Scott - I applaud your retrofit efforts. Investing in better insulation is smart for your comfort, operating costs, and the climate, and it's great that you are going with heat pumps as primary. You may be less shell-shocked if you recall that the vote yesterday was only to seek authority to regulate, so it's not a foregone conclusion how Lincoln will choose to regulate (if at all). So Lincoln could choose, for example, to allow highly efficient hybrid systems in new construction, such as you describe. If you would be willing to share the specifics of your experience with the GEC (offline probably better than thru LT), we would be interested. Let me know and we can set up a call or meeting. - Paul
On Sun, Mar 27, 2022 at 4:29 PM Scott Stewart <scott_a_stew...@yahoo.com> wrote: > Paul, > > I attended my first town meeting in in several years’ yesterday and was > completely shell-shocked by what I believed to be an incredible over-reach > of a relatively small group (GEC) on Article 31. > > At this point, I am truly trying to get a sense on whether this Citizen > Petition is meant to be largely symbolic or is genuinely the near-term goal > and intentions of the town. > > My biggest concern is the proposal puts a complete restriction on using > highly efficient fossil fuel equipment as part of an overall heating > strategy. > > As someone who has personally completed a major renovation at my Lincoln > house, I have some knowledge of the cost/benefit trade-offs in residential > heating. On my project, I worked with sustainable energy experts to come > up with an overall heating strategy that uses some, albeit small, amount of > fossil fuel equipment. > > In short, I used 2x the amount of necessary closed foam insulation > completely surrounding the house, the highest efficiency windows available, > the most cost effective above ground heat-pump I could afford, and > literally spent tens of thousands of dollars more to well insulate my > home. In the end, I use a relatively small propane furnace to support the > few days the temperatures are below 20F and as a backup. The backup is > both incase my heat pump died or if the electricity power failed. > > My concern with Article 31 is that it is putting a huge financial burden > on Lincoln homes in order to keep the house warm in very cold weather. > > This brings me to my question. If indeed the financial burden is as high > as I think it would be in order to keep the house warm in *very *cold > weather on all-electric, why not push for highly-efficient hybrid systems? > It would seem a stretch code proposal that would limit the need for fossil > fuel equipment by mandating a high-efficiency heat pumps on new > construction or major renovations would be a less costly alternative. > > Instead, Article 31 appears to me as a no-choice approach, that doesn't > consider the financial burden and overall efficiency of project. > > I'd be interested to hear your feedback on this. > > Thanks. > > Best Regards, > Scott > > > > On Sunday, 27 March 2022, 02:50:27 pm GMT-4, Paul Shorb < > paul.sh...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > I would like to respond to some recent posts here that seem to critique a > move towards fossil-fuel-free homes as an expensive luxury for high-minded > hypocrites who blissfully ignore adverse cost impacts on those economically > less well-off. Here are some relevant facts that may be of interest to LT > readers. > > Requiring new homes to be all-electric will not make them more expensive > to build or operate. In fact, due to the almost miraculous energy > efficiency of modern heat pumps, they tend to be LESS expensive to operate, > thereby benefiting not only high-end homeowners but also less-affluent > renters. (Not to mention the health benefits of cleaner indoor air.) A > recent state study show the cost benefits are even better for multi-family > housing than for single family homes. > > All-electric homes are not required to have an emergency generator. > Whether someone wants to have an emergency generator is a personal choice; > many homes powered by fossil fuels choose to have one. > We mention emergency generators to underscore that we expect they would > still be allowed as an option, when and if Lincoln adopts a bylaw. Even if > you assume a generator to be an additional cost associated with an > all-electric house, that likely will be offset by reduced operating costs. > > With regard to DIE, it's hard to come up with something with more > disparate impact on people of color than our current fossil-fuel economy > and the climate change it is causing. > In America it typically is lower-income people - often people of color - > who live closest to fossil fuel extraction areas, fuel refineries, power > plants, and areas thickest with vehicle exhaust fumes, and who thereby > suffer the most from the local pollution effects. > Around the world, it is regions populated mainly by black and brown people > that are getting hit the hardest by the many impacts of climate change. > Those are the people who are most at risk of being pushed back into poverty > and worse by extreme weather events, droughts, food shortages, and > desperate migration attempts and ensuing political strife - even though > they have done much less than the more developed, majority-white nations > have done to cause the current climate crisis. > That's why it is rightly said that "climate justice is racial justice". > > - Paul Shorb > > On Sat, Mar 26, 2022 at 1:16 PM Stephanie Smoot <stephanieesm...@gmail.com> > wrote: > > I found irony that they were adding all these programs but a waiting list > for senior tax work off spaces! > > On Sat, Mar 26, 2022 at 1:09 PM Richard Panetta <richardpane...@gmail.com> > wrote: > > So did anyone else find any irony in a report given about inclusion > diversity equity and anti racism then the very next article the presenting > sponsor when questioned about losing electricity stated well you can JUST > get a propane generator for those needs. Never mind a good generator can > cost $5000 plus along with the yearly costs of the tank and propane. Just > in case your non fossil fuel home loses power. > > > > > > -- > The LincolnTalk mailing list. > To post, send mail to Lincoln@lincolntalk.org. > Search the archives at http://lincoln.2330058.n4.nabble.com/. > Browse the archives at https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/private/lincoln/ > . > Change your subscription settings at > https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/lincoln. > > -- > Regards, > *Stephanie Smoot* > > 857 368-9175 work > 781 941-6842 personal cell > *617 595-5217 *work cell > 126 Chestnut Circle > Lincoln, MA 01773 > > > -- > The LincolnTalk mailing list. > To post, send mail to Lincoln@lincolntalk.org. > Search the archives at http://lincoln.2330058.n4.nabble.com/. > Browse the archives at https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/private/lincoln/ > . > Change your subscription settings at > https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/lincoln. > > -- > The LincolnTalk mailing list. > To post, send mail to Lincoln@lincolntalk.org. > Search the archives at http://lincoln.2330058.n4.nabble.com/. > Browse the archives at https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/private/lincoln/ > . > Change your subscription settings at > https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/lincoln. > >
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