Energy Conservation Plan
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CHAPTER 4 ENERGY CONSERVATION PLAN I TODAY’S CONDITIONS GREEN BUILDING Energy conservation is important to the future of Allegheny Green building, as defined by the U.S. Environmental County. As energy costs continue to rise, more efficient use Protection Agency, is the practice of creating structures of energy will be essential for the continued economic and using processes that are environmentally responsible health of the region. Energy conservation practices are and resource-efficient throughout a building's life-cycle also essential for improving and protecting the quality of (from siting to design, construction, operation, maintenance, the County’s air and water, and so the health of its citizens. renovation and deconstruction). Green buildings are Energy conservation is, in many ways, the key to a truly designed to reduce the long-term impact of the built environ - sustainable future for the County. ment on human health and the natural environment by: I Incorporating sustainable materials in their construction Energy conservation can be achieved through a number of I measures including: Reducing waste, pollution and environmental degradation I I Efficiently using energy, water and other resources Energy efficient technologies I I Waste reduction and recycling Creating healthy indoor environments I Recovering energy from waste I Sustainable building design, including green building It has been shown that worker productivity increases in green I Deep energy reductions in existing homes buildings – another contribution to the bottom line. Green I Energy efficient development building is also known as a sustainable or high performance I Reduced reliance on the automobile building. I Transportation Congestion Management and multimodal solutions The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) I Alternative energy sources Green Building Rating System™ is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high Through these and other conservation practices, not only will performance green buildings. Pittsburgh has become one of public health and the environment be better protected, but the top five cities in the world in green building, with 17 consumers, businesses and local governments will save structures LEED Certified by the U.S. Green Building Council. money. MORE ENERGY EFFICIENT BUILDING SYSTEMS In recent years, Allegheny County has installed energy efficient lights, upgraded HVAC, energy management and control systems, and reduced water use in dozens of County facilities. These relatively simple improvements have been projected to save the County over $740,000 annually. By lowering its use of resources through energy-efficient technologies, the County is also reducing the overall demand for electricity. Electricity generated by burning coal or natural Photo credit: Kevin Smay gas releases carbon dioxide, sulfur oxide and nitrogen oxides into the air. These pollutants contribute to smog, PNC Financial Services built the LEED Certified PNC acid rain and global warming. The County’s building systems Firstside Center in 2000. The Pittsburgh Convention Center, upgrades should reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 30 constructed in 2003, is the first green convention center and million tons of carbon dioxide per year. the world’s largest green building. The center has a LEED Gold rating. Carnegie Mellon University built the country’s www.alleghenyplaces.com 4L - 1 first green dorm room in 2003. River Quest has a $4 million, Of our 130 municipalities, 81 have a curbside collection 90-foot certified green boat in its fleet of classroom vessels. program and 16 have a drop-off program. Communities UPMC’s new Children’s Hospital, due to open in 2009, will not included in the Act's mandate are those that have a also be a green building. Hospital officials expect the energy population of 5,000 or less. Allegheny County had a cost savings reaped from the green design to reach 30%. recycling rate of 20% in 2001, much less than Pennsylvania’s 36% recycling rate. The Green Building Alliance keeps a listing of the certified green buildings in the region on its website ( www.gbapgh. Under current permit and loading conditions, the average org/casestudies_main.asp ). Additional resources are avail - estimated remaining life of County landfills is 12 years. able at www.epa.gov/greenbuilding/ and www.usgbc.org . Greater use of recycling throughout the County will extend the life of existing landfills, averting the development of new facilities. URBAN FORESTRY Trees can conserve energy by reducing utility demands METHANE RECOVERY (air conditioning in summer, heating in winter). Urban tree plantings help to cool cities, creating a more pleasant Methane is the major component of natural gas and a potent pedestrian environment. The evaporation from a single large greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming. tree can produce the cooling effect of ten room-sized air conditioners operating 20 hours a day, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Trees can also reduce the effects Landfill Methane of global warming by converting carbon dioxide, the dominant greenhouse gas, into oxygen. Methane can be generated by the fermentation of organic matter, including municipal solid waste. Municipal solid The City of Pittsburgh’s Shade Tree Commission works waste landfills are the largest human-generated source to preserve and maintain as many trees within the City of methane emissions in the United States. Methane that is as possible. Newly planted street trees are generally generated by landfills can be captured, however, and used Bradford Pears. as a source of energy. The capture and use of landfill methane has substantial economic and environmental Other municipalities in the County also have shade tree benefits, including: commissions. I Reducing the use of fossil fuels such as coal and natural gas RECYCLING I Reducing methane emissions and therefore global warming The Allegheny County Health Department has a Recycling I Reducing local air pollution Coordinator to carry out the requirements of Act 101, the I Creating jobs, revenues and cost savings State Municipal Waste Planning, Recycling, and Waste Reduction Act. Act 101 mandates recycling in Pennsylvania’s Generating energy from landfill gas emitted from larger municipalities, requires counties to develop municipal decomposing garbage can directly reduce greenhouse waste management plans and provides for grants to offset gas emissions – the gas is captured rather than released expenses. The goals of the Act are to: into the atmosphere. There is a methane recovery facility at the Mazzaro Landfill site in Findlay Township and the I Reduce municipal waste generation; Monroeville Landfill in Monroeville Borough. The BFI – I Recycle at least 25% of waste generated; Imperial Landfill in Findlay Township has a pending methane I Procure and use recycled and recyclable materials in recovery project, while the Kelly Run Landfill in Forward state governmental agencies; and Township is listed as a candidate site for methane recovery I Educate the public as to the benefits of recycling and by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. waste reduction. 4L - 2 www.alleghenyplaces.com CHAPTER 4 Coalbed Methane the most impoverished communities in the County have the highest property tax rates. Coalbed methane (CBM) has become a valuable part of the nation’s energy portfolio, accounting for about a twelfth In the past, public transportation served workers commuting of U.S. natural gas production. As America’s natural gas into the urban core where the majority of jobs were located. demand grows substantially over the next two decades, CBM But today, economic development has spread to suburban will become increasingly important for ensuring adequate areas and so is more disperse. Many of the new jobs aren’t and secure natural gas supplies for the nation. accessible to low-income residents since public transit does not serve those workplaces. Public transit is a more energy- Interest in commercial development of CBM is growing efficient form of transportation than the use of privately- throughout the Commonwealth. Pennsylvania has many coal owned automobiles. Longer distances between low-income resources that are too thin or too deep to be of commercial neighborhoods and new job opportunities means longer and value for mining and therefore provide opportunities for more costly commutes for those who can least afford it. methane production. Currently, there are 75 CBM wells in commercial production in Pennsylvania. To date, there are no CBM facilities operating in Allegheny County. Known The transportation sector is the largest consumer of CBM facilities in the region are in Cambria, Fayette, Green, petroleum in the United States, accounting for 67% Indiana, Washington and Westmoreland Counties. of America's petroleum consumption and 28% of its greenhouse gas emissions. The Pittsburgh coal of the Monongahela Formation has all the qualities desirable for producing coalbed methane, including high methane emission rates, according to the Pennsylvania INCREASING USE OF CARS Department of Natural Resources. Figure 4I.1(Chapter 4, Section I, Transportation Plan) shows that in four out of the past five years, average vehicle miles PATTERNS OF DEVELOPMENT traveled in the County have been increasing. As development patterns change, people are driving more frequently and Over the last few decades, the predominant development driving longer distances to get to their destinations. While pattern