From being the first municipality in the country to establish a solar array over its landfill to its use of renewable energy technologies at the County parks, Madison County strives to be a leader in energy. Below are some of the specific energy projects the Planning Department is currently involved in.
Madison County 2 MW Solar Array
In August 2017, Madison County's 2 MW Solar array went live. The array consists of 7,752 ground-mounted, photovoltaic solar panels and was developed to supply energy to the County office buildings. This system will produce more than 2.8 million kWh of and will offset over 70% of the County's energy consumption. The array is located at the Madison County Solid Waste Facility in the Town of Lincoln. Watch the energy production here
Madison County Greenhouse Gas Inventory
A Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions Inventory (PDF) compiles the energy (kWh, therms, gallons) consumed by an entity and/or community to determine the amount of greenhouse gases emitted to atmosphere during a specific period of time. Ultimately, this report is a data resource that details the current energy consumption to show exactly where energy is being used to help identify opportunities to become more efficient.
Madison County's GHG Emissions Inventory focuses on emissions from two categories:
- Madison County Community
- Madison County Government Operations
The baseline year for the data collection was 2010. Results are reported in metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (mtCO2e).
Climate Change Innovation Program
In August 2010, the Planning Department submitted Madison County as an applicant for the Climate Change Innovation Program administered by the Central New York Regional Planning and Development Board (CNY RPDB). Madison County was chosen by CNY RPDB for the program and is now one of nine communities receiving technical and financial assistance to develop policies and strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote clean energy alternatives. As part of the program Madison County received a grant for $30,000 for clean energy demonstration project(s).
Madison County Government Energy Consumption
View 2015 to 2016 EPA Portfolio Manager Reports (PDF) for Madison County buildings. These reports were generated by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Portfolio Manager by entering electric and natural gas consumption data per Madison County operated account.
In 2012, the Planning Department in collaboration with the Central New York Regional Planning and Development Board and the Renewable Energy Training Center at Morrisville State College, launched Solarize Madison, the first Solarize campaign in New York. Solarize Madison is a community focused, volume purchasing solar PV program.
In 2012, 29 solar PV systems were installed for a total capacity of 184.2 kW. View a location map of the 2012 installations (PDF). Solarize Madison 2012 was an amazing success! Please take a moment to read through our program evaluation (PDF) completed by Project Coordinator January Myers from Morrisville State College.
For more information on the program, visit the Solarize Madison website.
Central New York Energy Challenge
Madison County is a participating community in the Central New York (CNY) Energy Challenge. The CNY Energy Challenge has developed a team model to provide homeowners with support for taking action towards improving your home’s energy performance. Energy Challenge Teams are made up of 5 to 8 households who meet over the course of 12 weeks following a guidebook. The Energy Challenge Team guidebook covers five different categories of actions for your home - from learning to calculate how much energy you use to improving insulation in your home. Visit the CNY Energy Challenge website for more information!
Energy Star Pledge
As part of C2IP, Madison County has joined U.S. EPA Change the World, Start with Energy Star campaign. Help Madison County reach its goal by taking the Energy Star Pledge! By taking the Pledge you'll discover quick and easy ways to save energy, save money and protect the environment.