Nashua Commits To Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions

How does a city like Nashua, with sprawling suburbs, dozens of shopping centers and thousands of commuters even begin to measure its greenhouse gases….let alone reduce them?
It can start by using computer software designed by the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives – or ICLEI-- to measure the city's emissions.
ICLEI’s Northeast Director Kim Lundgren:
“3:40 the reason its so important is because you really can’t manage what you don’t measure, and although a lot of folks in the communities know we can reduce emissions if we were to start using biodiesel, or increase energy efficiency, but what you don’t know is exactly how much you’re reducing by until you start using our software tool”

That software determines greenhouse gas emissions by adding up costs like utility bills and vehicle miles.
(it’s a lot of collection)
Angela Vincent is vice chair for Nashua’s Green Team, a group of citizens and city employees appointed by the mayor to work on reducing greenhouse gases.
1189 I think they looked through a year’s worth of PSNH bills, Keyspan bills, looking at some of the data from the Department of Environmental Services that’s been collected we have an air quality monitoring station

And what they found surprised them.
Most of the city's energy costs, 68%, come from the city's buildings.
In total, municipal activities – from wastewater treatment to keeping lights on in city hall - accounted for more than 20-thousand tons of greenhouse gas.
Once Nashua completed its emissions inventory, the city could start reducing its carbon footprint.
1050 (This building is about 45 – thousand square feet, we’re almost a covered acre here)

Scott Pollack runs Nashua’s Street Department.
He says the building they use for truck storage was eating up electricity – non-efficient lighting was on almost 24 hours a day.
1047 :50 We had averaged 60 kilowatt hours per month of electricity, and now I’m under 30-thousand, with a very small project that had a payback of one point four months, financially its great and it’s also good for the environment.

Pollack put in more efficient lights that turn off when no one is in the building.
This project alone reduces the city's carbon dioxide emissions by more than 478 thousand pounds.
That's equivalent to taking almost 50 cars off the road.
Nashua has also converted its traffic lights to energy-efficient LED’s – cutting its electricity there by 70%.
New windows in the city clerk’s office - reduced that energy bill 30-percent.
But this is only the beginning.
Janice Trembly, Nashua’s purchasing manager and chair of the Green Team, says Nashua will soon be only the second city in the nation--after Ann Arbor, Michigan, to have a revolving energy fund.
1053 :17 we’re setting that up to provide monies for department heads who have green projects that they would like to undertake, but maybe they’re not of such a magnitude that they qualify for a capital improvement project by the city guidelines, and they can’t pull that money out of their operating budget

The money for the fund will come from savings on energy costs.
Street Superintendent Steve Pollack says he already has a green project in mind.
(sound of door opening)

1060 :26 these are just steel doors, no insulation just tin there and the heat can run right through it and there’s no insulation or caulking in the joint and the bottoms are rusty, you can see right through them

But before Pollack can turn to the fund for some energy saving doors, the city government must continue to enjoy energy savings in order to set that money aside.
The city's Green Team has another goal--to lead by example.
30% of all of Nashua's greenhouse gas emissions comes from residents cars and trucks.
The Green Team wants to get people within the community to start thinking and taking action – even small steps to reduce their energy use….and the resulting greenhouse gas emissions
ICLEI will monitor how well the city Nashua does.
For NHPR news, I’m Amy Quinton.