Steve Chybowski joined OER in December 2021 as chief of program development, with a focus on energy efficiency, buildings optimization and decarbonization. We are delighted to have him on our team and asked him to introduce himself to our readers.

Tell us about your background.

I completed my undergraduate studies at Michigan State University and my graduate studies at Indiana University. After college, I worked with the City of Fishers, Indiana where I led the City’s sustainability efforts and developed the community’s first greenhouse gas emissions inventories. Then, I worked with Indiana University’s Environmental Resilience Institute where I provided education and training to local government staff throughout the state of Indiana on energy efficiency and renewable energy opportunities. In 2021, I moved to Rhode Island and joined OER where I now lead its energy efficiency programming.

What led you to work at OER? 

I chose to work at OER because I want to make the world and my community a better place for future generations, and I believe that public service and the public sector gives me the opportunity to do so. OER is a national leader on energy policy and I’m proud to be a part of this team. 

What do you see as the biggest challenge for Rhode Island in adopting clean energy? 

There are a lot of exciting developments happening in the clean energy space and it is our goal to make sure that everyone has the most up-to-date and accurate information available to them. By keeping Rhode Islanders informed about the options available to them for energy efficiency and renewable energy, we can ensure that each resident, business, and Rhode Island energy customer is making the best choice for meeting their individual needs.

Hometown:  Flint, MI 

Favorite Food: I love all foods and am open to trying anything!  

Favorite hobby and/or sport: Playing guitar and soccer, and I enjoy watching Michigan State football and basketball 

Ideal Vacation: Anywhere with a warm beach and soft sand   

Personal hero: My grandparents 

Favorite music: Indie and alternative rock 

Favorite movie: Pixar’s Coco   

A cause or charity that’s important to me: Putting an end to climate change and all the great organizations working in the environmental space

We are proud to recognize one of the winners of the 2022 Lead by Example Clean Energy Awards – The Rhode Island Army National Guard (RIARNG)

In 2020, RIARNG installed its first rooftop solar PV system on the Camp Fogarty Armory building. At the time, it was the largest rooftop solar PV system on a state facility at 207 KW.

In 2021, the RIARNG began construction on an even larger rooftop solar PV system at 550 KW. This solar system is on the Combined Support Maintenance Shop (CSMS) located at the Camp Fogarty Regional Training Site. The CSMS is an 80,000 square foot maintenance shop that was constructed in 2010.

Once up and running, this solar system will be the State's largest rooftop solar PV array on a State agency and doubles the size of their first solar project at the Camp Fogarty Armory. The system is expected to generate nearly 700,000 kWh annually, producing around 80 percent of the facility’s average annual kWh consumption.

The total cost of the project was $1,045,000 and the RIARNG received $175,000 in grants, of which $75,000 came from the Renewable Energy Fund and $100,000 from Office of Energy Resources resulting in net cost of $870,000.

RIARNG also has fully converted all its interior and exterior lighting at 15 of its major facilities, converted two sites from oil to natural gas, and is working to upgrade older facility HVAC systems.

As both a State and federal Agency, it is imperative for the RIANG to Lead by Example within the State, as well as to contribute to producing clean energy and set an example for state agencies, municipalities, and other federal agencies

Abbie Hasenfus joined OER in February 2022 as programming services officer. We are delighted to have her on our team and asked her to introduce herself to our readers.

Please share with us your information about your background.

In 2019, I joined URI’s Energy Fellowship program and was placed at OER, where I worked specifically on outreach work for the Farm Energy Program. I graduated from URI in 2020 with a BS in Environmental and Natural Resource Economics (ENRE), a Minor in Marine affairs, and a certificate in Energy Economics and Policy. I returned to URI during the pandemic to complete a master’s in Environmental Economics. My research pertained to energy justice through grid modernization, specifically studying how peaker power plants influence the socioeconomic characteristics of their surrounding neighborhoods.

Describe what led you to work at OER?

I was always passionate about climate change but never knew how to make a career of it. Who knew it would be at the intersection of public service and clean energy? After graduating with my bachelor’s, I held a few marketing positions in the private sector. I always thought I would prefer working in the private sector, but the positions I held made me realize how much I enjoyed my internship at OER, and how much I would enjoy coming back to work full time. I’m very glad I did! 

What do you see as the biggest opportunity for Rhode Island in adopting clean energy?

From a policy and programmatic standpoint, Rhode Island is really helping to light the way for other states in terms of clean energy adoption, grid modernization, and energy efficiency. I think one of the biggest opportunities for us to expand upon is incorporating LMI components into our programs. Our mission at OER is to lead our state towards a clean, affordable, reliable and equitable energy future, and I hope to help expand on the equitable component of our programs and advocate for energy justice!

Name: Abbie Hasenfus

Job Title: Programming Services Officer 

Hometown: Los Angeles 

Favorite Food: I love Mexican food, Thai food, and a good home-made mac n cheese!  

Favorite hobby and/or sport: Playing piano and spending time with friends 

Ideal Vacation: My hometown

A cause or charity that’s important to me: I am very passionate about environmental justice and energy equity!

We are proud to recognize one of the winners of the 2022 Lead by Example Clean Energy Awards – the Town of Smithfield.

In 2021, the town of Smithfield audited, mapped, and converted its streetlights to energy saving LEDs throughout the community. The town converted 1,625 assets and deployed smart controls to allow for pre-programmed dimming or full remote control of the lighting. This conversion program is estimated to save over 518,000 kWhs annually, which is enough energy to power 86 homes annually.

Before the installation, Smithfield conducted an analysis of its entire street lighting system using GIS mapping. The town was able to identify all its lighting assets to determine if they were needed or truly redundant. This resulted in the removal of 410 fixtures and saved 137,000 kWhs annually, which is enough to power 23 homes per year. The reduction of these fixtures contributed to lowering the town’s greenhouse gas emissions and light pollution.

Smithfield was able to partner with National Grid and the RI Office of Energy Resources to acquire incentives and rebates totaling $172,000 for both energy efficient fixtures and smart controls. It is estimated that the energy savings and reduced maintenance services will save the town nearly $300,000 annually, which represents almost a 70 percent reduction in overall town-wide streetlight program costs.

In addition to converting to LED streetlights, the town of Smithfield also completed the installation of two dual port level 2 electric vehicle (EV) charging stations at the Smithfield Municipal Ice Rink. When comparing gas vehicles and EVs, it is estimated that this project will prevent almost 4 tons of CO2 emissions annually since installing the Ice Rink’s EV charging stations.

The total cost of the project was $61,900, of which National Grid paid $31,900 and OER paid $30,000. There was no cost to Smithfield.

The town of Smithfield is leading by example by demonstrating how a lighting conversion program can use GIS mapping to analyze redundancies in the street lighting system. By installing LED streetlights and EV charging stations, the town of Smithfield is a strong example for other municipalities to follow.

We are proud to recognize one of the winners of the 2022 Lead by Example Clean Energy Awards – Quonset Development Corporation.

The Quonset Development Corporation (QDC) is home to over 200 companies, varying between small businesses to some of the States’ biggest energy consumers.

The QDC connects tenants of its business park with programs and resources that improve their operations, energy efficiency, and sustainability. To that end, the agency signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding with National Grid in 2020 to assist tenant businesses with energy efficiency measures.

The QDC and National Grid have worked together to host a series of workshops on energy topics targeted at the industrial sector for the tenants. In previous years, some of the topics included Industrial Energy Efficiency 101, Natural Gas Efficiency, and Lighting Technology and Controls.

Energy efficiency projects are extremely important for helping the State to reach its climate goals. Improving energy efficiency may lower greenhouse gas emissions, reduce pollutants produced by burning fossil fuels, and save customers money on their utility bills.

Within the first two years of the program, the QDC conserved over 14.5 million kWh, which is equal to the amount of energy needed to power 2,416 homes in Rhode Island.

This project resulted in a total savings of $2.7 million in annual energy savings. The QDC received $3.3 million in energy efficiency program incentives.

The QDC is hopeful that through its outreach the organization will be able to include more businesses in its energy efficiency programs.

We are proud to recognize one of the winners of the 2022 Lead by Example Clean Energy Awards – Department of Corrections (DOC).

With 1.3 million square feet of facilities in Cranston at the Pastore Government Center, the DOC is home to some of the oldest buildings in the state. DOC has 11 buildings, including its Maximum-Security facility, which was built in 1878. 

DOC has an average of 2,300 inmates and aims to maintain a safe environment for them as well as the employees – adequate lighting is a big factor in safety. The agency was using older fluorescent lights throughout its facilities and was overdue for an upgrade to energy efficient LED lights.

In the past two years, DOC has converted 90% of its facilities to LED lighting and it plans to have 100% of its lighting upgraded in the next year. At the same time, the agency improved its HVAC system by installing piping insulation and steam traps.

DOC received $1.3 million in utility incentives to complete the LED retrofit project. These lighting upgrades have resulted in significant cost savings for the agency. The projected total energy savings from these projects is 4,686,644 kWh annually, which is enough energy to power 781 homes annually.

“We are thrilled about the lighting upgrades at our facilities,” said Anthony Feole, assistant director of maintenance at the DOC. “OER was a huge help to us. They broke the project into steps and provided technical support to help make the process easier. If this can be done in a prison, it can be done in any other state agency.” 

DOC is leading by example by demonstrating that even the oldest and most difficult buildings in the state can convert to energy efficient LEDs.

Serving about 22,000 students, Providence Public Schools is one of the largest school districts in Rhode Island. The district has a diverse learning community throughout its 37 schools, with about 68% of student population identifying as Hispanic. Along with its students, Providence Public Schools employs more than 3,200 professionals who support these students.  

This year, Providence Public Schools worked with the RI Office of Energy Resources (OER) to upgrade four of its school buildings to energy efficient LED lighting: Central High School, Juanita Sanchez, and Leviton Complex. The school district took advantage of the School Lighting Accelerator Program which is designed to offer technical assistance, procurement support and financial incentives to Rhode Island public schools to accelerate the transition to LED lighting, complete with smart controls.  

Converting to LED lighting will not only result in significant cost savings, but it is essential for safety and improving the learning environment for both the students and faculty. LEDs provide better quality light which can help students concentrate and improve their productivity. Providence Public Schools was able to replace about 5,500 fixtures with LEDs. 

LED lighting smart controls allow facility managers to customize brightness settings in zones, down to the individual light bulb, if desired. This can help students with light sensitivities by giving them the ability to adjust the light right above their desks.  

By using the School Lighting Accelerator program, Providence Public Schools received $483,500 in RI Energy utility incentives and $918,430 in grant money from OER to complete these lighting upgrades.  

Providence Public School is expected to save 865,564 kWh annually which is the same amount of energy needed to power 144 homes in RI.  

"School buildings in Providence account for the majority of the City's municipal energy usage," said Emily Koo, City of Providence Director of Sustainability. "Upgrading to energy efficient LED lighting was a no-brainer. The lighting retrofits came at no cost to the city because of the partnership with the Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources, and we expect it to result in significant energy and cost savings."