Sustainability Resources

MVRPC hosts periodic Sustainability Roundtables. Here are the meeting materials, links and presentations, where available.

Solid Waste Management - November 18, 2020 via teleconference.

Our specific topic at this session will focus on strategies to help households and businesses in your community “Reduce, Reuse and Recycle More.” Our speakers are nationally-recognized experts on “Pay as You Throw” and “TRUE Certification.”

• Dr. Lisa Skumatz is Principal and President of Skumatz Economic Research Associates, Inc. (SERA). Dr. Skumatz will share insights on approaches to implementing a “Pay as You Throw” approach to community solid waste management and will be joined Charles Kamenides from the City of Longmont, CO who will share first-hand experience from that community. 
  • Skumatz Presentation
  • Kamenides Presentation
• Stephanie Barger is the US Green Building Council’s Director of Market Transformation & Development for the TRUE zero waste program, and will be sharing how your local businesses can use TRUE to reduce their waste, thereby reducing your community’s solid waste costs. Barger will be joined by Krista Jaeger, Cintas Manager of Sustainability who will share her company's direct experience in the TRUE program. 
  • Barger Presentation
  • Jaeger Presentation

Organic Waste Management - July 31, 2020 via teleconference.

A panel of experts from local and state government and the private sector will discuss strategies for organic waste management from the individual (kitchen composting) to the regional scale. This session will present approaches to educating residents and diverting these wastes out of landfills and into more productive use. Our panelists will be:

• Tim Pritchard, Five Rivers MetroParks
• David Andre, GoZero
• Angel Arroyo-Rodriguez, Ohio EPA
• John Minear, Montgomery County Solid Waste District

The State of Solid Waste Management in the Miami Valley - March 11, 2020

Our expert presenters included:

• Ms. Dana Doll, Manager, Environmental Services Division, Greene County Sanitary Engineering
• Ms. Beth Wright, Assistant Director, Preble County Solid Waste District
• Mr. John Minear, Community Outreach and Education Manager, Montgomery County Environmental Services

University of Dayton Carbon Neutrality Pledge  - December 4, 2019

At this session Ben McCall, Director of the Hanley Sustainability Institute at the University of Dayton and Matthew Worsham from Facilities Management at the University of Dayton provided an overview of the University’s Carbon Neutrality Pledge and the planning and projects that will go into implementing that pledge.

• Carbon Neutral presentation

Making your Community EV-Ready - August 28, 2019

• Ohio EPA EV funding
• Clean Fuels Ohio EV plan

Community Resilience Planning 2 - June 27, 2019

Developing a Community Resilience Plan

Community Resilience Planning - February 27, 2019

Community Resilience Planning
Resiliance Planning for Local Governments
Case1: New Sandy Hook School
Case 2: Princeton's microgrid Sandy
Case 3: Toronto Checklist
Case 4: Paradise Fire
Case 5: Cleveland
Case 6: Healhcare Resiliency

Storm Water: Districts and Data - December 5, 2018

Strand Associates
Woolpert presentation and Impervious Surface Project
Clermont County presentation and Handout

Storm Water Management: Buildings and Grounds -  September 26, 2018

Rain Gardens in Franklin County, Ohio
Stormwater BMPs, City of Dayton, Ohio
Roundtable Introduction

Storm Water Management - July 24, 2018

ODNR - Street Trees and Green Infrastructure
OKI - Trees and Stormwater
CMT - Pervious Pavement Use for Effective Design

Textile Recycling Event - April 3, 2018

Simple Recycling presentation.
Rumpke presentation.
Montgomery County Environmental Services presentation.
City of Cincinnati presentation.

Is your Community Solar-Friendly? - Nov. 9, 2017

DPandL presentation.
OEC presentation.
Energy Optimizers presentation.

Using trees to improve vacant lots - Mar. 23, 2017

Facilitation session, no presentations.

Emerald Ash Borer - Feb. 25, 2016

No presentations available.

Best Practices in Snow and Ice Control - Oct. 22, 2015

No presentations available.

Miami Valley Climate Planning Seminar 2024
May 3, 2024

Seminar Agenda

Regional Overview of Climate Planning Work

En-ROADS One Page Guide

Miami Valley Climate Change Seminar 2023
April 17, 2023

Understanding the Opportunities in IIJA and IRA
Session Program

Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission
Matt Lindsay

Headlines and Climate Pollution Reduction Planning Grant

Ohio Department of Development, Office of Energy and Environment
Caroline Johnstone, Manny Anunike, Kevin Smith, Karla Gulker

Energy Efficiency and Finanace Programs

IIJA Handout

Department web links:
Energy Efficiency Program
Energy Loan Fund

Power A Clean Future Ohio / City of Bexley
Joe Flarida, Cassandra Clevenger, Elizabeth Ellman, Jon-Paul d'Aversa

Local Communities Lead the Way

Keep up with more news from PCFO by signing up for their newsletter.

Miami Valley Climate Change Seminar 2022
April 26, 2022

Making the Business Case for Climate Action

Dr. Aaron Wilson
Atmospheric Scientist
Ohio State University

This presentation, discusses the physical indicators of climate change, from a global overview to the temperature and precipitation trends right here in the Miami Valley. It highlights the key challenges that communities and businesses face throughout the region and think about ways we can individually and collectively adapt to and mitigate future expected changes. Download slides.

Julia Wynn
Director of Government Affairs
Government Advantage Group

An overview of the climate and energy policy landscape in Ohio, including recent developments impacting local governments’ involvement in energy policy and pending climate and energy legislation at the Statehouse.

Panel: Making the Business Case for Climate Action

Power a Clean Future Ohio - Joe Flarida
PCFO provides no-cost technical assistance, research, grant-writing support, and planning tools for local governments interested in pursuing impactful climate and clean energy policy. Supported by a coalition of organizations, PCFO’s member communities (cities and counties) are working together to build Ohio’s clean energy and clean transportation future. This session and the speakers present will share more about the opportunity that PCFO presents for local governments. You can also learn more on PCFO’s website and the Ohio Clean Energy and Sustainable Communities Toolkit. Download slides.

Making Your Community EV Ready - Brandon Jones
This session will provide an overview of key considerations for municipal fleet electrification planning, including an EV market snapshot, operational, financial, and decarbonization benchmarks for EV adoption feasibility, Ohio model availability and other low-carbon fuel alternatives, and financing and funding opportunities. Download slides.

Making Your Community Solar-Ready - Jon-Paul d’Aversa
Ohio’s interest in solar is at an all-time high and our local governments need to be prepared if they want to capitalize on the benefits that this technology can bring. This presentation will cover how to quantify the benefits of solar in your community, what preparation is needed for a healthy solar market, and what resources are available to achieve your community’s energy goals. Download slides.

Miami Valley Climate Change Seminar 2021
February 24, 2021

This year's seminar included a keynote presentation from Jacqueline Patterson, Director of the NAACP Environmental & Climate Justice Program. You can view a recording of the presentation here.

The afternoon sessions included:

• A presentation from Carlton Eley, MVRPC's Regional Equity Intiative Manager on Driving Equity Now, through intential planning efforts. You can view a recording of this presentation here. You may download Mr. Eley's slides here.
• A demonstration of the En-ROADS Climate Solutions Simulator with Karen Jeffers-Tracy and Steve Schlather. You can view a recording of this session here.

Miami Valley Climate Change Seminar 2020
February 24, 2020

This was MVRPC's first climate change seminar, with a goal of presenting the current state of climate science and data, with particular attention to measured and modeled future impacts of climate change in Ohio.  The speakers were:

1. Dr. Aaron Wilson from the Byrd Climate and Polar Research Center at Ohio State University. You can download Dr. Wilson's slides here.

2. Mike Ekberg from the Miami Conservancy District. You can download Mr. Ekberg's slides here.

3. Kevin Kent from Critical Facilities Efficiency Solutions and The Climate Reality Project. You can download Mr. Kent's slides here.

Electric Vehicles (EV) are significantly cleaner, more energy efficient, and quieter than internal combustion-powered cars.

The Zero-Emission Technology Inventory (ZETI) tool is an interactive online resource for worldwide commercially available offerings of zero-emission medium- and heavy-duty vehicles (MHDVs). The tool aims to provide fleets and governments with comprehensive information including regions where zero-emission brands are available for purchase.

EV charging at Multi-unit housing is a key hurdle to broader adoption of EV. Here are links to initiatives across the US to expand availability of EV charging at apartment and condo developments.

Use the Sierra Club’s 2019 Plug-In Vehicle Guide to find the best electric vehicle for your driving habits. Plug In America has recently published a Used Electric Vehicle Buyers’ Guide.

Clean Fuels Ohio (CFO) is our state’s primary advocacy organization for alternative fuel vehicles. This CFO presentation discusses the EV market in Ohio, local government policies and fleet conversions.

Have something to include? Send it to Matt Lindsay!

Recycling prevents usable materials from needlessly going into landfills, creates raw materials for new products, and saves communities landfill costs!

Contact information for every Solid Waste Districts in Ohio. Find out how you and your community can recycle more!

Ohio EPA’s Materials Marketplace is a free online platform allowing businesses and organizations to connect and find reuse and recycling solutions for waste and by-product materials.

The National League of Cities has published a new report, “Rethinking Recycling: How Cities Can Adapt to Evolving Markets.” This 36-page report describes numerous strategies cities across the US are using to address collapsing markets in recyclable materials.

Trash and Recycling information for residents of the City of Dayton.

Have something to include? Send it to Matt Lindsay!

Renewable energy from sources like wind and solar are low carbon alternatives to coal, oil and gas and have been the fastest growing sources of energy in recent decades.

Engaging on solar energy is not new at MVRPC. In March of 2019 MVRPC partnered with the Ohio Environmental Council and the Hanley Sustainability Institute to conduct a “Growing Local Solar” workshop. 

Ohio cities and local governments can wield multiple tools to encourage renewable energy in their communities.

Ohio residents and businesses can make an individual choice to buy energy from renewable sources. Find out more at Energy Choice Ohio.

Solar Energy Resources

Getting Started with Solar

The Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission is seeking ways to encourage solar energy development in our communities. This webpage represents a collection of solar information and resources for local government and residents. Our community’s solar goals can be found in the February 20125 Solar Statement.  For more information about the basics of solar energy, your solar options, and questions to ask solar professionals, read the Residential Consumer Guide to Solar Power and visit the Department of Energy’s Homeowner’s Guide to Going Solar.

MVRPC supports local governments in the Miami Valley working to become a SolSmart designated communities. SolSmart communities implement best practices to make it easier for residents and businesses to install and access solar energy. SolSmart is a national program funded by the U.S. Department of Energy that has helped hundreds of local governments become “open for solar business.” Learn more about the program here.

In our Region, the City of Springboro has been recognized as a SolSmart Bronze designee for implementing best practices that make it easier for residents and businesses to install and access solar energy.

Policies and Processes

A local government’s approach to zoning and development can have a significant impact on solar energy growth. The inclusion of solar energy zoning best practices provides a foundation that can help facilitate the growth of solar energy, while balancing other development priorities in a community. While more cities and counties have included solar energy zoning best practices in their land use regulations, many local zoning approaches still inadvertently discourage solar energy.

Take a look at these regional examples of local government approaches to regulating and encouraging solar development in their communities.

• The City of Kettering has this handy 2-page fact sheet informing residents about the regulations for roof-mounted solar Panel Arrays.
• The City of Springboro has set up a single page for Residential Solar Permitting.
• Several cities have specific sections of codes for solar or renewable energy. Here are examples from…
  
  • The City of Troy – see Section 1151.14
  • The City of Beavercreek – see Section 158.102
  • The City of Springboro

The National League of Cities has published a Best Practices Guide for Solar and Zoning. This guide includes model code, with specific examples for historic districts, and approaches to incentivizing solar development in your community.

The Benefits of Going Solar

Solar energy uses a renewable energy source – the sun – and provides many benefits for individuals and the region. It improves environmental quality by reducing carbon emissions and air pollution, supports local solar companies in Ohio, creates local jobs, saves money on energy costs, and improves electric grid resilience during peak demand and other stresses to the system.

Ohio Solar Context

Multiple State agencies participate in the development and regulation of solar energy in Ohio.

• The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) and
• The Ohio Power Siting Board are direct regulators of utility scale solar energy. The site includes a link to an online map of utility scale renewable energy sites.
• The Ohio Department of Development has multiple energy efficiency programs.
• The Ohio Air Quality Development Authority manages solar development programs statewide.

AES Ohio, which serves much of the Dayton region, has developed a start page for solar interconnection projects.

Solar Maps and Potential

Investigate your property’s solar potential by clicking here. You can also estimate the performance of potential PV projects using the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s PVWatts Calculator.

Solar Energy in the Miami Valley

The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio maintains an online dashboard of Distributed Energy Resources in Ohio, based on over 29,000 interconnections (as of the fourth quarter of 2024). This online tool allows you to filter by utility, and by renewable source. It also includes “energy storage” as a category. For the Miami Valley’s largest electric utility, AES-Ohio, the dashboard reports just over 3,000 solar and storage interconnections with a total capacity of 33,181 kW.

AES-Ohio is not the leader in Ohio in terms of renewable energy interconnections, but the PUCO data shows tremendous growth in interconnections since 2019.

The dashboard also includes a feature to map interconnection sites. This screenshot (as of Q4 2024) shows the current distribution of solar and storage interconnection agreements in the Miami Valley.

Local Solar Projects

Miami Treatment Solar Project from the City of Dayton.

Kettering City Schools saves hundreds of thousands of dollars per year with a solar array on the Middle School.

Finding a Contractor and Going Solar

Find a solar contractor(s) to assess your home or business for solar energy and provide a quote.

• Certified practitioners can be found through NABCEP.

• Visit EnergySage to learn about solar energy and submit for solar quotes from a network of pre-screened, local solar installers

• Solar Customer Resource Portal – various resources from SEIA, the Solar Energy Industries Association.
• Solar Owner’s Manual – information for current solar homeowners to ensure they are getting the most out of their system from Solar United Neighbors.

Financing, Incentives, and Tax Exemptions

Typically, solar installations are paid for through loans, upfront payments, or a power purchase agreement (PPA). Federal and State incentives are available to help make solar an affordable option.

• Homeowner’s Guide to the Federal Tax Credit for Solar Photovoltaics – learn about the federal tax credit, eligibility, and other common questions & answers from the U.S. Department of Energy.
• A Homeowner’s Guide to Solar Financing – learn about different financing options from CESA, the Clean Energy States Alliance.

Federal Incentives: There are many new incentives and funding opportunities available for solar and other clean energy technologies. 

• A great place for residents to start identifying the federal incentives for which they are eligible is this calculator from Rewiring America. The rebates and incentives available through the federal Inflation Reduction Act can vary depending on your location and income.
• Additional details about benefits in the Inflation Reduction Act can be found on the EPA’s website or the Department of Energy website.
• The Federal Investment Tax Credit for residential solar continues to be one of the most significant ways to reduce the cost of your solar PV system. Learn more about the federal tax credit, eligibility, and other common questions & answers in the Homeowner’s Guide to the Federal Tax Credit for Solar Photovoltaics from the U.S. Department of Energy.
• Businesses should refer to the Federal Solar Tax Credits for Businesses.
• Some solar projects will be eligible for bonus credits on top of the 30% Investment Tax Credit. The Inflation Reduction Act provides up to 20% in bonus credits for qualified solar or wind facilities developed in low-income communities; up to 10% bonus for projects located in “energy communities” that have a historic fossil-fuel economy, high unemployment or are developing solar on a brownfield; and 10% domestic content bonus for projects using the required amounts of U.S.-produced steel, iron and manufactured products.
• The World Resources Institute has created an IRA Bonus Mapper tool to help identify communities that are eligible for the low income and energy community bonus credits.
• Tax-exempt organizations, including non-profit organizations, schools and government entities, can now take advantage of the federal tax credit through “elective pay” (sometimes referred to as “direct pay.”) An overview of elective pay and Frequently Asked Questions are available from the IRS.

State and local incentives:

Information about state incentives can be found in this database maintained by the North Carolina Clean Energy Technology Center. 

Have something to include? Send it to Matt Lindsay!

Trees offer tremendous value to urban communities: from storm water management, to summer cooling, to increased property values.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Forestry is seeking help to identify key issues, threats, and opportunities associated with Ohio’s forest resources.  Stakeholder input will contribute to Ohio’s 2020 Forest Action Plan (FAP) that spans public and private forestlands, and urban and rural areas. More details about Ohio’s Forest Action Plan are available on the ODNR website: forestry.ohiodnr.gov/ForestActionPlan.  The webpage includes a link to a stakeholder survey and the 2010 Forest Action Plan documents and will soon include draft action plan documents. Surveys and comments will be accepted until March 1, 2020.

Selecting Urban Trees.

OKI Trees and Storm Water tool is useful for project and area planning.

A 2019 report from the Ohio State University, “Economic Valuation of Natural Areas in Ohio,” calculates the value of ecosystem services from Ohio’s natural lands, and maps those values by county.

Have something to include? Send it to Matt Lindsay!

Managing storm water is a constant responsibility of municipalities. Sustainable practices can help the environment help you manage it better.

“Making Your Community Forest Friendly” is a free codes and ordinances worksheet from the Center for Watershed Protection designed to help local officials determine whether local codes require, allow, or prohibit “forest-friendly” development practices.

Urban Storm Water BMP Fact sheets.

NACTO Urban Street Storm Water Guide

Trees and Storm Water tool from USFS

Have something to include? Send it to Matt Lindsay!

Access to healthy food and locally grown foods are two central issues for regional sustainability. “How we eat determines, to a considerable extent, how the world is used.”– Wendell Berry

Montgomery County Food Equity Coalition has released the Food Equity Plan 2019. The plan identifies six action areas to increase community food security.

Hall Hunger Initiative seeks to address hunger and its causes in West Dayton.

Check out the Local Foods Directory from B-W Greenway Community Land Trust.

The Food System Primer from the Johns Hopkins University Center for a Livable Future explains many of the current issues in food systems planning and development.

Have something to include? Send it to Matt Lindsay!

A healthy region needs to also include healthy residents living healthy, fulfilling lives.

Community Health Improvement Plans for Montgomery, Miami, Greene, Darke, Preble, Warren, and Clark Counties.

Miami Valley Recreation Assets Inventory highlights opportunities to get out and be active.

Senior Living Resources from the Area Agency on Aging.

Chronic Disease and Infant Mortality.

Have something to include? Send it to Matt Lindsay!

How can a region with disparate education, wealth/income, and health outcomes call itself “Sustainable?”

The Miami Valley Equity Initiative provides a clear overview and basic data about equity in our Region.

The State of Black Dayton from the Urban League of Southwest Ohio reveals lost opportunities and promise for African-Americans in Greater Dayton and Montgomery County.

Dayton Council on Health Equity is Montgomery County’s Local Office of Minority Health.

Food access/deserts resources from PHDMC.

Have something to include? Send it to Matt Lindsay!