Transportation, Energy, and Utilities Committee — Burlington, VT
Date: 2025-08-19
Time: 17:00

City Council - Transportation, Energy and Utilities Committee

Tuesday, August 19, 2025, 5:00 PM, Spark Space Conference Room, Burlington Electric
 Department, 585 Pine St, Burlington, Vt

Join via Zoom: https://zoom.us/j/84603122855
To call into the meeting, including to speak during public comment:
Phone: 312-626-6799, Webinar ID: 846 0312 2855
1. Agenda
 1.1. Motion to adopt/amend

2. Adopt Minutes
 2.1. Minutes of 7/24/25

3. Public Forum
 3.1. Public Comments - 15 min
 Written public forum comment received before 8/19 will be included with the meeting agenda. Send
 comments to rgoulding@burlingtonvt.gov
4. Deliberative Agenda
 4.1.
 GMT Assessment Methodology Study - Information - 20 min


 4.2.
 BED Synapse & Building Electrification Institute Presentation - Information -
 60 min


 4.3.
 BED Forestry Study Update - Information - 10 min


 4.4.
 Downtown Parking Item - Information - 30 min


5. Director's Report

6. Councilor Items

7. Next Meeting
 7.1. Tentative - 9/23/25, time TBD

8. Agenda

9. Adjournment

City Council - Transportation, Energy and Utilities Committee

Tuesday, August 19, 2025, 5:00 PM, Spark Space Conference Room, Burlington Electric
 Department, 585 Pine St, Burlington, Vt

Join via Zoom: https://zoom.us/j/84603122855
To call into the meeting, including to speak during public comment:
Phone: 312-626-6799, Webinar ID: 846 0312 2855
1. Agenda
 1.1. Motion to adopt/amend

2. Adopt Minutes
 2.1. Minutes of 7/24/25

3. Public Forum
 3.1. Public Comments - 15 min
 Written public forum comment received before 8/19 will be included with the meeting agenda. Send
 comments to rgoulding@burlingtonvt.gov
4. Deliberative Agenda
 4.1.
 GMT Assessment Methodology Study - Information - 20 min


 4.2.
 BED Synapse & Building Electrification Institute Presentation - Information -
 60 min


 4.3.
 BED Forestry Study Update - Information - 10 min


 4.4.
 Downtown Parking Item - Information - 30 min


5. Director's Report

6. Councilor Items

7. Next Meeting



 Page 1 of 17
 7.1. Tentative - 9/23/25, time TBD

8. Agenda

9. Adjournment




 Page 2 of 17
Weatherization and Electrification Case Study Analysis


Prepared for Burlington Electric Department




August 19, 2025

Shelley Kwok, Philip Eash-Gates




 www.synapse-energy.com | ©2025 Synapse Energy Economics Inc. All rights reserved.




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Synapse Energy Economics

• Founded in 1996 by Bruce Biewald and Jean Ann Ramey
• Leader for public interest and government clients in providing rigorous analysis of the electric power
  and natural gas sectors
• Staff of 40+ includes experts in energy, economic, and environmental topics
• Has provided support for the development and implementation of building performance standards to
  multiple municipalities in Massachusetts, including Boston, Newton, and Cambridge
• Was involved in the development of Burlington’s Net Zero Energy Roadmap in 2019 and subsequent
  updates.




www.synapse-energy.com | ©2025 Synapse Energy Economics Inc. All rights reserved. 2




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Project Goal

• Burlington Electric Department (BED) engaged Synapse to conduct a net-present-value cost analysis of
  three sample buildings in Burlington if they were to install energy efficiency measures to decrease their
  energy use intensity (EUI), with a focus on reducing energy used for space heating.
 • EUI is defined as the amount of energy consumed per square foot of building floor area.
• The goal of the analysis is to help inform future policy that would impact buildings between 25,000 and
  49,999 square feet.
• For purpose of the analysis, we chose to model two office buildings of different vintages, as well as a
  retail building.
• Synapse created an Excel model to calculate the difference in capital costs and electricity/fuel costs
  between a fossil-fuel space heating system and the existing building envelope versus an electrified
  space heating system with a tighter building envelope if applicable.




www.synapse-energy.com | ©2025 Synapse Energy Economics Inc. All rights reserved. 3




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Analysis Overview
• Synapse used NREL’s ComStock model to estimate the energy savings from installing upgrade measures in
  BED’s selected buildings.
 • ComStock is a highly granular model that uses multiple data sources, statistical sampling methods, and advanced
 building energy simulations to estimate the annual energy consumption of the commercial building stock across the
 United States.
• We used electric and gas rate forecasts as supplied by BED and VGS, accounting for rate class changes as a
  result of electrification.
• We relied on publicly available equipment cost data from sources such as the U.S. Energy Information
  Administration, as well as California and Massachusetts energy efficiency programs with locational
  adjustment factors for Vermont from RSMeans.
• BED provided estimates of the incentives that would be available for these case studies.




www.synapse-energy.com | ©2025 Synapse Energy Economics Inc. All rights reserved. 4




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Analysis Overview

• Assumptions:
 • The base case assumes a one-for-one replacement and the retrofit case assumes an all-electric replacement.
 Full system replacement would occur upon failure of existing system. In this analysis, we assume the full system
 is replaced at once. In reality, some buildings are more likely to use a phased replacement approach.
 • The analysis timeframe starts in 2030 and extends for 15 years.
• Caveats:
 • Capital costs for electrification and weatherization can vary wildly from project to project. Cost inputs used in
 this analysis are very high-level estimates that are not Burlington-specific or project-specific.
 • The ComStock model estimates savings based on buildings with similar characteristics as those selected by BED
 and is not an exact replica of the particular building selected.




www.synapse-energy.com | ©2025 Synapse Energy Economics Inc. All rights reserved. 5




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Summary

• Our analysis showed that showed that space heating decarbonization decreased energy use intensity
  by up to 70 percent (see Table 1 below).
• Cost impacts on total utility bills were relatively small.
• Capital costs for electrification tended to be higher than installing baseline equipment, particularly for
  buildings currently using water-based systems like boilers.
 • Note: we present the impact of available incentives from BED that could decrease electrification costs


 Table 1: EUI Summary
 Case Study EUI Improvement
 Newer office building ~45 percent reduction
 Older office building ~65 to 70 percent reduction
 Retail building ~50 percent reduction



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Results




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Retail Building Overview

 • Existing building characteristics:
 • Square footage: 23,000 square feet
 • Built in the 1920’s
 • Very little wall insulation
 • Heated by natural gas rooftop units
 • Wooden siding
 • Retrofits:
 • All-electric, heat pump rooftop units with
 electric resistance backup
 • 3” of exterior wall insulation (optional)



 Image description: Example of rooftop units

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Retail Building Energy and Cost Breakdown
• Original thermal EUI: 18.3 kBTU/SF
• Post-retrofit thermal EUI: 9.2 kBTU/SF (49 percent reduction) without envelope upgrades
• This results in a total cost increase of 1 to 3 percent over a 15-year period
• Baseline upfront capital cost, heating system: $20,000
• Retrofit upfront capital cost, heating system: $22,000. Potential for BED incentives up to $7,800.

Figure 1: EUI results Figure 2: Annual Utility Costs, 2030 Figure 3: 15-year net present value results




www.synapse-energy.com | ©2025 Synapse Energy Economics Inc. All rights reserved. 9




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Retail Building Energy and Cost Breakdown (cont.)
• Original thermal EUI: 18.3 kBTU/SF
• Post-retrofit thermal EUI: 8.7 kBTU/SF (52 percent reduction) including envelope upgrades.
 • The upgrade assumes that rigid exterior insulation would be installed at the same time siding needs to be replaced naturally.

• This results in cost increase of 8 to 14 percent over a 15-year period.
• Retrofit upfront capital costs, envelope: $60,000. Potential for BED incentives up to $20,000.

Figure 1: EUI results Figure 2: Annual Utility Costs, 2030 Figure 3: 15-year net present value results




Note: if siding costs are included as incremental costs, the cost differential increases to 25-40%. We recommend pairing the insulation upgrade when doing re-siding.
www.synapse-energy.com | ©2025 Synapse Energy Economics Inc. All rights reserved. 10




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Newer Office Building Overview

 • Existing building characteristics:
 • Square footage: 27,000 square feet
 • Built in the 2010s
 • Relatively good wall and roof insulation
 • Heated by natural gas water source heat
 pumps
 • Glass facade
 • Retrofits:
 • All-electric, heat pump boiler units




www.synapse-energy.com | ©2025 Synapse Energy Economics Inc. All rights reserved. 11




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Newer Office Building Energy and Cost Breakdown
• Original thermal EUI: 22.4 kBTU/SF
• Post-retrofit thermal EUI: 12.0 kBTU/SF (46 percent reduction)
• This results in a cost increase of 123 to 144 percent over a 15-year period.
 • Air-to-water heat pumps are still relatively newer to the market compared to air-to-air heat pumps and are more expensive as a result.

• Baseline upfront capital cost, heating system: $200,000
• Retrofit upfront capital cost, heating system: $1,336,000. Potential for incentives up to $175,000.

Figure 1: EUI results Figure 2: Annual Utility Costs, 2030 Figure 3: 15-year net present value results




www.synapse-energy.com | ©2025 Synapse Energy Economics Inc. All rights reserved. 12




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Older Office Building Overview

 • Existing building characteristics:
 • Square footage: 40,000 square feet
 • Built around 1900
 • Very little wall insulation
 • Heated by natural gas rooftop units
 • Brick exterior
 • Retrofits:
 • All-electric, heat pump rooftop units
 • Electrical panel and wiring upgrade
 • Wall insulation (optional)




www.synapse-energy.com | ©2025 Synapse Energy Economics Inc. All rights reserved. 13




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Older Office Building Energy and Cost Breakdown

• Original thermal EUI: 28.7 kBTU/SF
• Post-retrofit thermal EUI: 10.7 kBTU/SF (63 percent reduction) without envelope upgrades.
• This results in cost increase of 1 to 5 percent over a 15-year period.
• Baseline upfront capital cost, heating system: $52,000
• Retrofit upfront capital cost, heating system: $57,000. Potential for up to $20,000 in incentives.
Figure 1: EUI results Figure 2: Annual Utility Costs, 2030 Figure 3: 15-year net present value results




www.synapse-energy.com | ©2025 Synapse Energy Economics Inc. All rights reserved. 14




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Older Office Building Energy and Cost Breakdown (cont.)

• Original thermal EUI: 28.7 kBTU/SF
• Post-retrofit thermal EUI: 8.4 kBTU/SF (71 percent reduction) including envelope upgrades.
• Caveats on envelope upgrades:
 • To improve the building envelope, air sealing may be the most suitable option for this case and other historic and/or brick buildings.
 • ComStock currently does not model the impact of air sealing in its energy model. Below, we show the impact of installing exterior wall insulation as a proxy to estimate
 energy savings.
 • Given the brick walls, it is likely not feasible or cost-effective to add exterior wall insulation to this building.

 Figure 1: EUI results Figure 2: Annual Utility Costs, 2030




www.synapse-energy.com | ©2025 Synapse Energy Economics Inc. All rights reserved. 15




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CITY OF BURLINGTON, VERMONT

 CITY COUNCIL TRANSPORTATION, ENERGY &
 UTILITIES COMMITTEE
 c/o Department of Public Works 802.863.9094 VOX
 645 Pine Street, Suite A 802.863.0466 FAX
 Post Office Box 849 802.863.0450 TTY
 Burlington, VT 05402-0849 www.burlingtonvt.gov

 Councilor Mark Barlow, Chair, North District
 Inquiries:
 Councilor Gene Bergman, Ward 2
 Rob Goulding
 Councilor Evan Litwin, Ward 7 802.881-2278
 Councilor Marek Broderick, Ward 8 rgoulding@burlingtonvt.gov




 Transportation, Energy and Utilities Committee of the City Council
 Tuesday, August 19, 2025 – 5:00PM
 --DRAFT MINUTES—
 See video for full meeting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FoouA3m8o_w

Councilors absent: Councilor McKnight
Councilors Present: Chair Barlow, Councilor Broderick, Councilor Bergman via Zoom
Chair Barlow calls meeting to order at 5:00 PM
1. Agenda
Councilor Broderick moves to approve the agenda as posted.
Councilor Bergman seconds.
All in favor, Unanimous approval

2. Minutes of 7/24/25
Councilor Bergman moves to adopt the minutes as presented.
Councilor Broderick seconds.
 Councilor Bergman would like more detailed minutes
All in favor, Unanimous approval

3. Public Forum
Quinton Zanderan - Policy Director from One on Climate - Online

4. Deliberative Agenda
 4.1 GMT Assessment Methodology Study
 Peter Plume & Michele Hobbs, of Reframe Lab and Clayton from GMT presented
 information.

 Zoom AI Summary:

 Strategizing GMT's Sustainable Future

 The meeting focused on evaluating GMT's current municipal assessment methodology
 and strategic path forward to ensure sustainability of transit service in the region, equity
across municipalities, and fiscal stability. Participants discussed the value and future
role of GMT in Burlington, highlighting its importance in providing transportation options,
reducing private auto use, and supporting economic development. They also explored
GMT's funding model, considering regional funding options and barriers, and
emphasized the need for more frequent service and route adjustments to accommodate
future development. The study is in its initial phase, with several months remaining for
further input and planning.

Public Transit Funding and Governance

The meeting focused on discussing funding models and governance structures for
public transit, particularly Green Mountain Transit (GMT). Gene and DPW expressed
uncertainty about the current funding model's intricacies and called for more detailed
information to improve proposals for innovation. They emphasized the need for regional
collaboration and suggested convening a larger roundtable to exchange ideas. Gene
highlighted affordability concerns and the importance of engaging communities deeply
in transit planning. DPW advocated for a regional approach to funding and governance,
suggesting collaboration with existing county-level structures. The group discussed
potential barriers to changing the funding approach, including perceived threats to
Burlington's dominance and the current assessment methodology. They agreed on the
need for better education about transit's value to build public support.


4.2 BED Synapse & Building Electrification Institute Presentation
Darren Springer, General Manager of BED, Shelley Kwok & Philip Eash-Gates Of
Synapse Energy & Caytie Campbell – Orrock of Building Electrification Institute
presented information.


Zoom AI Summary:

The meeting focused on two main topics: a regional transit study and building electrification policies. For the
transit study, DPW announced that municipal meetings would be completed by early September, with
proposed recommendations and a strategic roadmap to be developed by mid to late October, and a full report
expected by year-end. Regarding building electrification, Shelley and Philip from Synapse presented analysis
of three Burlington buildings, showing that while electrification measures reduced energy use intensity across
all buildings, the economics varied significantly depending on building type and system age. The analysis
found that gas heated buildings with rooftop units could electrify with minimal incremental costs, while high-
temperature central boiler systems faced more challenges. The presentation concluded that Burlington would
be the smallest community in the country to adopt such a policy, presenting both opportunities and
administrative challenges.

Transit and Building Electrification Updates

The meeting focused on two main topics: a regional transit study and building
electrification policies. For the transit study, DPW announced that municipal meetings
would be completed by early September, with proposed recommendations and a
strategic roadmap to be developed by mid to late October, and a full report expected by
year-end. Regarding building electrification, Shelley and Philip from Synapse presented
analysis of three Burlington buildings, showing that while electrification measures
reduced energy use intensity across all buildings, the economics varied significantly
depending on building type and system age. The analysis found that gas heated
buildings with rooftop units could electrify with minimal incremental costs, while high-
temperature central boiler systems faced more challenges. The presentation concluded
that Burlington would be the smallest community in the country to adopt such a policy,
presenting both opportunities and administrative challenges.

Weatherization Cost Analysis and Trends

The meeting focused on a presentation about weatherization and energy efficiency
measures, with Shelley explaining the cost calculations for different building systems.
Gene raised questions about the cost breakdowns, which Shelley clarified by explaining
the methodology for calculating levelized costs over a 15-year period. Darren and Chris
discussed the current incentive landscape for heat pumps, noting uncertainty about
future rebates due to ongoing regulatory processes. Philip presented a national
perspective on air-source heat pump costs and trends, suggesting that while costs are
slowly decreasing, performance is improving. The group agreed that more data is
needed to inform future policy decisions, particularly regarding the affordability of air-to-
water heat pump technology for commercial buildings.

Burlington's Building Performance Standards

Caytie presented on building performance standards, explaining that Burlington would
be the smallest city to implement such a policy and emphasizing the importance of
pairing it with technical support and job requirements. She outlined key components
including benchmarking data management, compliance pathways, and the need for
clear guidance and support for building owners. Caytie recommended finalizing the
benchmarking ordinance, engaging stakeholders, and ensuring adequate time for policy
design and implementation, while acknowledging Burlington's existing climate policies
and the need to balance multiple requirements.

Energy Performance Standards Policy Discussion

The committee discussed policy approaches for building energy performance
standards, with Caytie presenting options including individual percentage reductions
and cohort targets. The group explored how these approaches could be implemented in
a bureau ordinance, with Philip and Caytie noting that Boston uses both methods while
Cambridge successfully employs percentage reductions. The discussion concluded with
agreement that Burlington should gather benchmarking data before determining the
best approach, and John Bryant provided a brief update on the forestry study which is
expected to be completed in September.

4.3 BED Forestry Study Update
John Bryan owner of K2QC Consulting presented information.

Zoom AI Summary: John Bryan provided an update on his forestry assessment analysis
for the McNeil Generating Station, highlighting his observations and progress over the
past six weeks. He visited 12 logging sites in Vermont and New York, reviewed BED
documents, and found the logging contractors to be diverse and passionate about
maximizing wood value. John plans to complete his report by September 30th and aims
to present it at a future meeting. The committee expressed appreciation for his work and
discussed scheduling the next meeting to accommodate John's presentation.


4.4 Downtown Parking Item
Jackie Esperti, Parking Services Operation Manager presented information.

Zoom AI Summary: The meeting explored the possibility of public-private parking
partnerships in Burlington, with Jackie presenting examples of existing arrangements
and discussing revenue sharing options. Gene and other counselors expressed
concerns about potential conflicts with private property owners and the need to avoid
subsidizing parking, while Jackie emphasized that the initiative is aimed at preparing for
future parking shortages due to new hotels and developments. The committee agreed
to continue discussions and gather more data on parking projections and private lot
usage before making recommendations.

5. Director’s Report

Stormwater Agreements and Union Contract

Zoom AI Summary: The meeting covered several key updates and decisions. The group
approved stormwater agreements with homeowners' associations, including a minor
tweak for Strathmore HOA regarding stormwater facility responsibility, which will be
presented to City Council on September 8th or 9th. The Board approved a 3–4-year
collective bargaining agreement for urban drivers that provides financial stability but
may lead to service cuts being evaluated by GMT in November 2026.

6. Councilor Items
None

7. Next Meeting
September 30, 2025 at 645 Pine St at 5:00 pm

8. Adjournment
Chair Barlow adjourns meeting at 7:28 pm.