Westchester Action Plan, 2008 - Westchester County Government

The Task Force recommends that households explore purchase of green/energy efficient
residences for new purchases and explore using green building practices for major
renovations.
Install Renewable Energy on Site
Review and evaluate renewable energy options. The first step in converting to
renewable energy is to review available options and evaluate their suitability for the
intended use. Once evaluated, the Task Force recommends that appropriate choices be
made and installed.
Renewable energy is energy from resources
that are not depleted or are naturally
replenished when used at sustainable levels.
Renewable energy can be used to produce
electricity or it can be used as a fuel to
replace fossil fuel for such purposes as
heating. In some cases, depending on utility
requirements, the electricity can be
connected back to the electricity grid.
Connecting to the grid means that
excess energy can be distributed through
the grid just as the energy from a power
plant is. Not only does this generate
revenue for the owner, but it lessens the
stress on the grid and energy loss
associated with long transmission lines.
Renewable Options to consider for installation include:
• Solar – Solar energy can be used to generate electricity or for direct heating.
• A photovoltaic (PV) cell converts
sunlight directly into electricity.
They may be stand-alone units or
they may connect back to the
grid. NYSERDA has a calculator xv
that can be used to calculate the
cost versus the savings of this
technology.
• Solar heating harnesses the power
of the sun to provide solar thermal
energy for solar hot water, solar
space heating, and solar pool
heaters. Passive solar heating
The Greenburgh Town Hall has a
demonstration 5.6 kW photovoltaic
system on its roof, generating about 6,840
kWh of electricity annually (the equivalent
of an average to large house), reducing
CO 2 emissions by about 7,460 lbs/year.
The Town Hall also received an energyefficiency
retrofit, with new high-efficiency
lighting and occupancy sensors. The audit
and funding was provided through NYPA.
and cooling can be accomplished through building designs that carefully balance
their energy requirements with the building's site and window orientation. The
term "passive" indicates that no additional mechanical equipment is used, other
than the normal building elements. It is most suitable for installation as part of
initial construction. In most cases existing structures, cannot be appropriately
modified.
Attachment 5: Energy
Westchester Action Plan, 2008 5-8