RESIDENTIAL: P.O.W.E.R is a high school internship program empowering students to teach their community about energy conservation. Throughout this program, interns will learn about energy usage and resources, acquire public speaking skills, and create presentations and media in preparation for the summer Energy Express presentations at Montgomery County public libraries. Interested students can learn more through virtual informational sessions on Wednesday, October 27th and Wednesday, November 3rd from 7-8 PM. Register now for the Zoom link!

RESIDENTIAL: Unchecked plumbing issues can cause water waste in your home—and even higher energy bills to heat that wasted water! That said, our guest writer, Rachel Watson, explains why you need to have a local and trustworthy plumber on speed dial so you can have the issue resolved right away before it can cause further damage. 

RESIDENTIAL: In Maryland, community solar and third-party energy are different products and by far, the top question asked about both “renewable energy” options is how does the renewable energy get to my house? Laurel Peltier of Baltimore Fishbowl writes about deregulated Retail Choice in Maryland and the poor pricing results that can affect residential customers. Find out which option would be best for you if you are looking to change.

RESIDENTIAL: The Green Bank released a homeowner solar case study video highlighting two Montgomery County residents who went solar, why they did it, how the role of the contractor helped them, and the way the Green Bank's residential financing programs helped them achieve their goal to add solar to their homes. The video features interviews from Montgomery County homeowners, contractors, and Green Bank staff.

PARTNER: The Montgomery County Green Bank recently hired Tyniah McDuffie as the Communications and Community Engagement Manager for their organization. As an innovative, dynamic, and results-driven visionary, she brings 10 years of experience in communications and community outreach to the Green Bank. Working primarily in the non-profit sector, Tyniah has managed the development and implementation of successful communications and marketing strategies for organizations, such as American Society for Microbiology and American Association of Blood Banks. With expertise in social media management, media relations, digital marketing, public relations, event coordination and project management, she adds a unique dynamic to the Green Bank team.

TAKOMA PARK: The Takoma Park Electrification and Energy Efficiency Grants can assist you in making improvements to the environmental sustainability and energy efficiency of your space. Such projects help you manage utility usage and reduce costs, improve efficiency, improve indoor air quality, reduce waste, improve the comfort and function of your space, and help the city reach its climate and sustainability goals. This is a grant, not a loan that you will need to pay back. Click here for the application. 

The Montgomery County Energy Team receives tons of newsletters and articles every day, and these are a few articles that we wanted to share this month. These articles range from county, state, national and international stories, we hope you find them interesting and informative.

Alternative Energy: As climate change fuels more extreme weather events, and environmental disasters like last weekend's oil spill threaten wildlife and human health, more people are banking on clean, carbon-free energy to speed the world's transition away from fossil fuels and usher in a net-zero future, www.news-daily.com

Carbon Dioxide: The world’s largest factory to capture carbon dioxide from the air has begun operations in Iceland. Reducing the amount of CO₂ in the Earth’s atmosphere would help reduce the effects of climate change, www.youtube.com

Cement Battery: A rechargeable cement battery that’s becoming a realistic possibility could change the way you store energy, turning the walls of your house into a giant battery, www.weforum.org

Electric Batteries: Tesla home batteries and eco-friendly amenities rising in popularity among Bay Area home buyers, www.sfgate.com

Electrifying Music: Coldplay's next tour will partly be powered by a dancefloor that generates electricity when fans jump up and down, and pedal power at the venues, www.bbc.com

Electric Cars: As more people buy EVs, electric systems are challenged by the increase in demand. But there’s also a chance to rethink energy storage. WeaveGrid, a San Francisco-based startup that is part of the new cohort at the climate-tech accelerator Elemental, is building software that helps connect EVs to the grid, www.fastcompany.com

Electric Garbage Truck: The first electric garbage truck in the state of Maryland has been added to the City of Hyattsville’s vehicle fleet, www.hyattsvillewire.com

Floating Energy: The world's largest floating wind farm is now operating offshore Scotland. Kincardine Offshore Wind Farm is expected to generate up to 218 GWh of clean electricity each year, enough to power 55,000 households, www.renewableenergyworld.com

Grid: In a significant victory for clean energy and customers’ pocketbooks, PJM’s proposal to minimize the controversial Minimum Offer Price Rule (MOPR), which artificially raises prices on state-supported energy resources, went into effect, www.nrdc.org

Hydrofluorocarbons: The Environmental Protection Agency is sharply limiting domestic production and use of hydrofluorocarbons, highly potent greenhouse gases commonly used in refrigerators and air conditioners, www.apnews.com

Microgrid: Construction of a 5.6 MW microgrid with distributed energy generation, energy storage and over 2 MW of charging capacity is now underway at the Brookville Smart Energy Bus Depot in Montgomery County, www.microgridknowledge.com

Nightclubs: One Glasgow nightclub is working to sustainably harness the energy released from its partiers on the dance floor. The pioneering system at SWG3 could save the popular nightspot up to 70 tons of CO2 per year, www.goodnewsnetwork.org

Offshore Wind: Environmentalists and a leading civil rights group are pushing for state approvals for proposed windmills in the Atlantic Ocean off the Ocean City coast, www.stardem.com

Seaweed: Phykos is trying to pioneer a new form of carbon sequestration: using automated boats to grow seaweed in the middle of the ocean, then sinking it to the ocean floor, www.fastcompany.com

Wind Power: The Biden administration plans to identify and lease federal waters along seven coastal areas to offshore wind power developers over the next few years, www.axios.com

Tuesday, October 19th at 3:00 pm 
Senior Planet Montgomery Energy Action Month Feature: ENERGY STAR WEBINAR
Come hear from an expert with the Environmental Protection Agency about switching and buying ENERGY STAR appliances. 

Thursday, October 21st from 5:00 - 7:00 pm
Capital Area Solar Co-op Gathering
We are celebrating the first ever Capital Area Solar Co-op with a party at Lone Oak Brewery. Come meet other residents who have also gone solar, talk to the people who helped put this Co-op together, and support a local business.

Friday, October 22nd at 4:00 pm
Family Fun Friday
For Energy Action Month, we are hosting an interactive online workshop with Montgomery Public Libraries to transform your old bulbs into works of art. We will also be talking about energy efficiency and sharing tips to keep your bills low this winter. Join our event here.

ALL MONTH LONG
Lighten Up at Libraries
Swap out your incandescent and CFL lightbulbs at a library near you. These events will also be an opportunity for residents to learn more about the difference between incandescent, compact fluorescent, and LED bulbs and to SWAP out their old bulbs for new, energy efficient ones.