End of year wrap-up on Strategic Energy Management at the Co-op
Hi there. I hope this finds you well. It’s me, Nina Friedman, Strategic Energy Management (SEM) intern for the Ashland Food Co-op. The global and local crises have only devolved into further chaos since we last spoke. As we sit with the reality of coworkers, neighbors, and friends who’ve lost their homes and businesses to the recent fires, and thousands more across the nation losing their loved ones to COVID-19, I imagine many are feeling frozen and powerless to help those that are suffering. And even less so to try and mitigate climate change and the inevitable limits to our economic and population growth. While we all wrestle with what’s important during these incredibly stressful times—and knowing how impossible things seem—I’d like to share some promising news.
Like with most things in life, there was a learning curve for our first year in the SEM program. As we fumbled to find our footing, we still managed to achieve a 2.6% natural gas savings in 2019. Most importantly, we formed our energy team, and in doing so started to create a more explicit energy savings consciousness throughout the Co-op. We drafted the Co-op’s first energy policy and defined the actions necessary to reach our goals. In essence, we laid the foundation for future successes and savings.
It always feels good to reach your goals. Even better when you smash them. With a goal of 3% natural gas savings in 2020, imagine our elation to see our savings at 6% when all things were said and done. That’s 1,371 therms (over 137 million BTUs) of natural gas that can stay in the ground. This was the year of standardizing procedure. Standard operating procedures (SOPs) were created around the two most important contributors to natural gas consumption at the Co-op, heating the store and heating the water.
How do you reduce natural gas use for heating the store? Put simply, turn down the thermostat. In actuality, we accomplished something a lot more complex than that. We established a thermostat management team and a comprehensive procedure outlining ideal energy-saving temperatures, programming instructions, and reporting for changes made to prescribed schedules. In addition to thermostat management, routine maintenance of our Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) units ensures peak performance for our systems and reduces inefficiencies.
To minimize natural gas use for heating the water, routine maintenance is just as necessary. With large amounts of heat being generated, hot water systems are prone to mineral/scale buildup, especially tankless ones, like ours. If the filters aren't changed regularly, this buildup will greatly reduce the efficiency of the heaters, essentially wasting all the heat that's being generated. Armed with this knowledge, we set out to define and document the proper procedure for changing the store’s hot water filter and create a digital schedule that sets reminders for this and other essential recurring routine maintenance.
These are small successes during a time when we need big change. The Co-op’s energy management won’t reverse our global energy crisis, and energy savings won’t ease our collective distress. This is tangible, though. Real people, at your local food cooperative, taking real steps to lessen its environmental impact. This is something we can feel good about.
More Co-op News
October news at the Co-op
October is typically Co-op month, to highlight how differently cooperatives do business. But instead of talking about the 7 Cooperative Principles, or the ownership benefits of being part of the Co-op, we only need to look at the past four weeks to see what being a cooperative really means.
As part of the co-op family, you've helped the entire community immensely.
Lecture recording: "Nutrition for autism and related conditions"
Lisa Shelton, BioIndividual Nutrition Practitioner & Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, put together this recording to discuss nutrition for autism and related conditions including, ADHD, anxiety, and learning disorders as well as strategies for picky eating.
Click here to watch the lecture at your convenience.
Password: p!=Fw6R7
Support Co-op staff to rebuild
The Ashland Food Co-op is dedicated to helping our community and our staff rebuild after the Almeda Fires in early September.
For immediate support, the Co-op gave $1,000 to staff who lost their homes in the fires, as well as $250 for food and other household needs for anyone displaced due to a level 3 evacuation order.
Change for Good in September: Southern Oregon Land Conservancy
For the month of September, Ashland Food Co-op shoppers can round up at the register to support Southern Oregon Land Conservancy. Since 1973, SOLC has been working on multiple fronts to improve land quality and conservation for humans and nature alike. Check out some of the projects below that SOLC has been working on recently. And mark your calendar for Saturday, October 24, as SOLC hosts an Open Lands Day hike and tour on the Rogue River Preserve.
Free Monday Night Lecture - Some Cool Science about Breathing
Join Kelly Martin as she explains how your breath impacts everything from ankle sprains to headaches. Learn why belly breathing isn't good for you, how to breathe correctly, and how to maximize lung health, improve posture, enhance walking efficiency, reduce anxiety, and improve sports performance.
Access the Zoom recording here.
Zoom access password: 2zu@KQWU
Chatting about community giving with JPR's "Jefferson Exchange"
Recently, Julie O'Dwyer, Ashland Food Co-op board vice-president, joined a panel of guests on Jefferson Public Radio's "Jefferson Exchange" to discuss how the pandemic has led to an even greater need for community giving and support of local non-profits.
Change for Good in August: KS Wild
This month's featured organization in the new Change for Good register round-up program is KS Wild (short for Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center).
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Get to know Ashland Emergency Food Bank
The sixth cooperative principle, "Concern for Community," has become even more important since the pandemic began and economies, locally and globally, started to constrict. To address this, the Board of Directors agreed in April to release 100% of patronage dividends and designate Ashland Emergency Food Bank as a donation option for those dividends - resulting in over $20,000 in donations. And with the early launch of Change for Good register round-up, AEFB was a natural choice to receive round-up donations.
July / August GM Update: Walking the Walk
I wrote at the beginning of the year that the Co-op model of business was a blueprint for the future. The concept of “planet, principles and people before profit” is a guide for how cooperatives can run a successful business that puts more back into the community and local economy than national chains, while using less resources and creating less waste.
2020 Co-op Election Results
2020 Co-op Election Results
Ashland Food Co-op owners voted for three open seats on the Board of Directors, and for ten non-profit organizations for the Change for Good register round-up program.
Click a name below to read more about that Co-op Board member.
A statement from the Board of Directors on racial justice
Dear Ashland Food Cooperative Family and Community,
Co-op Owners Step-Up to Support the Ashland Emergency Food Bank!
AFC and AEFB Press Release - Local Strength!
Release Date: 5-26-2020
In April, the Ashland Food Co-op Board of Directors announced to the community that the Co-op would be returning 100% of the 2019 Patronage Dividend to its owners. The 100% Patronage Dividend return to Co-op owners converted to over $628,000.
The Co-op Board felt in this time of great need it was not the right time for the Co-op to put away funds for the future, but rather to support owners fully so they may have more strength to weather these stormy times.
Free Monday Night Lectures - virtual and recorded
Thanks to the many agile and adaptable experts in the Rogue Valley, the much-loved Free Monday Night Lectures live on - even if everything is moving online.
While we miss seeing community members with a joy of learning showing up at the Co-op Classroom, we hope these recordings teach and inspire you.
An update on Strategic Energy Management at the Co-op
By Nina Friedman, Strategic Energy Management intern