Vermont Business Magazine Applications are now being accepted for free energy assessments of municipal buildings throughout Vermont. This next phase of the Municipal Energy Resilience Program (MERP) will document conditions and make recommendations for improvements to building envelopes, heating and cooling systems, and other projects to make towns more efficient and resilient, including recommendations to incorporate renewable sources in building energy systems.
Municipalities (cities, towns, incorporated villages, fire districts, etc.) will be eligible to apply for the free assessments, and once completed, apply for up to $500,000 under the MERP Implementation Grants to make recommended improvements.
Nearly 100 towns have already been awarded $4,000 under the MERP Community Capacity Building Mini-Grants program that was a precursor to this larger effort.
Applications for these funds remain open and municipalities are encouraged to apply.
MERP is modeled on the highly successful State Energy Management Program (SEMP) that has been improving the efficiency of state-owned buildings for close to a decade.
“This program is a great example of how we can work to meet our emissions reduction targets by helping communities and Vermonters increase efficiency and transition to cleaner energy,” said Governor Phil Scott. “By working with municipalities through this program and other state and local efforts, we can address climate change and lower costs.”
“This is the next step in a program that will help towns across the state improve the performance of their municipal buildings. Improving performance lowers greenhouse gas emissions supporting the State’s climate goals while reducing utility bills and saving money on utility bills, a win-win for Vermont’s communities.,” said Buildings and General Services Commissioner Jennifer M.V. Fitch, P.E. “Beyond the value in advancing projects in the MERP program, the assessments are an important baseline tool for accessing other funding opportunities as they become available.”
MERP will prioritize municipalities most in need of energy-resilient infrastructure investments, including energy-burdened communities and communities with less administrative capacity to apply for grants. Energy burden is the percentage of income spent on heating, electricity, and transportation, and was determined at the town level by Efficiency Vermont’s 2019 Energy Burden report.
The assessments can be conducted on multiple buildings owned by municipalities. BGS is offering two types of assessments: Level 1 (streamlined) and Level 2 (comprehensive) building energy resilience assessments. Both are free and allow municipalities to apply for the MERP implementation grant (coming later this year).
Act 172 committed $45 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) State Fiscal Recovery Funds for the program. BGS is partnering with Vermont’s Regional Planning Commissions (RPC) who will be conducting program outreach, technical assistance, and education with their member municipalities.
Municipalities are encouraged to contact their RPC for application assistance, technical assistance with identifying needs for energy improvements, and determining which level of assessment is right for them. Please visit the BGS MERP webpage to find your region’s RPC contact for the program.
Source: 7.5.2023. Vermont Dept of Buildings and General Services
