Vermont Campus Sustainability Network

VCSN is a campus resource promoting energy efficiency, renewable energy, and sustainability at Vermont institutions of higher education. The Bulletin is a platform for stimulating an inclusive dialogue on sustainability efforts within the state. VCSN is hosted by the UVM Office of Sustainability, with support from Efficiency Vermont.

Interested in submitting an article highlighting the work being done on your campus?  Please send it to Tatiana.Abatemarco@uvm.edu.

VCSN Fall Meeting, Sept 3 at Middlebury College

The Vermont Campus Sustainability Network will be holding its fall meeting on Friday, September 3, at Middlebury College.  This is a great opportunity for faculty, staff, and students who are working on sustainability issues at their colleges to network and share information with other campus sustainability folks.  On the agenda will be training students to do weatherization work, energy efficiency opportunities with Efficiency Vermont, highlighting Middlebury's sustainability work, and as always there will be time for people to discuss what is happening at their institutions and connect with others working on similar projects. 

If you are intrested in attending, please RSVP by THIS FRIDAY August 27 to Tatiana Abatemarco tabatema@uvm.edu

VBMX Helps Vermont Schools and Businesses Reduce Waste

The Vermont Business Materials Exchange (VBMX) is a free web-based service that seeks to reduce waste by promoting the exchange of reusable materials. Through VBMX, businesses and institutions with surplus or by-product materials connect with other entities or individuals who can use these materials productively. Institutions can save money on disposal fees, while they also reduce their impact on the environment be keeping materials out of a landfill. 

According to Erica Spiegel, Solid Waste Manager from the University of Vermont, "VBMX is a valuable service that reaches folks all around Vermont.  UVM has benefited by both receiving and getting rid of materials via the Exchange." Several years ago, the university was able to donate many boxes of obsolete green bar computer paper to a start up business which makes memo pads.  The university also found a reliable supplier of 55-gallon fiber drums, which it uses for collecting donated items during its annual Student Move Out program. According to Spiegel, "the empty drums were a waste product from a food manufacturing plant based in the Waterbury area, but we were able to use them throughout our recycling program."

The Vermont Business Materials Exchange is supported by the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation and the website is maintained by the Northeast Recycling Council.  To access the Exchange and learn more, visit www.vbmx.org

The Race to Replace Campaign

The Race to Replace campaign, headed up by a committed group of Middlebury College Students, aims to ensure that Vermont Yankee is replaced with clean, renewable sources of electricity in 2012. Throughout this election season, we're encouraging young people to take a stand and cast their ballot for a clean energy candidate who will ensure these goals. While our generation cares overwhelmingly about Vermont's clean energy future - good jobs, clean water and air, and a livable climate - we're not expected to turn out to the polls in huge numbers. The Race to Replace campaign is out to collaborate with young voters across the state to defy these expectations and make clean energy THE issue this election season. If you'd like to become a part of this movement, email contact@racetoreplace.org and check out our website at www.racetoreplace.org.

NewLight Program – LIMITED TIME OFFER From Efficiency Vermont

Introducing newLIGHT:  an exciting new program promoting the replacement of T12 and HID High-Bay lighting with more efficient technology.  For a limited time - April 1 through December 31, 2010 - Efficiency Vermont is offering Colleges & Universities significantly enhanced rebates for upgrading their old T12 fluorescent and HID high-bay lighting systems to more efficient equipment - from 50 to 90% of the equipment cost!

For more information visit:http://www.efficiencyvermont.com/pages/Business/HVAC/Lighting/newLIGHT_Enhanced_Incentives/ or call Customer Support & Development at 888-921-5990

RELIGHT Lighting Design Program

Efficiency Vermont presents RELIGHT, a program designed to encourage commercial customers to enlist the support of lighting design professionals on lighting retrofit projects. Lighting design professionals can not only provide expert advice on lighting equipment and design, but can also guide a business to the maximum energy savings possible during a lighting upgrade.

To reduce the cost barrier of working with a lighting designer Efficiency Vermont will cover up to the full cost of the audit (max. of $2,000.). Efficiency Vermont pays 50% of the audit cost up front (max. of $1,000.); the customer is responsible for the remaining 50%. Upon completion of the lighting upgrades, Efficiency Vermont will refund the customer up to the remaining 50% of the audit cost. The refund amount is proportional to the energy savings implemented vs. the energy savings possible based on the designer recommendations.

For complete information and a list of participating Lighting Designers and more information visit:http://www.efficiencyvermont.com/pages/Business/HVAC/Lighting/relight/ or call Customer Support & Development at 888-921-5990

Increased LED Incentives

Looking to replace your wall-pack or parking lot/security lights with a more efficient option? Our LED eligible products list keeps growing as well as our incentive amounts.

Here’s some of what’s new:

• Rebates for outdoor pole/ arm-mounted parking and roadway fixtures, including decorative fixtures, have increased to $300.
• Rebates for parking garage and canopy fixtures have increased to $300.
• Rebates for track lighting fixtures have increased to $150.
• A $30 rebate will be available for qualifying LED screw- and pin-based lamps and bulbs beginning early 2010. Products must be listed on Efficiency Vermont's "LED Eligible Products List" to qualify.

For the rebate forms and a list of eligible products visit: http://www.efficiencyvermont.com/pages/Business/HVAC/Lighting/LED/ or call Customer Support & Development at 888-921-5990