Energy coalition names Dover 2019 Municipal Energy Champion

posted on: 4/27/2019

At the culmination of New Hampshire Energy Week, an annual event hosted by the New Hampshire’s Energy Future partnership, the City of Dover was named 2019 Municipal Energy Champion for its forward-thinking efforts over the years. The awards selection committee recognized Dover’s conversion to smart LED street lighting, municipal solar panel installations, and first-in-the-nation greenhouse gas and nitrogen inventory report among the city’s accomplishments in improving energy efficiency and transitioning to renewable energy sources.

Assistant City Planner Elena Piekut, staff liaison to the Dover Energy Commission, accepted the award on the City’s behalf at a ceremony at Concord’s Kimball Jenkins Estate. She pointed out that the unique, sculptural award was created by New Hampshire furniture designer and artist Vivian Beer, and bears resemblance to Beer’s work in the Museum of Fine Arts Boston permanent collection.

Energy coalition names Dover 2019 Municipal Energy Champion

posted on: 4/27/2019

At the culmination of New Hampshire Energy Week, an annual event hosted by the New Hampshire’s Energy Future partnership, the City of Dover was named 2019 Municipal Energy Champion for its forward-thinking efforts over the years. The awards selection committee recognized Dover’s conversion to smart LED street lighting, municipal solar panel installations, and first-in-the-nation greenhouse gas and nitrogen inventory report among the city’s accomplishments in improving energy efficiency and transitioning to renewable energy sources.

Assistant City Planner Elena Piekut, staff liaison to the Dover Energy Commission, accepted the award on the City’s behalf at a ceremony at Concord’s Kimball Jenkins Estate. She pointed out that the unique, sculptural award was created by New Hampshire furniture designer and artist Vivian Beer, and bears resemblance to Beer’s work in the Museum of Fine Arts Boston permanent collection.

“Dover can be proud of our proactive approach to future climate and environmental challenges,” said Walter King, Chair of the Dover Energy Commission. “We have made a concerted effort to take a balanced approach in reducing our fossil fuel footprint and finding solutions that lower energy costs for the City and its citizens.” King also noted that the award is as much a result of citizen engagement in the city’s boards, committees, and commissions as it is a result of work initiated by city departments. He added, “We should also be proud of Dover's leadership in regional efforts. Nonetheless, we must remain cognizant of the substantial work that remains.”

King also recognized the role of the Recreation Department and Community Services Department in supporting clean energy initiatives and efficiency measures at a number of municipal facilities, noting that projects such as LED lighting conversions have saved the City substantially in electricity costs.

Dover’s first municipal solar array came online in February, with 318 solar panels installed on the roof of the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire and Dover Indoor Pool at Henry Law Park. The second will begin generating electricity this spring, as the installation of a 912-kilowatt array is installed on the roof of the new Dover High School. The high school’s system is anticipated to produce over one million kilowatt hours of electricity each year, covering 40 percent of the building’s projected annual electricity use. That single array is estimated to reduce the carbon footprint of the entire municipality’s operations by 75.5 megatons of carbon dioxide equivalent (or nearly 1 percent), according to last year’s combined greenhouse gas and nitrogen inventory prepared by Jackson Kaspari, University of New Hampshire doctoral student in physical chemistry.

Other 2019 NH Energy Week awardees were Business Energy Champion, Hypertherm of Hanover and Legislative Energy Champion, State Sen. Jeb Bradley. Members of the awards selection committee represented past winners, the NH Office of Strategic Initiatives, the University of New Hampshire, Stonyfield Yogurt, Normandeau Associates, and The Duprey Companies.

For more information, contact Assistant City Planner Elena Piekut at e.piekut@dover.nh.gov or 516-6008. The Greenhouse Gas and Nitrogen Inventory for municipal and school operations, which establishes baseline from energy use and spending data for 2016 and 2017, is available online at http://www.dover.nh.gov/government/city-operations/planning/, in the Planning and Community Development Department at City Hall, or at the Dover Public Library.