Presentation at 2014 Massachusetts Sustainable Communities and Campuses Conference

1. Innovative Community
Initiatives: Town of Ayer
Green Community
Committee
Energy Committee
Carolyn McCreary,
presenter

2. Ayer is Green Community
l Awarded Green Community Status in July,
2011
l Goal of projects: meet Green Community
requirement of 20% energy reduction within 5
years

3. Initiatives and plans
l What we have accomplished
l A completed feasibility study
l Future projects

4. Implemented Initiatives
l EPG Solar Array (Southbridge, MA)
– 20 Year Net Metering Credit Contract
l Town Hall Automated Controls
– 12.5% reduction in gas and electricity
l WWTP Main Pumping Station oil to gas
conversion
l Energy efficient renovation of WWTP
l Lighting upgrade

5. Lessons Learned on Solar Project
l Solar
– Challenges
l Wading through process and regulations
l Solar choices: town built, lease town property, purchase power from
remote site
l Town meeting: long term contract requires town meeting approval
– 3 false starts
l About to hire a consultant with criminal background
l Attempted to engage in a deal that sounded too good to be
true until Commonwealth stepped in to stop it
l Worked with reputable company whose business plan
changed and they pulled out
l Lessons: be persistent, get professional
help

6. Solar Net Metering Contract
l Savings on 1MW Solar contract
– Credit from National Grid
l Total June 2013 – March 2014: $225,000
– Bill from solar producer
l Total June 2013 – March 2014: $121,500
l Total savings: $103,000 for 9 months

7. Anaerobic Digester
WWTP sludge plus organics converted to
methane gas which is combusted to produce
electricity and heat
l Goals
– Provide facility to assist state implementation of
new ban of organics in landfills including food
waste from supermarkets, institutions, and food
producers
– Reduce costs of hauling sludge
– Convert waste to energy, heat and electricity to
be used by Ayer DPW and WWTP

8. Anaerobic Digester

9. AD Feasibility Study Completed
l Very large capital project
– $16M of the project cost is for processing of
organic waste prior to adding it to the digester
– Current tipping fees too low to offset expenses
– Not recommended that the town accept the risk of
this type of pursuit.
l Next Steps
– evaluate working with another community /
agency on a regional solution or
– privatizing the anaerobic digester operation.

10. Plans
l Street light conversions to LED
– Purchase street lights
– Convert to LEDs
l Continue investigation of anaerobic digester
l Town hall window replacement