2022-07-26: Energy Efficiency/ Usage | Sustainability Index Webinar

On Tuesday, July 26^th, IrisBG attended the last webinar of APGA’s Sustainability Index Series, in which we also had the pleasure of sponsoring.

Focused on approaches of achieving better energy efficiency at three different gardens, the webinar was incredibly informative and enlightening. Each of the  presenting organizations has met their unique set of goals to shift energy use away from fossil fuels, proving that, with strong principles and planning, it can be done!

All the material is available for free at the Public Gardens Sustainability Index (APGA).

Duke Farms

Jonathan Wagar, Deputy Executive Director at Duke Farms in Hillsborough, New Jersey, presented first. Now outfitted with its very own solar power plant, the 2,740-acre historic site and nature preserve hopes to inspire visitors to become better stewards of their surroundings. Many of the practices that Duke Farms has adopted can be done on a small scale.

To cut down greenhouse gas emissions as close to zero as possible, the organization is replicating the New Jersey state guidelines on reducing fossil fuel use (https://www.njeda.com/njzip/). Though zero-emissions does seem like a misnomer- the majority of Duke Farms visitors drive their gas-powered vehicles to get there- the state’s plan has proven to be a smart model to use. The list of applications to the right are a few currently being implemented.

• Electric fleet transportation has been provided for staff. The use of gas-fueled transportation in Duke Farms’ core area is discouraged.
• Electric hand equipment for garden staff-rechargeable batteries over gas!
• Electric vehicle charging stations were installed.
• The installation of a 640-kilowatt solar array constructed of 3120 panels that spans 2.7 acres to supply 100% of the electric power for the site.
• 56 geothermal wells moderate underground temperatures, increasing efficiency, thus reducing heating and cooling costs.
• Native plantings, raingardens and bioswales have been established to help sequester water runoff and filter pollutants.

For more information on the positive environmental impact Duke Farms has made in their community, visit their website. 

San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden

Next in the webinar, Executive Director of San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden (SLOBG), Chenda Lor, shared exciting information about their sustainably constructed building and rainwater collection system. The botanical garden sits on land that first belonged to the indigenous Northern Chumash people -there is a new Weaving Restoration Garden showcasing grasses, shrubs, and trees that are used by the Chumash for basketry. The original idea for the 150-acre botanical garden was to focus on the five Mediterranean climate zones of the world. That theme still holds today. Though the summers are mild, 75°F is the average high, they are dry. The drought tolerant plants that the organization has embraced keep water related costs low.

The SLOBG has one of the first straw bale buildings in the state of California. The organization’s education and event space, The Oak Glen Pavilion, is an LEED Gold certified building and addresses five areas of concern: site development, energy efficiency, water conservation, materials selection, and indoor environment quality. The building is oriented in a north to south direction, maximizing sun exposure in the winter for warmth. Walls are constructed with thick stucco on the outside, insulated with straw, and finished with a thick plaster on the inside. Solar panels are responsible for most of the building’s electrical needs and provide warmth. The roof’s metal awnings shade the windows from the summer sun’s heat.

Image courtesy of www.slobg.com

Water conservation plays a large role in SLOBG’s sustainability plan. A three-filter, wastewater management system is outfitted with a tank that can hold up to 15,000 gallons of water. The system also includes a bioswale to reduce runoff, as well as an impressive rainwater collection system (it renders 30,000 gallons from the roofs a year!), and plants to filter and clean the water.

Plans for a new visitor center involve indoor and outdoor meeting spaces, a water capture and storage plan, three more miles of trails, and six new viewing kiosks which will create more rainwater collection. 

Mount Auburn Cemetery

Lastly, Gus Fraser, Vice President of Preservation and Facilities at Mount Auburn Cemetery, discussed renewable energy credits (REC’s), solar panel installation, and energy consumption tracking. Founded in 1831 and designed to be a rural cemetery where people could grieve their loved ones while experiencing nature, the Mount Auburn Cemetery is comprised of 175 acres, 500,000 trees accessioned trees, a botanical garden and arboretum. Averaging between 600 – 700 burials a year, the cemetery is also an Audubon bird sanctuary.

Using the Greenhouse Gas Protocol as inspiration, greenhouse gas reduction is part of every planning and improvement process at Mount Auburn Cemetery. Energy use is documented, benchmarked, and tracked every step of the way.

Their tracking journey began in 2009 as a simple Excel spreadsheet with the fields:

Gus explained that only modest improvements were made between the years 2006-2020. However, subbing fossil fuels with more energy efficient boilers resulted in a positive change. Mount Auburn began utilizing the tools provided by the greenhouse gas protocol, which offers tools to help calculate greenhouse gas emissions and offers online training to learn how to best calculate emissions. 

A few years ago, Mount Auburn began purchasing renewable energy credits to help offset electricity usage. These credits are issued to renewable electricity generators for every megawatt hour of electricity they produce. It came to a shocking good deal: $798 REC vs. $78,000 electricity bill.

With the 2021 installation of a solar array, Mount Auburn became eligible for Massachusetts Class 1 renewable energy credits. This huge step forward also makes the goal of carbon neutrality by 2050 seem even more attainable.

For Mount Auburn, it all began as a purchase for a solar hot water heater in 2003. Now, in 2022, their sustainability plan has evolved to include a rooftop solar array comprised of 156 panels.

To learn more about energy efficiency at Mount Auburn Cemetery, visit their website where they have also shared their Climate Action and Sustainability Plan. https://mountauburn.org/.

Each of the organizations presenting during the Sustainability Index: Energy Efficienct/ Usage session has established a variety of tools to respond to climate change. They share many things in common, the most important being the fortitude to do something, no matter how small the initial act may seem. As witnessed from attending this session, it is also helpful and encouraging to check in with our peers to gain both knowledge and inspiration as well as the occasional pep talk.

A Tip from the IrisBG toolkit

Create a Custom Attribute for "Biofilter Plants"

Curate an online tour featuring the themed plant selection: Biofilter Plants to educate and encourage the public to plant their own backyard raingarden, cleaning their neighborhood’s water and reducing runoff! For a more in depth look at creating custom attributes, take a look at our Coffee Chat from October 2021, Efficient collection management with Custom Attributes.