City of Fairfield

Sustainability on the City Scale

Commitment to our Community

It’s our goal at Ideal Energy to partake in transforming our local community into a vibrant, sustainable urban habitat. We’re constantly engaged in a number of community wide projects dedicated to increasing the economic and environmental sustainability of our hometown, Fairfield, Iowa. Below is a snapshot of a few of the municipal projects we’ve collaborated on.

Mayor’s Go Green Commission

Ideal Energy founder Troy Van Beek served one year on the Go Green Commission for the City of Fairfield, under the direction of Mayor Ed Malloy. The commission members designed the Strategic Go Green Plan for the City, outlining specific areas of focus including energy usage, water usage, and transportation and set bench mark goals over a 20 year period. The plan has been set into action, and is being carried forth by community businesses and residents alike. For more information visit: www.cityoffairfieldiowa.com

Go-Green Guide

The Ideal Energy team’s expertise on sustainable living was put to work to create the Go-Green Guide for the residents of Fairfield Iowa. Sponsored by the City of Fairfield and the Iowa Power Fund, the guide covers areas of energy and water use, local food movements, recycling, environmental land stewardship, transportation, and techniques for new construction. The full document is available for download on the city’s Go-Green website: www.fairfieldgogreen.com

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory Report

The Green House Gas (GHG) inventory for the City of Fairfield was a milestone accomplishment in achieving the city’s sustainability goals. To complete the inventory, Ideal Energy deeply examined the emission outputs of the residential, commercial and industrial sectors within Fairfield’s City limits; as well as a separate examination of Fairfield’s municipal operations. We also examined Fairfield’s transportation data provided by the DOT to account for fossil fuel usage and emissions. Multiple greenhouse gasses were tabulated (CO2, CH4, N2O, HFCs, PFCs, SF6), and then converted to a total greenhouse gas equivalent (CO2e in metric tonnes) for ease of comparison. Data gathered from these six gasses within specific sectors of the city allow for accurate reporting on resource consumption, and its direct impact on the environment. View the complete report here: www.fairfieldgogreen.com

Weatherization 101

Held in fall 2010, Weatherization 101 was a community-wide project designed to raise awareness towards energy consumption in preparation for the oncoming winter heating months. The project was sponsored by Ideal Energy, City of Fairfield Go Green Commission, and Iowa State Extension. The project included free community workshops focusing on tips and techniques to improve energy efficiency, and troubleshooting individual homeowner’s efficiency issues. Additionally, Ideal Energy completed a weatherization training program through the local high school, and supervised students in weatherizing homes for community members in need.