Government > Sustainability > Energy

Energy

The City of Takoma Park wants to help make its community members energy aware. Energy consumption is the leading cause of carbon pollution in Takoma Park and it is involved in almost everything we do; lowering our energy intensity is a step towards combating climate change.

The largest areas of energy consumption are electricity and natural gas to heat and power our homes. 77% of the greenhouse gases in Takoma Park come from residential and commercial buildings. Tackling energy use through efficiency and fuel switching can provide avenues for the City to meet our climate change commitments.

Takoma Park is Leading the Way

As part of the City’s lead by example initiative, the City of Takoma Park has purchased 100% green power for its municipal operations since 2004. This includes the electricity needs for all municipal buildings, streetlights, and operations. It also includes 12 public electric vehicle charging stations throughout the city. Takoma Park has installed solar PV on all suitable municipal rooftops, and has hosted numerous solar co-ops helping to increase residential and commercial installation of rooftop solar PV by over 40% the last 5 years.

Takoma Park Energy Goals

The city of Takoma Park is committed to the Paris Accord, in the #WeAreStillIn campaign to push ahead in the fight against climate change. Along with the Paris Accord, Takoma Park is part of the Global Covenant of Mayors and Sustainable Maryland. Takoma Park is committed to these efforts and the standards they have for GHG reduction. In conjunction with these alliances, the City passed a DECLARATION OF A CLIMATE EMERGENCY with an aspirational goal of achieving net ZERO emissions by 2035 with building stock efficiency of the highest priority.

3 Easy Ways to Save Energy

Even if a full-scale electrification project isn’t feasible for a homeowner yet, there are still small but effective steps that can be done to work towards goals to reduce our energy use city-wide and continue to improve our greenhouse gas emissions:

Install a programmable thermostat(and program it!) You can get one installed for FREE! Pepco’s Energy Wise Rewards program will not only give you a free web-programmable thermostat, you also get bill credits 3 – 7 times a summer if you allow Pepco to cycle down your AC a few degrees. Try it out – if you don’t like you keep the thermostat.
Switch to LED bulbs. LEDs are now only $2 – 3 each, are available everywhere you buy light bulbs, and can last up to 15 years. If you have old CFLs, you can recycle them at a number of local stores.
Air seal and insulate your home. A home energy audit will tell you what you need. Here is a list of local contractors who can help you.

What Takoma Park is Doing to Lower Energy Use

Completing energy audits in all city owned or operated buildings.
Completing lighting retrofits in all city owner or operated buildings.
Upgrading heating and cooling systems at Heffner Park, Recreation Center, and the Community Center.
Converting streetlights to LEDs. The first LED streetlight project is scheduled to be completed in August 2015 on Flower Avenue.
Staff engagement with operations of city facilities, and a staff energy saving competition will occur in 2016.

Quick Links

Energy Efficiency and Electrification

We are committed to helping residents make their homes more efficient and pushing towards electrification. Electrification means replacing technologies that use fossil fuels, like internal combustion engines and gas boilers, with electrically-powered ones. Once things are electrified, consumers can select clean energy options to power their home, and our community moves one step close toward eliminating GHG emissions.

The historic funding made available by the federal government in 2021 through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) have unlocked new incentives for consumers. In 2023, the pilot Program Electrify MC launched and will provide direct incentives to residents who undertake home electrification projects. Additional state and federal incentives are available now, and we recommend using Rewiring America’s IRA calculator tool to get a personalized overview of what cost savings may be applicable to your home and desired project:

Renewable Energy

Electricity is engrained everything we do, and having electricity come from carbon free sources is imperative for the City to meet our carbon emission reduction goals. Standard Pepco electricity is generated from over 55% coal and natural gas, leading to 930.6lbs of CO₂ per MWh of electricity created.

There are alternatives that provide customers and Takoma Park residents with clean, renewable electricity. All residents that pay their own electricity bill can make the switch to clean energy! Take a look at Green Options below.

RENEWABLE ENERGY OPTIONS

There are also options for residents to enroll in Community Solar or to install solar on your roof. Drastic decline in solar prices have made it extremely competitive. Different financing or leasing options make the jump to solar much easier than even 5 years ago.

What is Community Solar? Find out: HERE

Be a Neighborhood Energy Champion

Talk to your neighbors about energy efficiency. Host an energy party at your home, church, or school and the Sustainability Manager can make a presentation, give recommendations, and even coordinate local experts like energy auditors, solar energy experts, and contractors to attend. Contact Public Works, Sustainability Manager to volunteer.

Sustainability Manager
Phone: 301-891-7615
Email: PublicWorks@takomaparkmd.gov