4. Presentation regarding Commercial Landscape Survey — original pdf

Backup

Commercial Landscaping Equipment Electrification Market Study Meet the Team Amanda Mortl (she / they) Austin Climate Action & Resilience Sarah Talkington (she / her) Austin Parks & Recreation Leonor Vargas (ella / her) Wisdom En Familias, LLC Jen Cregar (she / her) Terra Lumina Consulting 2 Why This Study Matters • Fossil fuel landscaping equipment = high noise + air pollution • Health risks for workers and community members In 2020, landscaping equipment in Travis County created an estimated: 154,400 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2), like driving nearly 34,000 cars for a year 361 tons of nitrogen oxides (NOx), like driving more than 161,500 cars for a year 128 tons of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), like driving more than 1.3M cars for a year 3 Background & Policy Context • Austin Climate Equity Plan: net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040 • Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos MSA Regional Air Quality Plan: maintain compliance with federal air quality standards • Council resolutions: ◦ 20240229-058: Green purchasing ◦ 20240307-020: Rebates + exchange programs 4 Methodology • Online survey (53 responses) • Interviews (32 local, 7 national) • Site tours • Diverse representation: ◦ City of Austin and other govt. staff ◦ Minority / woman-owned businesses City of Austin Staff Participation by Department ◦ Small and large businesses ◦ Local and national businesses ◦ Early adopters 5 Electric Equipment Benefits Electric Equipment Challenges • Quieter • Cleaner • Easier to handle (for some) • Safer (no fuel handling, improved ergonomics for some) • Less maintenance • Potential for lower lifecycle costs • Insufficient power output • Insufficient battery life • Charging constraints • Higher upfront cost • Maintenance & disposal uncertainty • Heavier and less ergonomic (for some) • Cultural resistance 6 Market-Ready Electric Equipment Not Yet Viable Electric Equipment • Smaller (< 20 bar) chain saws • Larger (≥ 20 bar) chain saws • String and hedge trimmers for light- • String and hedge trimmers for duty applications heavy-duty applications • Leaf blowers for light-duty applications • Leaf blowers for heavy-duty applications and some operators • Push, walk behind, automated • Larger riding mowers and (robotic) mowers, and smaller riding mowers for smaller-acreage and/or single-site applications automated (robotic) mowers for larger-acreage and multi-site applications • Carts / utility terrain vehicles 7 Lead by Example Recommendations • Prioritize outcomes over technology type. • Implement a phased rollout. • Develop citywide charging infrastructure. • Use lifecycle analysis for decision-making. • Leverage service agreements to shift market. • Invest in workforce development. • Plan for equipment end-of-life management. 8 8 APR Landscaping Equipment Electrification Pilot Program 12 months 6-9 months 3+ months 1. Establish Electrification Team 2. ID Electric Equipment Options 3. Test Equipment Options 4. Assess Charging Infrastructure Readiness 5. Select & Procure Equipment 6. Set Up Equipment Charging & Storage 7. Provide Training & Implement Pilot 8. Evaluate & Scale Program 9 9 Incentive Program Models Rebate / voucher Equipment trade-in Equipment lending 10 Thank you! Jen: jen@terraluminaconsulting.com Leonor: lvargasconsulting@gmail.com