as well as the installation of new high-efficiency natural gas boilers.
              • Several areas of campus parking lot lighting were upgraded to use new LED lamps. A new, energy-efficient dish machine was installed in Terrace Dining Hall. Upgrades to building lighting systems across campus continue; many have been converted to LED technology.
              • In December 2013, Ithaca College was notified that our new Athletics and Events Center was certified by the U.S. Green Building Council as achieving LEED™ Gold for its energy and environmental design. The sustainable features of this 177,000 square foot field house and aquatic pavilion include:
                • A distinctive central spire that supports natural airflow throughout the arena
                • Natural landscaping around the perimeter, including 4 acres of created wetlands
                • Light colored walls, roofing and exterior walkways to minimize heat island effect
                • Use of more than 20% recycled content building materials
                • Regional sourcing of more than 25% of building materials
                • Use of low-flow toilets and showerheads to achieve a 30% reduction in water consumption
                • Purchase of certified “green” electricity

              Transportation

              • In May 2013, Bomber Bikes, the student organization working with the college administration to enhance bicycling infrastructure, cut the ribbon in the campus’ first bike shelter, which has been in heavy use since its installation.
              • Ithaca College continues to support alternative transportation modes, including offering 100% support for faculty/staff willing to use local transit services, and underwriting about 30% of purchased student bus passes.
              • In addition, Ithaca College underwrites support for members of our campus community to become Ithaca Carshare members. Ithaca College also collaborated with Cornell and Tompkins Cortland Community College and other transportation to create Zimride Tompkins, a local four-portal community rideshare system.
              • The College also continues to meet with local transportation planners to strategize how to improve pedestrian and bicycling connectivity and safety between the College and downtown as well as increase transit support to the campus.

              Resource and Environmental Management Program

              • The REMP program, under the leadership of the Sustainability Programs Coordinator in Facilities, continues to work with EcoReps and REMP interns to message to our campus community to encourage their support of and participation in energy and water conservation, and waste reduction efforts, especially in the areas of recycling and composting. REMP Interns create “Installments”, one-page newsletters that advocate for more sustainable, less resource consumptive practices.
              • The Terracycle Brigade that formed in Fall 2002 has to date sent more than 20 cartons of chip bags and energy bar wrappers – items that cannot be locally recycled -to Terracycle for “up-cycling” into new consumer products.
              • Facilities Maintenance continues to work with departments to change out traditional water fountains to water bottle fill stations, which assists our efforts to minimize the use of disposable water bottles.
              • In 2013, Ithaca College again participated in RecycleMania, placing very highly in the Composting category (#18 out of 156 competing schools).
              • This fall, we expanded our “Carry In, Carry Out” waste management program to the three large Textor Hall classrooms; waste containers were removed from each room and faculty and students using those rooms were directed to “carry out” any disposable materials and place them properly in the appropriate section of the waste separation stations outside each classroom.
              • We currently purchase more than 80% papers with 30% or higher recycled content for office and print production use; we also purchase 69% GreenSeal™ certified cleaners and bathroom papers, and we acquire 100% EPEAT Gold-certified computing and networked printing equipment.
              •  Information Technology Services instituted a new protocol for student computer labs: after 60 minutes of inactivity, Windows computers will automatically shut down to conserve energy.

              Education

              • Our latest inventory of courses with substantial focus on or inclusion of sustainability content identified 194 courses this year, marking an 8.4% increase over our last course inventory, conducted in 2011; this represents a more than 70% increase in related courses over our first such inventory, performed in 2006.
              • Courses that focus on climate and energy issues include: CRN 23643 Global Warming -It's a Hot Topic; CRN 23521 Power and Energy Technologies; CHEM 10500 Energy and the Environment; MATH 26502­01 Oil, Energy, and the Future of Society; and PHYS 14300 Power: Energy Options for a Global Society.
              • More than 80 faculty conduct sustainability-related research, with several working specifically in areas related to climate and energy: physics professor Beth Ellen Clark studies alternative energy engineering; chemist Akiko Fillinger researches materials for alternative energy production; Jason Hamilton in Environmental Studies and Sciences works on projects related to global change biology and sustainability science; chemist Janet Hunting synthesizes and characterizes potential energy-saving materials; and Christopher Sinton in Environmental Studies and Sciences investigates the carbon sequestration potential of local ecosystems.
              • In addition, this fall Ithaca College debuted its Integrated Core Curriculum (ICC), in which incoming first year students select a relevant, real-world theme to follow in their general education courses throughout their college career. Among the six ICC themes offered for students to select from is “Quest for a Sustainable Future.”
              • The First Year Residential Experience is also working with faculty and staff associates to link the ICC themes to extracurricular student learning experiences for students living in campus residence halls,

              Ithaca-Tompkins County Transportation Council


              • Continued the ongoing implementation of the federally required Coordinated Human Services-Public Transportation Plan has resulted in increased resources and services for low income, disabled and senior populations in the Tompkins County. Funded programs include driver training, rural demand response transit, volunteer driver programs, low-income family subsidies for Carshare, travel training programs. More information on the Coordinated Plan can be found at: http://tccoordinatedplan.weebly.com/index.html
              • Continued to implement the multi-county Regional Transportation Study in 2012. The study area covers Tompkins County and its adjacent counties: Cortland, Tioga, Chemung, Schuyler, Seneca and Cayuga. The study recommendations present strategies to provide more and better mobility options for people moving between counties. A regional coalition is continuing to meet to try to advance the recommendations of the study.
              • The ITCTC completed development and approval of its 5-year program of transportation projects (2014-2018) using Federal funds. This challenging process resulted in securing funding for a number of high priority project for our community including: completion of the Cayuga Waterfront Trail, numerous bridge maintenance projects and pedestrian safety improvements for City of Ithaca traffic lights.
              • The ITCTC’s 20-year Long Range Transportation Plan is currently under development. Please visit the ITCTC web site to learn more about it and provide your input, http://www.tompkinscountyny.gov/itctc.
              • Wrapped up NYSERDA Grant to set up a web based ridesharing program for Tompkins County. See Zimride Tompkins final report to NYSERDA at http://www.tompkinscountyny.gov/itctc.
              • The three year Zimride Tompkins project kicked off in January 2011 with three web portals for participation: Cornell University, TC3, Ithaca College and a community-wide portal. The program has grown steadily, with Cornell one of the busiest university based Zimride programs in the nation.
              • Ridesharing is more effective with more participants. The more people use the system the greater the possibility of making matches between riders and drivers. This project has proven that there is a demand for implementation of a ride sharing program in Tompkins County. Our ongoing challenge is to develop a program that will be financially and operationally sustainable.
              • The table below shows some of the three year cumulative use, environmental and economic impact statistics from the rideshare project.

              • TABLE 1: CUMULATIVE RIDESHARE USE STATISTICS*

                PORTAL =

                Community

                Cornell

                Ithaca

                College

                TC3

                TOTAL

                Total Cumulative Users

                693

                9,679

                1,356

                226

                11,954

                Rides Posted

                1,514

                11,897

                1,716

                254

                15,381

                Commute Postings

                480 (31.7%)

                1,068 (9%)

                123 (7%)

                159 (62.6%)

                1,830 (12%)

                Commute Avg. Distance (miles)

                8

                13

                18

                14

                13

                One-Time Ride Postings

                1,034 (68.3%)

                10,829 (91%)

                1,593 (93%)

                95 (37.4%)

                13,551 (88%)

                One-Time Ride Avg. Distance (miles)

                179

                203

                203

                85

                168

                Average Number of Matches per Post

                6

                3

                3

                4

                *Source: Zimride


                 TABLE 2: CUMULATIVE ENVIRONMENTAL/ECONOMIC IMPACT*

                PORTAL =

                Community

                Cornell

                Ithaca

                College

                    TC3

                TOTAL

                Ride Mileage Posted

                1,074,316

                6,156,492

                902,657

                347,838

                8,481,303

                User Cash Saved

                $129,991

                $744,935

                109,221

                $42,088

                $1,026,235

                Miles Saved

                236,349

                1,354,427

                198,584

                76,524

                1,865,884

                Gallons of Gas Saved

                9,269

                53,115

                7,788

                3,001

                73,172

                Pounds of CO2 Emissions Saved

                179,810

                1,030,427

                151,080

                58,218

                1,419,535

                Grams of Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) Emissions Saved

                100,212

                574,277

                84,200

                32,446

                791,135

                Grams of Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) Emissions Saved

                127,156

                728,682

                106,838

                41,170

                1,003,845

                Pounds of Carbon Monoxide (CO) Emissions Saved

                2,600

                14,899

                2,184

                842

                20,525

                Grams of Particulate Matter (PM) Emissions Saved

                51,524

                295,265

                43,291

                16,682

                406,763

                Grams of Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) Emissions Saved

                16,781

                96,164

                14,099

                5,433

                132,478

                *Source: Zimride


              Ithaca-Tompkins Regional Airport


              • The Alternative Fueling Station (AFS) has been switched to the back burner. Private funding would require natural gas to be a major component of an AFS and right now the controversy over fracking does not lend itself to that.
              • In 2014 the airport has plans for a Re-Cycling Center near the terminal that will provide access to incoming aircraft to dispose of cans, bottles and other recycling materials. The airport cafe will be going over to compostable plates, coffee cups and tableware.
              • With the completion of a 2013 Terminal Expansion - Security Improvements Feasibility Study, there will likely be a design contract in 2014 for the expansion, to be constructed in 2015. The design will include new, more energy-efficient building systems, electric vehicle plug-in stations, and passenger loading bridges that incorporate heating and ventilation systems rather than having them supplied by the current diesel ground power units.

              Learn@EcoVillage Ithaca


              • Climate Showcase Communities EPA Grant: In partnership with the Tompkins County Planning Department, Learn@EcoVillage has completed the third year of a three year EPA grant to document and disseminate the lessons learned from its twenty-two years of experience in building an internationally recognized sustainable community.
              • Of the three pilot Climate Showcase projects, one is completed, one is under construction, and one is in the planning stage. The Aurora Pocket Neighborhood demonstrates densely clustered infill development in downtown Ithaca, with three new, extremely energy efficient homes. Eleven homes are completed, with the rest under construction for the 40 unit TREE neighborhood at EcoVillage, which is building to rigorous Passive House standards. All TREE homes have acheived LEED Platinum as well, while keeping homes reasonably affordable ($88,000-$250,000) Both these projects, and the proposed Cayuga Trails project, are expected to achieve 80% reduction of greenhouse gases compared to typical U.S. residential buildings.
              • A project website documents the concepts and progress to date at www.community-that-works.org , including four brief videos which highlight the principles behind the projects. Project team members have presented at multiple regional and national conferences. Liz Walker was also invited by the Prince of Montenegro to present a keynote speech about these concepts at a conference in July.
              • The TREE neighborhood at EcoVillage was featured in the national publication, Green Building and Design or "gbd" in the summer 2013 issue. This magazine reaches leading design and building professionals, with a circulation of 50,000.

              Local First Ithaca


              • Membership topped 200 local businesses, organizations & non-profits
              • Published our 3rd issue of the annual "Guide to Being Local"
              • Continued our work/collaboration with GreenStar Community Projects Feeding Our Future, Get Your Green Back and Building Bridges
              • Held the 6th Annual Local Lover Challenge, a community-wide Buy Local initiative
              • Began work with New York State Sustainable Business Council (NYSSBC), the NYS chapter of the American Sustainable Business Council on a 2014 regional conference (more about this shortly)
              • Represented NYSSBC with David Levine (Director of American Sustainable Business Council) in Albany with representatives of the Governor's office, to speak on issues of importance to small business.  
              • Participated in the EMC of TC Plastic Bag Initiative 
              • We have opened dialogue on the issue of Local Procurement with representatives of Cornell University, Ithaca College and local government. We are also at work with NYSSBC to see what this could look like as a statewide, community based initiative. 

              New Earth Living


              • Completed construction of the Aurora Pocket Neighborhood, resulting in 60% fewer GHG emissions on three new high performing homes when compared to a typical Fall Creek home. All three homes are performing beyond expectations. The home that has the PV array was expected to be 65% PV powered and is currently close to net zero 
              • Began predevelopment of Amabel Pocket Neighborhood on Five Mile. 
              • Initiated study to look at creating an affordable low carbon footprint cohousing project in collaboration with The Partnership for Affordable Cohousing-- PFAC 
              • Researching possibility of NYSERDA grant for district biomass CHP heat and partial power for Amabel
              • Continued development of social technology and The Listening Workshop for the fast, effective creation of reliable and resilient social capital

              Paleontological Research Institution (Museum of the Earth and Cayuga Nature Center)


              • In May 2013 we opened two new major permanent exhibits at the Museum of the Earth as part of the Museum’s Our Dynamic Climate project:  Glaciers (funded by the Institute for Museum and Library Services, Tompkins County Tourism Program, Wegmans, and individual donors) and Coral Reefs (funded by the Triad Foundation).
              • We began a Glacier Lecture Series, with talks for general audiences on the science of glaciers and climate change.
              • Our Weird Weather exhibits --  two kiosks focusing on local impacts of climate change on weather, agriculture, public health, and the economy – continue to travel to locations around upstate New York.  The kiosks were funded by the Park Foundation and NSF.  One of them is currently at Jefferson Community College.
              • We opened a new, permanent exhibit at the Cayuga Nature Center:  Our Changing Climate.  Funded by the Park Foundation, this exhibit focuses on the impact of climate change on our local animals and plants, agriculture, and communities.  It includes a citizen science station where visitors can join in a tree phenology project (with more projects to come).
              • The Museum of the Earth hosted the traveling exhibition Our Expanding Oceans, a comprehensive educational exhibition that utilizes the beautiful silk batik work of Mary Edna Fraser to tell the story of global climate change, supported by scientific text by Dr. Orrin Pilkey, Professor Emeritus of Geology at Duke University.
              • The Museum of the Earth produced a temporary exhibit on the carbon cycle – Moving Carbon, Changing Earth – on display from October, 2013 to January, 2014.  This project was funded by NSF.
              • We published The Science Beneath the Surface: A Very Short Guide to the Marcellus Shale, a book on the science, technology, and environmental impacts behind gas development in the Marcellus Shale. The project was funded by NSF.
              • We continued to incorporate climate change education into our existing programs at the Cayuga Nature Center, for example, in our animal programs, Maple Fest, and summer camp activities. This work was funded by grants from the National Science Foundation and the Park Foundation.  
              • As part of our 2013 Earth Day events, Professor David Weinstein from Cornell’s Department of Natural Resources gave a public talk at the Cayuga Nature Center titled “The Forest Trees, Shrubs, and Herbs are Flowering Earlier Each Year—What does it mean?" and led a hike on the Nature Center’s grounds. 
              • We began planning for a Teacher-Friendly Guide to Climate Change, funded by NSF, which will be completed in 2014.
              • At the Geological Society of America (in Denver) in November, we hosted a workshop on teaching about climate change.

              Park Foundation


              • Park Foundation provided $412,000 in grants to organizations working on the development of alternative and renewable energy sources, energy efficiency, and knowledge, action and policy on climate change in Tompkins County:
                • Tompkins County Climate Protection Initiative (TCCPI)
                • Cooperative Extension Energy Efficiency Initiatives
                • Solarize Tompkins Southeast
                • Sustainability Planning – Town and City of Ithaca
                • Solar Tompkins
                • Smart Growth Education and Outreach
                • Sustainable Tompkins
              • The Foundation has been engaged in the Green Plus Office Certification program over the past year to measure, document, and improve its sustainability practices across environmental, economic, and community metrics. Certification is expected in late 2014.
              • The Foundation has been working towards LEED Platinum Commercial Interiors certification for its new office space slated for move-in March 2014.
              • The Foundation supported local, state, and national anti-fracking initiatives through its Environment program
              • The Foundation recently committed to carbon divestment/climate solutions investment as part of its multi-pronged investment strategy which includes proxy voting, shareholder resolutions, environmental/social/governance (ESG) screening, program-related investments (PRIs), and impact investing.

              Renovus Energy


              • Received the NYSERDA “Excellence in Quality” solar thermal award for consistently averaging nearly perfect quality assurance scores- the highest in the state.
              • Sponsored Grassroots Sustainability Program; Big Splash Binghamton & Hector, Rock the Plan Ithaca
              • Built off grid solar charging station to provide free clean power and outreach at Grassroots Festival and their sustainability events.
              • Awarded the Solarize Tompkins SE Thermal Program Contract, and completed installation of 95% of the systems.
              • Participated in discussion at Low Energy Home Symposium put on by Snug Planet and Ironwood builders.
              • Realized company growth of over 40% while installing nearly twice as many systems as the previous year.
              • Expanded installation team, more than doubling our installation capacity.
              • Doubled sales team.
              • Expanded project management team.
              • Enhanced operation efficiency and capacity; implemented new project management software, adopted new inventory management system
              • Advanced 3 employees to NABCEP installation professional certification, with all other project management and installation personnel actively pursuing certification.
              • Installed approximately 20% of all NYSERDA approved Solar Thermal systems in New York State
              • Runner up for the national SunPower Intelegant award, with our system being featured in the national SunPower newsletter.

              Responsible Endowments Coalition


              • Educated and trained over 1000 students on sustainable and responsible investing & endowments
              • Partnered to bring fossil fuel divestment & investment in climate solutions to 400+ campuses including 8 schools that have committed to divest
              • Helped stop the sale of the LA Times to the Koch Brothers
              • Advised on updating the STARS Investment Credit 
              • Brought over 200 students to Power Shift, the largest student environmental and climate conference

              Sciencenter


              The Sciencenter takes a triple-bottom line (environmental, societal, and financial) approach to sustainability. We consider each of these three elements from two perspectives: internal (i.e., organizational) and external (i.e., community and beyond). Each year, we seek to advance all six components of sustainability.


              Environmental (Internal: Management - External: Education)

              • Added to our exhibition on worldwide wildlife and habitats
              • Powered the museum’s electricity with 100% renewable power for the 7th consecutive year.  
              • Toured a major traveling exhibition “Ocean Bound!” on watershed health and ocean conservation to museums nationwide.
              • Delivered field trips on the topic of renewable energy to 400 2nd grade students in Tompkins County through the Kids Discover the Trail! program.  
              • Delivered ocean health and science field trip to over 750 2nd grade students in rural Tompkins County and Cortland City School District through the Sciencenter’s endowment.
              • Promoted our online Climate Change Toolkit, a suite of climate change education resources for formal and informal educators at schools, museums and other venues: www.sciencenter.org/climatechange  
              • Developed additional “Sustainability Corner” exhibits on waste reduction, energy conservation, water conservation, composting, and consumer behavior.

              Societal (Internal: Staff – External: Community, & Museum Field)

              • Donated $12,300 in free family memberships and museum passes to organizations throughout upstate NY
              • Supported local health and human services agencies by participating as a United Way Pacesetter Organization, raising over $5,000 for the United Way 2013 campaign
              • 25 staff served on boards and volunteered for 35 other not-for-profit organizations in Tompkins County and beyond

              Financial (Internal: Organization – External: Community)

              • Grew the Sciencenter endowment to $3 million, with the goal of providing sustained funding for the museum and its programs in the future
              • Visitors to the Sciencenter from out-of-county spent nearly $1.000,000 in Tompkins County during 2012

              Snug Planet


              • Co-sponsored (with Halco Energy and Ironwood Builders) a symposium on “The Low Energy-Use Home.”
              • Was featured in a 19 minute segment on Weatherization TV (http://wxtvonline.org/2013/03/blower-maintenance/)
              • Insulated 23 ultra-high performance homes at the EcoVillage at Ithaca TREE neighborhood.  Several homeowners opted to have their houses insulated to the exacting Passive House standard.
              • In partnership with DOW Building Solutions and Taitem Engineering, completed two deep energy retrofits.
              • Completed 44 retrofits under the NYSERDA “Home Performance with Energy Star” program.
              • With support from the Finger Lakes Climate fund and volunteers, insulated Second Wind Cottages in Newfield, which provides housing for homeless men.
              • Applied for and was accepted as a NYSERDA Multifamily Performance Partner and is now able to offer owners of 5+ unit access to NYSERDA incentives for energy efficiency.
              • Applied for and was accepted as a NYSERDA Empower NY contractor and is now able to offer free electric reduction and home performance upgrades to low-income households.
              • Ramped up operations to 3 installation crews and 15 employees.

              Sustainable Tompkins


              Climate Smart & Climate Ready Conference

              • Under the leadership of Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton, a coalition of Cortland and Tompkins County nonprofits, colleges, businesses, youth groups, and local governments formed in the fall of 2012 to support ongoing local planning and action on climate mitigation and adaptation. Their first project together was to produce and host a major regional conference on making our communities more climate friendly and climate resilient from April 18-21 in Ithaca and Cortland. Sustainable Tompkins served as the coordinator for the project.
              • Approximately a thousand people attended the events over the four days of the conference, and judging from the very positive written evaluations and verbal feedback, people were grateful, inspired, impressed, and energized by what they learned and how they experienced the community created by the conference. We hope that we have strengthened their resolve and attuned their focus to address the urgency of climate disruption. Schedules, speaker bios, and videos of keynote speaker Mark Hertsgaard and the opening plenary are available at the conference website.

              Finger Lakes Climate Fund

              • We attracted two new major donors to the Finger Lakes Climate Fund (FLCF) allowing us to give five grants totaling $9,084 in 2013. The first two grants were typical FLCF awards to individual homeowners of modest means ($1076 to a senior citizen in the City of Ithaca, and $1751 to a young composer in the Town of Ithaca). In the fall, we took the unusual step of giving a $300 FLCF grant to supplement a Neighborhood MiniGrant award for a DIY small-scale home solar array (the recipient will give a public workshop on the project once it’s complete). 
              • Our last two climate grants in 2013 represent a significant expansion of our grantmaking portfolio. Using standard TREAT software to calculate emission savings, our first grant in Newfield of $3457 was made to the nonprofit Second Wind to pay for insulation materials for six cottages being built for homeless men by the Community Faith Partnership and dozens of local volunteers. Our most recent grant of $2500 to Cayuga Pure Organics (CPO) is our first award to a local business. CPO is a local mill processing beans and grains from regional organic farmers. (Details of these projects can be found on the FLCF website.)

              Finger Lakes Energy Challenge

              • In partnership with Owego Residents Against Fracking Tioga (ORAFT), last February 9 we presented “When Climate Change Hits Home” – a screening of Sun Come Up, a film on climate change impacts on Pacific islanders, followed by a panel discussion on climate justice, local climate impacts, local initiatives to move to clean energy, and forming local partnerships using the communergy platform. Panelists included Prof. Shorna Allred of Cornell’s Natural Resources Dept., Dr. Gay Canough of ETM Solarworks, and Dr. Gay Nicholson of ST. A major winter storm the night before limited attendance to about 30, but a lengthy and lively discussion and post-event networking helped Owego-area activists connect with each other on key topics related to clean energy and climate change.
              • We followed the film screening with an Energy Teach-In: Learn How to Save Energy & Switch to Renewables held two weeks later on February 23 at St Patrick’s School in Owego. Speakers included Gay Nicholson on ST’s programs to help people reduce fossil fuel consumption, offset emissions, and invest in renewable energy; Brad Pacalis of the Public Policy Education Fund and Lou Roma of Sustainable Performance Consulting on funding and technical assistance available from NYSERDA to homeowners and businesses; Pat Dundon of The Insulation Man on insulation and air sealing; Alec Mitchell of Weaver Wind and Gay Canough of ETM Solarworks on renewable energy systems for homes. We devoted much of the afternoon to hands-on demonstrations of blower door tests and infrared cameras by John Paterson, with the historic mansion of the St Patrick’s School offering many examples of drafts and poor insulation. The event was sold-out with 32 people attending and actively engaged throughout the day.

              Other Notable Accomplishments

              • As a follow up to the climate conference, we hosted an initial circle for women climate and energy activists to explore the topic of climate grief and climate denial in Mary Pipher’s new book The Green Boat: Reviving Ourselves in Our Capsized Culture. The circle met twice in August and has evolved into an ongoing activist support group hosted by Jalaja Bonheim of the Institute for Circlework.
              • The Lansing Communergy Group launched in August to serve as a platform for organizing community group-purchasing of solar electric and solar thermal systems.  Members are also investigating community-owned microhydro systems.

              Taitem Engineering


              • The Energy Efficiency Innovation Collaborative (EE-INC), spearheaded by the New York Power Authority, is the newest link in Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s chain of economic development initiatives to advance innovative energy efficiency technologies by installing them in publically-owned facilities under the Build Smart NY program-ultimately growing new businesses and jobs. Taitem Engineering is providing program management for the collaborative, and is a subject matter expert on the design and implementation of emerging technologies. Taitem will implement technology demonstrations to showcase emerging innovations. Learn more at the EE-INC web site, http://www.eeinc-ny.com/Home.aspx.
              • Taitem has been certified as a B Corporation, meeting rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. B Corps are a new type of corporation that uses the power of business to solve social and environmental problems. Learn more at http://www.bcorporation.net/taitem
              • Taitem is now a member of New York Solar Energy Industries Association (NYSEIA). By joining NYSEIA, Taitem is supporting the advancement of markets for all solar technologies in the Empire State.
              • The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) announced that the Lehman Alternative Community School and Kulp Auditorium have received the New York Collaborative of High Performance Schools (NY-CHPS) distinction for high level energy-efficiency achievement. With these designations, the Ithaca City School District becomes the first district in the State with two NY-CHPS Verified School buildings. Taitem Engineering provided technical assistance, including energy modeling, for these projects.
              • Dominick DeLucia and Javier E. Rosa, PE attended a geothermal training in Rochester that focused on water- to-water heat pumps where they learned a new techniques to apply in our renewables design and installation services. 
              • Taitem’s renewables team passed several advanced assessments to become a SunPower Residential Advanced Design Certified Professionals.
              • Taitem installed an electric vehicle charging station in front of its building at 110 South Albany Street. The charging station is part of the nationwide Chargepoint network.
              • Taitem Engineering is doing the commissioning, LEED consulting, and energy modeling for MyMicro NY, an award winning modular apartment development in Manhattan. ‘My Micro NY’ will be the first multi-unit building in Manhattan built using modular construction, with the modules prefabricated locally at the Brooklyn Navy Yard.
              • Dan Cogan and Evan Hallas participated in the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s (NREL) three-day workshop to develop Job Task Analyses (JTAs) and Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) standards for workers in the multifamily housing sector. 
              • Ian Shapiro is on the advisory board for SUNY Cortland’s new post-graduate program, the M.S. in Sustainable Energy Systems. This program offers a mix of engineering and energy topics together with a strong business management component.
              • Taitem staff have given several presentations on topics relating to building energy efficiency and related topics:
                • Lou Vogel presented at the 11th Annual NY State Green Building Conference, discussing building commissioning.
                • Lou Vogel co-led a discussion of HVAC alternatives for low-energy homes, focusing on air source heat pumps at the Low Energy-Use Home Symposium for building professionals in Ithaca.
                • Umit Sirt presented on the topic of achieving net-zero energy buildings at the NYSERDA Multifamily Partner Summit.
                • Dominick DeLucia presented on the topic of converting obsolete steam heat to highly efficient variable refrigerant flow (VRF) systems at the NYSERDA Multifamily Partner Summit.
              • Taitem is on two teams that were awarded grants by NYSERDA to implement demonstration projects of LED lighting and advanced control technologies in a variety of residential settings.
              • Taitem will be participating with Cornell University Department of Design and Environmental Analysis Professor Alan Hedge in a NYSERDA-funded study investigating strategies to promote energy-saving behavior at home.

              Tompkins Cortland Community College


              • Tompkins Cortland Community College continues to work diligently to fulfill their commitment as a signatory to the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC). The commitment occurs in two areas. The first is the educational process to make the students and staff aware of the environmental issues associated with climate change and the environment and then to provide them with alternatives to assist them in making choices to reduce their impact on the environment and to provide them the training and skills that will be needed for employment in the many opportunities in the green technology fields. The second is to reduce the carbon footprint at the college to a net zero value.
              • Education:
                • Two new programs have been proposed and approved. One is the culinary arts program and the second is a sustainable farming program. The farm is being designed to maximize energy efficiency, be organic and sustainable with a commitment to geothermal and renewable energy sources. The intent is to have a working farm that is completely off the grid.
              • Transportation:
                • Transportation continues to be the greatest challenge since TC3 is a commuter school. This accounts for more than 50% of the carbon footprint for the college. To reduce the impact of the daily commute TC3 promotes the use of ZIMRIDE on our website to encourage students and staff to car pool. More staff and students are using public transportation and TCAT has responded by increasing the service to the College and the residence halls.
              • Waste Reduction:
                • TC3 Continues to recycle paper, glass, cardboard, electronics and steel. The composting program continues to provide education to the student population in the need to participate in this program.
              • Energy:
                • TC3 continues to look for and implement measures to reduce energy use on campus. The energy use for the main campus for the 2012-2013 academic year was about 67,700 btus/square foot. Since the 2003-2004 academic year the energy reduction at the college along with the use of renewables has resulted in a reduced carbon dioxide emission of more than 400 metric tons.
              • Renewable Resources:
                • The college completed, with Solar Liberty, the installation of a 50 kW photovoltaic array in January, 2013. This array has displaced more than 50,000 kWh of energy that would normally be purchased from the grid. The college has also completed negotiations with SEC LHNY Solar One LLC to purchase all of the electricity produced from a 2000 kW solar array that will be installed at the college. This will displace approximately 90% of the electricity that would normally be purchased from the grid. The installation of a 5 kW solar array for the Cortland Extension Center was completed and is now on line.

              Tompkins County


              • Cleaner Greener Southern Tier Regional Sustainability Plan. Acceptance of the 8-County plan by NSYERDA and the Southern Tier Regional Economic Development Council. The plan includes a region-wide greenhouse gas emissions inventory and actions to further the Plan’s vision. Later in the year, planning staff assisted with initiating and preparing several successful applications for funding under the Implementation Phase of the Cleaner Greener Communities (CGC) program, including a joint application among five municipalities to develop a rating and disclosure ordinance to inform consumers of home energy use when a house is sold, and a regional public-private partnership to build a biomass infrastructure for bulk pellet delivery. Also, brought the CGC program’s Solar and EV Streamlined Permit opportunity to Tompkins County Council of Governments and several municipalities are actively pursuing this in 2014.
              • Procurement of Renewable, Remote Net Metered Energy. In what will be the first program of its type in the state under new regulations, in August 2013 the Tompkins County Legislature approved a partnership with the Municipal Electric and Gas Alliance (MEGA) to procure the services of companies to develop renewable energy resources on behalf of the County. All other political subdivisions and districts in the state are authorized to participate in the contracts awarded as a result of the RFP, which will establish a “remote net metering” relationship between participants and specific solar, micro-hydroelectric, and farm waste-to-energy facilities with generating capacity of up to two megawatt of electricity. Energy generated at these small-scale renewable energy facilities will be sold to participants at off-site locations within New York State. 
              • Tompkins County Green Building Efforts. In 2013 the Tompkins County Legislature adopted the Green Building Policy, implementing green building standards for all new construction and major renovations of County-owned buildings. Renovation of the second floor of the Daniel D. Tompkins Building (formerly known as the Old Courthouse) was completed in the summer of 2013 for use as the Tompkins County Legislative Chambers, reusing existing space in a historic building and introducing energy efficient lighting throughout the building. In November 2013 a solar thermal system was installed at the Main Courthouse.
              • Tompkins County Comprehensive Plan Update. Kicked-off work on updating this plan by conducting a survey and going to classes at local high schools to learn what Tompkins County residents wanted to include in the plan update.
              • Food Scraps Recycling Pilot. In 2013 Tompkins County entered a 3-year contract with Cayuga Compost to provide food scrap recycling services. The Tompkins County Solid Waste Management Division began a pilot project collecting residential food scraps from West Hill homes.
              • Energy Road Map. Two graduate-students from Cornell University developed reports detailing the potential and existing energy supplies in Tompkins County. Planning Department staff worked with students and professors from engineering and city and regional planning to direct studies in geothermal energy and biomass energy. In the spring of 2013, the students presented their work to an interested group at a Tompkins County Climate Protection Initiative meeting.
              • EPA Climate Showcase Community Grant. Implemented the third year of Tompkins County’s Climate Showcase Community EPA grant to fund innovative on-the-ground approaches to creating dense neighborhoods that enhance residents’ quality of life while using fewer resources. Accomplishments included:  completion of the Aurora Pocket Neighborhood and several homes in the third neighborhood at EcoVillage; working with the preferred developer of the County-owned land on West Hill to improve the plan for the project in accordance with CSC principles; finishing the design, content and videos for the website www.community-that-works.org; preparing a useful PowerPoint presentation for the project; and presenting the project at local, regional and national conferences.
              • Tompkins County Multi-Jurisdictional All-Hazards Mitigation Plan Update. The plan was accepted by FEMA. The plan will further reduce risks associated with hazards while incorporating projected impacts from climate change.
              • Smart Energy Policy Initiative. Actively participated in the Smart Energy Policy Initiative to identify actions local governments in Tompkins County can take in the near term to help accelerate the transition to a more efficient, renewable energy future. Helped identify and promote four priority actions among municipalities, including unified solar permitting, home energy rating and disclosure, energy conservation code education, and building labeling for multi-family rental properties.
              • Tompkins County Sustainability Center. The center opened its doors in 2013 and began hosting seminars on relevant topics and welcoming the public to view displays addressing energy use in buildings, transportation alternatives, and solid waste.
              • Solarize Tompkins. The County Planning Department assisted the Solarize Tompkins SE group with its RFP process and helped draft the successful Park Foundation proposal to expand the program to all of Tompkins County in 2014 and 2015, with the County acting as the fiscal sponsor for that expanded program.
              • Climate Smart Climate Ready Conference. Helped Sustainable Tompkins and Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton’s office organize and carry out this successful conference, and presented the Climate Showcase Communities project at the conference, as well.
              • Initiation of Ithaca 2030 District. Assisted the Tompkins County Climate Protection Initiative with initial background work on the project and started serving on the initial steering committee in the fall of 2013.

              Tompkins County Solid Waste


              Food Scrap Recycling 

              • Signed a three year contract with Cayuga Composting to process commercial and residential food scraps and yard waste. Cayuga Compost submitted a permit modification application to the DEC to increase tonnage capacity from 2000 to 5000 tons.
              • Tompkins County was awarded a $200,000 grant through Empire State Development to procure equipment for expanding the capacity to handle additional tonnage at their facility including a windrow turner, compost storage building and weigh scales. The multi-year contract began in October, 2013.
              • Began a pilot residential collection program for food scraps for approximately 400 homes on West Hill in the City of Ithaca to evaluate best practices and establish performance measures. Casella Waste was awarded a 20 month contract. This pilot will be expanded in 2014 to an additional 800 homes on a route from the current location to the Cayuga Compost site.

              Communications, Customer Service and Education 

              • Implemented improved and consistent customer service practices at the Recycling and Solid Waste Center, including professional training and establishing front-line meetings.
              • Implemented a Communication Strategy that targeted residents, businesses and schools. This strategy including outreach events, a new website, social media presence and well-designed printed information about our recycling programs, including food scrap recycling drop-spot opportunities.
              • Developed and gained approval from the County legislature to adopt a resolution urging the State to adopt framework Extended Producer legislation and adoption of the specific Paint Stewardship legislation.

              Town of Caroline


              • By incorporating renewable energy technologies and efficient building placement and design, the Town Board has reduced the amount of energy purchased and the greenhouse gas emissions for Town facilities.
              • Since April 2010, the Board has generated 48,584 kilowatt-hours (kWh), of which 22,202 kWh were utilized by the Town, resulting in savings of $2,500, or a 36 percent reduction in energy purchased. The remaining 26,382 kWh (48,584 minus 22,202) were sold back to the energy provider, resulting in additional savings of $3,000.
              • The Board also has reduced carbon dioxide emissions by 76,000 pounds, which is equivalent to annual greenhouse gas emissions from seven passenger vehicles, or carbon dioxide emissions from the electricity use of five homes for one year.
              • Energy Independent Caroline was awarded a grant from the Park Foundation for $37,000 for the Solarize Tompkins SE program. The Town of Caroline agreed to be the fiscal sponsor and oversaw the funds and dispersed the grant money to Solarize Tompkins SE.

              Town of Danby


              • Installed solar panels on Town Hall and on Department of Public Works Barn
                • 70kw combined capacity provides about 30% of the electricity needs for these buildings
              • Purchased hybrid car for Planning Department
                • Projected annual savings of $2,500 and 350 gallons of gas
              • Provided bicycles for staff transportation and fitness
              • Assessed the 2005 Comprehensive Plan to evaluate the degree to which it supports sustainability, in preparation for upcoming Plan revisions
              • Awarded the New York Planning Federation Comprehensive Plan Award for the Hamlet of Varna Community Development Plan, which incorporates many elements of sustainability
              • Awarded a Sign of Sustainability for Virtual Farmers Market, an online tool to help find high quality, locally produced meats, fruits, and vegetables
              • Continued dealing with issues related to hydraulic fracturing
                • Court decision allowing the ban of hydraulic fracturing through zoning upheld in NYS appellate court
                • Case is now moving to New York State’s highest court
              • Supported efficiency efforts at Ithaca Area Wastewater Treatment Facility
                • Once completed, plant will provide up to three quarters of its own energy needs on-site
              • Supported the opening and operations of the Sustainability Center and the ongoing efforts of the Green Resource Hub through Town staff board membership

              Town of Ithaca


              • Made significant progress on Community Energy Action Plan
              • Performed waste assessments at Town Hall and the DPW office building
              • Reduced paper use and costs with revised internal policies and practices
              • Outreach efforts: Published monthly sustainability newsletter, created Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/TownofIthacaSustainability)
              • Hosted a NYSolar Smart Workshop, one of several held across the State to ease the adoption of the NYS Unified Solar Permit
                • Attended by about 40 Town Supervisors, code officials, solar installers, and interested residents from across the Southern Tier
              • Continued dealing with issues related to hydraulic fracturing
                • Passed road preservation law
              • Signed on as inaugural signatory to Resilient Communities for America, a campaign that champions the leadership of local elected officials who are building more resilient communities
              • Awarded Park Foundation funding to support the continuation of the Sustainability Planner position
                • Partnership with the City of Ithaca
                • Focus on implementation of the municipalities’ respective Energy Action Plans
              • Awarded NYSERDA Cleaner Greener Communities funding to develop a home energy rating and disclosure ordinance
                • Town acted as lead applicant for municipal consortium, which also includes City of Ithaca and Towns of Danby, Caroline and Ulysses
              • Supported efficiency efforts at Ithaca Area Wastewater Treatment Facility
                • Once completed, plant will provide up to three quarters of its own energy needs on-site
              • Supported the opening and operations of the Sustainability Center and the ongoing efforts of the Green Resource Hub through Town staff board membership

              Travis Hyde Properties


              • 19.3 kW photovoltaic installation completed on the roof of the Clinton House by Solar Liberty
              • Completed design phase for CHP installation in Center Ithaca
              • Joined committee to form an Ithaca 2030 District
              • Completed phase one of a Main Street Program historic renovation at 204 North Cayuga
              • Completed 12 month forecast-based energy-use model for property budgeting

              Weaver Wind Energy


              • Installed 4 Beta Unit Turbines in the spring.
              • Went through extensive testing of the Beta unit turbines and began designing our certification unit turbines.
              • Partnered with Grassroots for the summer and constructed a full size mobile trailer mounted tilt up turbine to begin local outreach for our company.
              • Partnered with a New Jersey based inverter manufacturer to create a custom electronic system to operate our turbine.
              • Partnered with a New York based manufacturer to create our custom blades that match our turbines operational potential.
              • Finalized the design of our 5kW Certification unit.
              • Submitted and approved to begin certification of our 5kW unit in January of 2014.
              • Began design work for our Beta Unit 10kW turbine

              TCCPI Member Accomplishments: 2013