Community Solutions

The cost of power and heat for our schools and public buildings has gone up substantially in recent years, adding to budget hardships at all levels. And while price pressures have eased recently, most experts agree it’s only temporary. As the economy recovers, energy prices will rise again, adding new pressure to already strained budgets. Community leaders must find ways to offset these increases in order to preserve essential staffing and mission-critical programs.

In addition, community leaders are being challenged to “go green” and find ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The impacts of climate change are now apparent and the way to combat them is through energy efficiency and reduced use of fossil fuels. Twenty-nine states have adopted a “Renewable Portfolio Standard” (RPS) which requires utility companies to use renewable energy, or purchase renewable energy credits, to account for a percentage of their total retail electricity sales within the next 5 – 15 years. New York has an especially ambitious RPS with a goal of 24% renewables by 2013. A national RPS may soon be adopted that applies to all states. Public institutions and businesses, as well as individuals, are all obligated to do their part in achieving these goals.

The question then is: how do communities do this? How do they identify and quantify opportunities to increase energy efficiency in existing structures and operations? How do they determine what renewable energy solutions will provide the best economic payback? How do they pay for all of this when capital and operating budgets are already stretched to the limits?

The good news is AllGreen Renewables has a solution – Renewable Energy Coalitions. Since all community leaders face similar challenges and share common goals, it makes sense to join forces in pursuit of them. Renewable Energy Coalitions allow communities to pool resources, coordinate efforts, share a single learning curve, negotiate volume pricing with vendors, pursue a consistent approach to financing, and share the costs and risks of program management and implementation.

AllGreen Renewables has the analytical tools, technical and product partners, and financing solutions to help communities face these challenging problems. For more information, please contact us at 866-602-5329 or by email: CommunitySolutions@AllGreenRenewables.com