Implement Proven Sustainability
Best Practices!
May 30th, 2011
Introduction: GreenStep Cities
Taking action with proven best practices
GreenStep Cities is an action-oriented voluntary program
offering a simple pathway to implementation of
sustainable development best practices that focus
on cost savings, energy use reduction and innovation.
Introduction
The Details
Get Started
www.MnGreenStep.org
What is GreenStep all about?
• Providing a “Pathway to
Sustainability” (i.e., ACTION)
that is:
– Cost-effective
– Pragmatic
– Achievable for all cities
• Providing assistance & peer
learning for local governments
to implement best practices
Introduction
The Details
• Achieving meaningful
reductions in energy use &
other positive environmental
outcomes
• Providing leadership and
action roles for community
members and institutions so
as to stretch limited city
funds
• Promoting Innovation
Get Started
www.MnGreenStep.org
What makes GreenStep different?
• Geared toward smaller cities
• Gives credit for actions you’ve
already taken and helps you
identify new actions
• Best practices developed by
experts in their fields from
Minnesota
• Identifies individual resource
people who can help you
with each best practice
• Action-oriented
• Identifies resources for each
action option under each best
practice
• Focused on Minnesota
• Allows flexibility within each
best practice
Introduction
The Details
Get Started
www.MnGreenStep.org
Why would my City do this?
For a healthy, resilient community:
• Cheaper-to-operate
& green buildings
• Walkable, bikeable communities
and healthier citizens & businesses
• Lower costs to government,
business, educational
institutions & citizens
• Transportation options that
connect jobs & housing
• Ecological infrastructure,
low-impact development
• Cleaner water, air
& viable habitat
Introduction
• Local food production
• Local renewable energy production
• Provide more local, green jobs
• Attract businesses & residents that
want these services and amenities
The Details
Get Started
www.MnGreenStep.org
Are other cities already involved?
Yes! Over 25 cities are taking action:
• Pine River
• St. Cloud
• Breezy Point
• Farmington
• Eagan
• Luverne
• Edina
• Hoffman
• St. Anthony
• Mahtomedi
• Falcon Heights
• Northfield
• Rochester
• Oakdale
• Apple Valley
• Maplewood
• Red Wing
• Milan
Introduction
The Details
Get Started
www.MnGreenStep.org
The Details: Best Practices
GreenStep Cities has 28
best practices in 5 categories
Buildings & Lighting
Transportation
Land Use
Environmental Management
Economic & Community Development
Introduction
The Details
Get Started
www.MnGreenStep.org
The Details: Best Practices
Introduction
The Details
Get Started
www.MnGreenStep.org
Which category city are you?
Category C. Very small cities with no more
than one public building and no more than
two full-time equivalent staff.
Category B. Small to mid-size cities that have several public buildings and several
staff. Category B cities maintain roads and usually a separate public works
department and a planning/development department.
Category A. Mid-size to large cities that are within a metropolitan area or that
serve as a regional economic and service center. Category A cities are served by a
regular route transit service, provide a complete set of urban services, and have
distinct commercial and industrial areas.
Introduction
The Details
Get Started
www.MnGreenStep.org
Which category city are you?
Introduction
The Details
Get Started
www.MnGreenStep.org
Programmatic Requirements
Introduction
The Details
Get Started
www.MnGreenStep.org
Sample Best Practices
• Improve the efficiency of city
street lighting and signals
• Improve the efficiency of drinking
water and waste water facilities
• Construct new buildings to meet
green building standards
• Adopt development ordinances or
processes that protect natural
systems
Introduction
The Details
• Increase city tree and plant cover
• Adopt an environmentally
preferable purchasing policy
• Strengthen local food production
and access
• Use assistance programs for green
business and job development
Get Started
www.MnGreenStep.org
Best Practice Actions…for trees
Within each Best Practice there are a series of Best Practice Actions that
a city can take to implement that best practice. This example is for trees.
Increase city tree and plant cover:
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Qualify as a Tree City USA, or
Adopt MN TreeTrust/Boonestro tree planting standards as city policy, or
Budget tree plantings to reach 75% residential canopy cover in 15 yrs., or
Enact street design standards that incorporate street trees
Who can Help? Ken Holman, Community Forestry Coordinator, MN Department of
Natural Resources: 651/259-5269, [email protected]
Introduction
The Details
Get Started
www.MnGreenStep.org
Be a GreenStep City: 5 Steps
1. Build community interest
2. Have your City Council approve
a resolution to participate
3. Post info about what your city
has already done
4. Work on additional best
practices
5. Get recognized
Introduction
The Details
Get Started
www.MnGreenStep.org
First Steps: in Detail
Introduction
The Details
Get Started
www.MnGreenStep.org
The Assessment Tool
• Inventory what you’ve
already done…and what good
opportunities might be
• Learn more about what’s happening
in departments throughout your city
• Partner with neighboring communities
and regional entities to jointly assess
opportunities and areas of common
interest – maximize shared resources
Introduction
The Details
MINNESOTA GREENSTEP CITIES BEST PRACTICES, ACTION
OPTIONS AND PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS (1/11/2011)
Completed? In
process?
Planned?
Responsible
person / entity?
5 Buildings & Lighting Best Practices
1. Public Buildings
(1) Enter baseline information into the Minnesota B3 database and continue entering
monthly energy use data from city-owned buildings.
(2) Audit (or when cost-effective, recommission) all city-owned buildings in the bottom
third of the B3 energy performance ranking and implement a majority of energy efficiency
opportunities that have a payback under 5 years.
(3) Complete energy efficiency improvements in at least one city, school or park district
building (in addition to buildings addressed in action 2) via retrofit and retro-/recommissioning, with financing at attractive interest rates under MN’s PBEEEP program or
related lease-purchase financing, energy performance contracting, or other cost-justified
program.
(4) Participate in other state or utility programs that provide rebates or co-funding for
energy efficiency improvements to public buildings.
(5) Document that the operation, or construction / remodeling, of at least one city-owned
building (excluding park buildings) meets or qualifies for a green building standard.
(6) Create an internal loan fund for making public building improvements based on an
energy or green building standard.
(7) Install in at least one public building at least one of the following energy efficiency
measures:
a.
A distributed energy technology: micro-turbine, fuel cell, reciprocating engine.
b.
A ground-source, closed loop geothermal system where net greenhouse gases are
less than those generated by the system being replaced.
http://greenstep.pca.state.mn.us/bestPracticesDetail.cfm?bpid=1
2. Private Buildings
Get Started
www.MnGreenStep.org
GreenStep Program Partners
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Minnesota Pollution Control Agency – Prevention & Assistance Division
Clean Energy Resource Teams (CERTs)
League of Minnesota Cities
Great Plains Institute
Izaak Walton League – MN Chapter
Urban Land Institute – MN Chapter
Minnesota Division of Energy Resources
Introduction
The Details
Get Started
www.MnGreenStep.org
For More Information
Philipp Muessig
GreenStep Cities Coordinator
MPCA, Prevention & Assistance
Division
651-757-2594
[email protected]
Introduction
The Details
Get Started
www.MnGreenStep.org