Economical Energy Committee Members

Lisa Beaudoin 2008 Christopher Mackensen 2009 Beverly Edwards 2010 Gayle Richards 2008 Robert Wills 2009 Honey Hastings 2010 Mary Beth Ayvazian 2009 Mike Darnell Ex-Officio

The Temple Economical Energy Committe (TEEC) was formed in response to the passage of a warrant article at the March 2024 Town Meeting. Origianally called the "Green Committee", the TEEC's name was changed to avoid confusion with the Village Green Committee. The TEEC's purpose is to advise the town on ways to save energy locally and address global warming on a local level.

Mission Statement: The committee is established to recommend local steps to save energy and reduce emissions.

Potential Area of Impact: Energy Efficient lighting systems in all municipal buildings.

The Temple Economical Energy Committee hosted a booth at the town's 2024 Harvest Festival in September. As an introduction to the community, we gave away 100 Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs. These light bulbs consume approximately 66% less energy than comparable incandescent light bulbs, yet can last up to ten times longer. So while saving money on your monthly electric bills, you will also lessen greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere!

TEEC offers you the following energy savings tips on lighting:

• Turn off lights whenever they are not needed.
• Replace incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs). CFLs can give the same amount and quality of light as incandescent bulbs, yet use one-third the amount of energy and last ten times longer.
• Use dimmer switches or timers on lights. Savings: 7-10 percent of lighting costs.
• Look for the ENERGY STARŪ label when purchasing lighting fixtures. These fixtures meet federal energy-efficiency and quality guidelines, without a sacrifice in performance. These lights also operate at cooler temperatures.
• Replace halogen floor lamps and torchieres with compact fluorescent models. Halogen floor lamps pose a fire hazard due to the extremely hot temperatures produced by the high-wattage bulbs and cost more to operate. An energy-efficient compact fluorescent model produces as much light, runs cooler, and uses only a fraction of the electricity.
• Keep bulbs and fixtures clean. Dirt will absorb the light and reduce the efficiency.