By: Andrea Bono-Bunker, MLIS, Library Building Specialist, MBLC
Image: Modelling building energy performance
Picture this. The children’s desk in mid-July 2022. You are emailing your upcoming program presenter and sipping a hot coffee in your “library-logo here” mug as the arctic breeze from the mini-split above blows in your general direction. Your heavier than mid-weight cardigan, the one with the little burn mark on the sleeve from February when it made contact with the hissing radiator nicknamed “The Equator,” is doing a mediocre job at best. Meanwhile, your colleagues at the reference desk on the second floor under the buzzing halogen lights are sweltering, because the HVAC- heating, ventilation, and air conditioning- system in the historic side of the building is malfunctioning, again.
While the details may differ, at some point in your career, you most likely have worked in a building that has had heating and cooling issues, as much draft as a 18-wheeler on 495, and lighting from an era that may as well be Edison’s. You and your colleagues know all the cold spots, hot spots, flickering or burnt-out lights, and trickling faucets. Of course, while comfort, visibility, and concentration are impacted by these issues, they are also markers of energy and water waste. For most public libraries, a whole building project, such as the full renovation, renovation and expansion, and new construction projects funded through the MBLC’s Massachusetts Public Library Construction Program, is not likely to happen any time soon. Most libraries will be tackling incremental changes to increase energy efficiency and meet the Commonwealth’s aggressive climate goals by 2050. So, how do you begin to build a case for funding weatherization work to tighten the building’s exterior walls/windows/doors/roof, otherwise known as the building envelope, and implement efficiency upgrades to systems, such as HVAC, lighting, plumbing, etc.?
Photo Courtesy of author: Solar panels on the Charlotte and William Bloomberg Medford Public Library
Tracking energy and water usage is the first step. There are traditional means, such as a spreadsheet that can be utilized to document each utility, the amount used, the cost per unit, and the total monthly cost. Then there are more sophisticated methods, such as MassEnergyInsight, a free, online tool provided to municipalities in Massachusetts by the Department of Energy Resources (DOER) through the Green Communities Program. For login credentials, contact your designated Green Communities coordinator. (If your municipality is not a green community yet, consider discussing the process to become one with your municipal officials.) Tracking energy usage over time can indicate when there is an issue by highlighting an outlier in long-range data, prompting a service call and possibly avoiding an emergency situation. It also forms the basis for more accurate energy and cost comparisons between energy sources as well as different systems and their carbon footprint.
The next step is performing an energy audit or assessment of the building. If your municipality has a major energy provider, such as Eversource, National Grid, Unitil, Cape Light Compact, Berkshire Gas, or Liberty, then the building qualifies for an assessment through MassSave. UMass Amherst’s Center for Agriculture, Food, and the Environment has gathered all contact information for area utilities in one list. If your utilities are delivered through a local energy provider, such as a municipal light plant, then check their offers for assistance and incentives. You could also contract directly with an energy auditing firm by following local procurement law or utilizing a statewide contract. If you have a facilities department, an initial in-house evaluation may be possible using an energy checklist, such as this Energy Efficiency Checklist for Municipal Buildings from UMass Amherst.
Photo Courtesy of author: Building envelope construction for the Woburn Public Library
After gathering as much data by as many means possible to evaluate the current state of the library building’s efficiency, it’s time to work with leadership and stakeholders in triaging the work to be done. Incentives through MassSave and the DOER grant programs can assist boards of trustees and municipalities with targeted funding, which also may influence prioritization of projects. Likewise, some municipalities choose to procure upgraded equipment through energy management systems (EMS), which require less upfront capital expenditure. A looming repair or replacement is another factor that could affect which efficiency upgrade measures are implemented first based on what aligns well. For instance, if the roof needs replacement, the insulation underneath it can be increased as part of the scope of work and steps to install a solar array on the new roof can begin. Having the data to support immediate and long-term needs is crucial for responsible, effective capital planning.
Throughout all these evaluation and information-gathering exercises, share the methods, steps, and outcomes for your municipal building with your public. Many residential assessments can follow a similar trajectory, and there are additional tools you can share for learning how our energy use and habits impact the planet, such as the UN’s carbon footprint calculator. In order to realize a future that is net-zero - using only as much energy as is produced through, hopefully, renewable sources such as sun and wind - and carbon-neutral - not emitting more carbon than can be offset through other means - every one of us must play a role. Just as municipal buildings will require energy efficiency upgrades, so will commercial and residential properties. Library buildings do not only house educational resources for their communities, they can be one, too.
Questions? You can contact Andrea Bono-Bunker at andrea.bunker@mass.gov
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