A central, computerized EMS operates the city's facilities. It is a pre-programmed system that allows the building to operate at its maximum efficiency for the system inputs. Everything from heating and cooling to lighting and fresh air circulation is managed electronically for the best outcome given the inside and outside environments. At the start of each day, and at various times during the day, our Facilities Management staff observes the trend logs for our EMS and can adjust where necessary, and identify inefficiencies before they become failures. All exterior lighting is controlled by the EMS and is programmed to follow the daylight hours depending on the season. They are pre-programmed and they will remain off even in overcast weather which reduces energy consumption during the day.

Solar Thermal Array
Solar thermal arrays were added to Chesterfield City Hall. These tubes are not photovoltaic and do not generate electricity. Rather, they absorb thermal energy and then water is circulated through a closed loop system to an insulated tank. That heated water is then used in our HVAC system to provide heating during the winter, and to remove humidity in the summer. It reduces the use of the city's three boilers, reducing usage of natural gas. In addition, the heated water has virtually eliminated the use of two 100 gallon hot water heaters. These arrays heat the water used in our heating and cooling system as well as our potable water. Using the energy provided by the solar thermal arrays reduces our use of natural gas fired boilers.

The heating and cooling systems are also coupled with a heat recovery system. Fresh air is being brought into the building and internal air is being exhausted. The heat recovery system works to transfer the heated/cooled air that is being exhausted and pre-heat/pre-cool the fresh air coming in. The efficiency is approximately 95% transfer from the exhaust to the incoming fresh air. The heat recovery will remove 21 degrees from the exhaust air and pre-heat the fresh air +20 degrees. One degree is lost in the exchange which means that the city facilities are not exhausting spent energy into the air.

Rechargeable Equipment
All battery equipment used by the Facilities Maintenance staff use rechargeable batteries. This eliminates the disposal of hazardous materials and allows for re-use. Batteries require a large amount of energy and water to produce. Providing rechargeable equipment is a great way to minimize demand on one-time use batteries and shift the demand to a more environmentally friendly method. This also reduces maintenance cost. A one-time purchase of a battery can be supplemented with electricity to recharge the battery instead of buying a new battery every time it dies. This has a higher upfront cost but over the life cycle it is a cost savings.

Eco-Friendly Products
As the health and environmental impacts of conventional cleaning products become more thoroughly understood, more and more brands of healthy, green, and effective cleaning products are on the market. Many of these products are non-toxic, biodegradable, and made from renewable resources (not petroleum). More than 90% of the cleaning products used by the Facilities Maintenance Division for care of the city facilities are environmentally friendly, non-toxic, biodegrable, sustainable products.

Lighting
City Hall uses no, zero (0), incandescent light fixtures or lamps. All interior lighting has been transitioned and upgraded from fluorescent T-12's to more energy efficient T-8's. All of the lighting within the main entry rotunda was 300 - 450 watt high pressure sodium. All of the 300 watt fixtures have been replaced with 68 watt compact fluorescent lamps. The remaining 450 watt fixtures were replaced with 85 watt compact fluorescent lamps. This significantly reduces our energy consumption for the facility without sacrificing illumination levels.

 

The City Council Chambers and multipurpose rooms at City Hall have large south facing windows that create solar gain in the summer and heat loss in the winter. This increases the energy consumption due to the higher heating/ cooling load needed to maintain a comfortable temperature. Mechanical shades are utilized to minimize the heat transfer between the building envelope and the external environment. It acts as an insulating barrier and improves energy efficiency as well as reduces costs.

Water
City Hall operates with low-flow flush valves and equipment. This minimizes the water usage throughout the building and reduces utility costs. In addition, specific fixtures in public areas are operated by proximity sensors which shut off water immediately after use. This eliminates the dripping faucet or the accidental faucet being left on.

 

Our City Council and Committees have gone paperless! Recently, Council authorized the purchase of Apple iPads which are used in place of printed agenda packets. The city will save over $3,000 a year in paper, ink, copying, and time collating, stapling, packaging, etc.

The city provides on-site single stream recycling capabilities at all city locations and a weekly pickup is made. Recycling containers are located at every work station throughout the facilities. There are bottle and can recycling stations located in kitchen areas, central gathering spaces, and public facilities, such as the Chesterfield Valley Athletic Complex and Chesterfield Central Park. The city not only provides for the supply side of the system, but also the demand side by purchasing recycled goods such as copy paper and packaging. When office supplies are purchased the potential for recycled content is evaluated.

The Street Maintenance Division maintains approximately 182 centerline miles of public streets. Eighty-nine percent (89%) are constructed with a concrete drive surface. This is a sustainable practice in two ways. First, life cycle costs are less than that of the asphalt alternative. This reduces infrastructure costs per linear foot of maintained roadway. Second, it reduces heat island impacts. The Heat Island effect refers to the thermal energy gain differences between developed and undeveloped areas. Developed areas tend to retain heat to a much larger degree than undeveloped areas. Material choices and development practices can have a significant influence on the degree of the heat impacts. This, in turn, impacts the microclimate and damages done to human and wildlife habitat. The concrete surface provides a light-colored/high-albedo material or a more reflective surface.

 

Citizens Committee for the Environment
This group of dedicated volunteers has been working for over 20 years to assist the city with environmental initiatives, hosting annual Arbor Day, Earth Day and Recycling Day events.

Recycling
The city of Chesterfield's residential curbside recycling program successfully diverts over 50% of recyclable waste products from landfills to recycling.

Public Recycling
The city has numerous recycling bins located at all public parks and facilities.

 

Comprehensive Plan
The city of Chesterfield Comprehensive Plan promotes numerous aspects of sustainability including historic preservation, congestion reduction, quality of life, encouraging density in designated areas, multi-modal transportation options, utility and growth coordination, stormwater management, waste reduction and increased recycling, open space preservation and creation, preservation of steep slopes, and many others. For quite some time, the city of Chesterfield has had regulations for the installation and preservation of trees. The city of Chesterfield has continued to review and revise the regulations to ensure desired results are being achieved. Most recently, the Tree Preservation and Landscape Requirements were amended to include more native species on the list of allowed landscaping materials. As a result of these activities Chesterfield was named a Tree City USA, and a Sterling Tree City (one of just four in the state) by the Arbor Day Foundation.

Stellar Green Youth Team
The Stellar Green Youth Team award honors Chesterfield youth who have increased environmental sustainability through conservation efforts in our community. The award encourages youth to take practical action to bring about positive environmental change. Currently over 50 area youth have received this award.

Certified Community Wildlife Habitat
In 2005, Chesterfield became the 9th certified Community Wildlife Habitat Community in the nation. Chesterfield provides habitat for wildlife throughout the community - in areas like parks, school grounds, businesses, and individual backyards - by focusing on the four basic needs of all wildlife: food, water, cover, and places to raise young. Click here to learn how to get your own home or business certified.

Environmentally-Friendly Zoning Codes
Chesterfield zoning districts encourage the inclusion of Leadership for Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) practices as a desirable site design feature. Other zoning districts are designed to avoid the development of environmentally sensitive areas while maintaining developer's desires.

The city of Chesterfield approved the first bicycle and pedestrian master plan for the city to foster and promote non-motorized travel within the city of Chesterfield. The plan contains recommendations that are aimed at increasing awareness, increasing safety for bicyclists and pedestrians, and creation of a connected system to provide alternative travel choices for users of the system.

Chesterfield's city code requires streambank buffers for all USGS defined waterways. These setbacks are to remain protected and undeveloped. This allows for natural filtration to occur adjacent to all natural waterways, which improves water quality for species inhabiting the premises. Keeping water pollution in check is a key element to providing for the public health.