[SLI-Newsletter] Sustainable Libraries Initiative January 2022 Newsletter

Mon Jan 3 08:09:13 EST 2022

 <https://sustainablelibrariesinitiative.org/media/document/145> 

Our January 2022 Newsletter
<https://sustainablelibrariesinitiative.org/media/document/145>  is now
available by clicking the links above, downloading the pdf attachment, or
reading the full text below.

Sustainable Libraries Initiative Newsletter

January 2022

Breaking News

The 'Community Gardening at Your Library' webinar recording
<https://sustainablelibrariesinitiative.org/community-gardening-your-library
-webinar>  is now accessible on the SLI website. It is available in the
'Resources <https://sustainablelibrariesinitiative.org/resources> ' section
for a limited time after which it will be in our 'Members Only Resources'
section. 

Climate Action Now

SLI co-founder, Rebekkah Smith Aldrich, is once again contributing a
Sustainability column to  <https://www.libraryjournal.com> Library Journal.
In the
<https://www.libraryjournal.com/story/Climate-Action-Now-Sustainability>
December 2021 article, practical strategies are presented for libraries to
identify and plan for climate risks. The time is now for libraries to step
forward and position their organizations as a source of vital resources and
support for their communities. Read this article and the entire
<https://www.libraryjournal.com/search?query=rebekkah> Sustainability Column
archive on the
<https://www.libraryjournal.com/author?query=Rebekkah%20Smith%20Aldrich>
Library Journal site. 

Community Solar

This month we have a guest contributor to our newsletter, Joe Montuori. Joe
is a library board member at  <https://mahopaclibrary.org> Mahopac Public
Library in Putnam County. He also volunteers for
<https://sustainableputnam.org> Sustainable Putnam, an organization that
advocates for communities in Putnam County to adopt principles of triple
bottom line sustainability in their practices and actions. He is sharing his
experience in navigating the Mahopac Public Library's switch to renewable
energy.

Go Solar for a More Sustainable Library

by Joe Montuori

Can you imagine anything that suggests "sustainability" more than solar
panels covering your library's roof? What a wonderful message that would
send to the community. "Hey, check it out! We're walking the walk!" 

If only. Installing solar photovoltaic (PV) panels is an expensive
proposition even for a well-funded library. And it's a complicated project.
Is your roof large, well-oriented, and generally unobstructed by shade? If
yes, how many years are left on that roof before major repairs or
replacement are needed? If your roof is in good shape, your next step is
obtaining estimates from several reputable solar installers and choosing the
one you'll work with. Then there's financing. 

As a Board Trustee of Mahopac Public Library in Putnam County, I'm always
looking for ways to reduce expenses in our budget without diminishing our
library's excellent services. As the President of Sustainable Putnam, a
local sustainability organization, I'm always looking for ways to decrease
our community's carbon footprint. My attempt to install solar PV at the
library combined both these aspirations. 

Unfortunately, going solar is more often an aspiration than a reality. In
the Mid-Hudson region's Putnam County, more than one library has seriously
considered a PV installation, and decided that it just wasn't practical at
this time. In Garrison, for example, some local residents objected to an
artfully-designed, ground-mounted
<https://www.pirieassociates.com/desmond-fish-library> "solar ribbon" on the
Desmond Fish Library grounds. And in Mahopac, the 3-story library building
has a deceptively small roof area. So, a solar contractor recommended both
roof and 
ground-mounted systems.  But the 14' tall solar canopy they proposed for our
parking lot would have obscured the street view of the building, creating an
eyesore on the hamlet's main street. 

Even so, both of these libraries still managed to go solar, using community
solar, a much-misunderstood alternative.  Community solar requires no
installation and no upfront costs. Instead, it allows residents, businesses
and other institutions to sign up and "subscribe" to a portion of a large
solar project offsite, on a solar farm.

Subscribers on the project receive a 10% discount off their utility's
regular rate on the community solar credits they earn every month.
Electricity is still provided and billed by your utility. There are no other
costs or fees, the discount rate cannot be lowered, and cancellation is free
with 90 days' notice. 

Here's how it works. Your community solar provider allocates a portion of
its solar farm to your account, basing their estimate on your average annual
usage. (You'll share your utility account number so they can check.) But
since the solar electricity generated, and your electrical consumption vary
from month to month, they don't always match up. During the summer months,
you accumulate and bank more solar credits than the electricity you consume.
During winter months, you earn fewer solar credits than electricity
consumed; so those summer solar credits get applied to your winter bills -
kind of like "rollover minutes" on a cellphone plan. 

Overall, the goal is to provide 10% in savings over the course of the year.
Your library saves money while it encourages the construction of new solar
farms, and creates green economy jobs in New York. 

When Mahopac Public Library realized that a solar installation wasn't
practical, they signed up for community solar. And they're not alone.  In
fact, six of eight Putnam County libraries are participating in community
solar, and the other two are now considering it. 

While there are many excellent solar providers out there, it can be tedious
to weed through all the offers. Local sustainability organizations such as
Sustainable Putnam have vetted one or more solar providers to cut back on
the research needed to choose a provider. Get in touch with your local
sustainability organization, or visit
<https://sustainableputnam.org/solarize-putnam/> Sustainable Putnam online
to learn more. 

Joe Montuori is a third-year trustee at Mahopac Public Library, where he
also volunteers as President of Sustainable Putnam. Feel free to contact Joe
at  <mailto:joe at sustainableputnam.org> joe at sustainableputnam.org. 

Community Solar and Renewable Energy  Resources:

NYSERDA Resources:

<https://www.nyserda.ny.gov/All-Programs/NY-Sun/Solar-for-Your-Business/Comm
unity-Solar/Details> Before You Get Started

<https://www.nyserda.ny.gov/All-Programs/NY-Sun/Solar-for-Your-Home/Communit
y-Solar/How-it-Works> How Does Community Solar work? 

<https://www.nyserda.ny.gov/All-Programs/NY-Sun/Solar-for-Your-Home/Communit
y-Solar/Community-Solar-Map> Find a community Solar Project

<https://www.nyserda.ny.gov/All-Programs/NY-Sun/Solar-for-Your-Business/Comm
unity-Solar> Community Solar for Businesses

<https://www.nyserda.ny.gov/All-Programs/NY-Sun/Communities-and-Local-Govern
ments/Solarize> Solarize Your Community

 <https://sustainablelibrariesinitiative.org/us-state-energy-offices> US
State Energy Offices

EBSCO:

 <https://www.ebsco.com/solar> Solar Grant

Solar to the People:

 <https://solar-to-the-people.com/solar-libraries/> Libraries Going Solar
Article

News Articles:

 <https://www.brooklynpaper.com/coney-island-libraries-solar-backup-system/>
Coney Island Library Goes Solar

 <https://www.scarboroughlibrary.org/solar> Scarborough Public Library

<https://facilityexecutive.com/2021/09/library-system-breaks-ground-on-new-s
olar-array/> Central Arkansas Library System

Upcoming Events

<https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdRJRcLDywrBWKpSZqKECaK_79CrCi3Jfz
6F4-QH5xlLEIRJw/viewform?usp=sf_link> SLCP Online MeetUp: January 6th, 2022
11:00am EST

<https://sustainablelibrariesinitiative.org/events/school-librarian-certific
ation-meet-1> School Librarian Certification MeetUp: February 10, 2022
3:30pm EST

 <https://www.alaliblearnx.org/> LibLearnX: Live Learning Lab: Sustainable
Thinking Builds Strong and Resilient Communities. Sunday, January 23,2022
1:30pm-2:30pm EST

 <https://elearning.ala.org/local/catalog/view/product.php?productid=153>
ALA Core Webinar: Sustainable Thinking Builds Strong Libraries and Resilient
Communities Tuesday, March 15th, 2pm EST 

 <https://sustainablelibrariesinitiative.org/> 

Annemarie Gordon

Sustainability Coordinator

Suffolk Cooperative Library System
<https://portal.suffolklibrarysystem.org/> 

sliadmin at suffolknet.org

631-286-1600 x1355

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