Highlights:

• A grid-connected 1 kW photovoltaic (PV) panel at Mills Lawn Elementary School began operatirng in late 1999. Ohio EPA is funding a 5th grade curriculum on renewable energy to be taught next year and a school web site on the PV output is anticipated.
• The Village of Yellow Springs became the first Ohio community to draft and enact a renewable energy "net metering" ordinance in September 1998. The Village and local school board will demonstrate photovoltaic net metering on a local elementary school.
• Water conservation devices to ist the Village water system reduce its costs were researched by the Environmental Commission and then distributed on a no charge basis to village water users. Each kit could save up to $100 annually.
• Green pricing is also under consideration by Village Staff and the Environmental Commission and Yellow Springs has contracted with AMP-Ohio to purchase up to 1 MW of electricity from landfill gas.
• Lighting efficiency upgrades include LEDs in fire exit signs in the Community Center, and retro-fit of traffic lights is currently not feasible, however efforts continue to seek LEDs as the Village needs to replace current traffic lights in the next year.

Yellow Springs Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy Programs:

• Net Metering: The Village of Yellow Springs became the first Ohio community to draft and enact a renewable energy "net metering" ordinance in September 1998. This law also encourages use of wind and/or solar energy in local generation and allows the village to contract with industrial utility consumers to share customer-owned generation for stand-by capacity and peak shaving. The new Ohio electric industry restructuring law enacted "net metering" to become effective on January 1, 2001 elsewhere in the state.
• The Mills Lawn Elementary School PV array now demonstrates net metering under a 1998 ordinance ped by Village Council.
• Water Conservation Devices in the free of charge kits distributed by the village include: low flow showerheads and aerators. Publicity for this program is in the Yellow Springs News and on customers’ utility bills.
• Green Pricing efforts by Yellow Springs are now partnered with SEED Ohio. SEED mailed an educational flyer to all Village electric customers in an effort to gauge community interest in renewable energy. In addition to buying the landfill gas power through AMP-Ohio, Yellow Springs participated in the Aug. 3 green pricing workshop at Bowling Green.