Commonwealth Conversations: Energy Smarts

Rooftop Solar Challenge: Making solar more affordable, accessible

Mark Sylvia

Commissioner, Department of Energy Resources (DOER)

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Using the sun to power our homes, businesses, and government buildings has come a long way in Massachusetts. Solar capacity has increased 30-fold since 2007, when Governor Patrick set his goal of installing 250 megawatts by 2017. We’re now at 105 MW installed, with solar arrays in at least 334 of our 351 cities and towns.

This solar momentum will be enhanced by the recent award of a $566,354 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy’s SunShot Initiative, Rooftop Solar Challenge. We have developed the “Mass Solar: Making it EZ” pilot program to ease the installation of solar photovoltaics (PV), make  solar energy more accessible and affordable for Massachusetts residents and small businesses, and maintain our state’s leadership in the clean energy sector. 

Five cities and towns - Boston, Cambridge, Harvard, Hatfield, and Winchester – are partnering with the Department of Energy Resources, Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, the Solar Energy Business Association of New England, the Massachusetts Board of Building Regulations and Standards, and MassDevelopment to develop solutions for lowering the non-hardware - or soft costs - of solar installations. These soft costs account for up to 40 percent of the total cost of installed rooftop PV systems in the United States.  I am thrilled that Massachusetts is involved in this initiative to advance the adoption of solar energy and hope you will check out the video below and the links to find out more information. 

You can find more information online at DOER or by visiting the U.S. Department of Energy's SunShot Initiative web page.

Energy By the Numbers: 62,000

Dan Burgess

Clean Energy Fellow, Department of Energy Resources

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Less than thirty minutes from Boston, the Blue Hills Reservation is a haven for those who enjoy exploring the outdoors. Now the area is also the site of a 48 kW solar photovoltaic (PV) array which produces 62,000 kWh and is the largest solar array on a Massachusetts state park. 

This installation on Chickatawbut Hill, located adjacent to the Reservation and managed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), will generate enough energy to power both the nearby Blue Hills Trailside Museum and the Norman Smith Environmental Education Center with clean, safe, homegrown electricity.  In addition, the installation will be used to educate students and community members about the importance of clean energy. 

The solar array installation was overseen by the Division of Capital Management and will reduce the annual utility bill by $8,000. This project was funded with a grant allocated by DOER's State Energy Program of $203,544 from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and from a $176,340 federal Clean Renewable Energy Bond. 

Visit our website to learn more about renewable energy and clean energy projects funded bythe Recovery Act. You can also visit DCR's site to find out about  Massachusetts State Parks or The Great Outdoors blog to read about more on the environment . 

Patriots of the clean energy revolution cutting greenhouse gasses

Secretary Richard K. Sullivan Jr.

Secretary, Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs
Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs

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With new science emerging on the health impacts of fossil fuel consumption and increases in extreme weather and storm events relating to climate change, it’s clear that we need to do all that we can to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It’s important because we are a coastal state, we have a vibrant agricultural industry and because we rely on imported energy for our electricity needs. Under the leadership of Governor Patrick, the Commonwealth has risen to the challenge of creating bold long-term goals to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and investing in energy efficiency and renewable energy.

As a result of the Global Warming Solutions Act (GWSA), signed by Governor Patrick in August 2008, Massachusetts has greenhouse gas emissions limits of an 80 percent reduction of 1990 levels by 2050. In December 2010, our office released a the 2020 Clean Energy and Climate Plan plan that set the ambitious target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent from 1990 levels by 2020.

We’ve already made great progress on greenhouse gas reductions over a short period of time. We recognize the plan has to be dynamic but the investments we’ve made in solar, wind, electric vehicles and energy efficiency are already at work reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

New solar array in Westford, MA.

With the implementation of the Green Communities Act, also signed in 2008, we now have 42 percent of Massachusetts residents (or 2.7 million people) living in Green Communities. All 86 Green Communities  have committed to reducing their municipal energy consumption by 20 percent.  This commitment by these patriots of our Massachusetts clean energy revolution equates to the annual energy consumption of more than 13,000 Massachusetts homes and the greenhouse gases emissions from more than 16,800 cars. 

We have the most aggressive goals in the country and we know that means we have a lot of hard work ahead of us. This Administration has an absolute commitment to obtain those goals. I’ve assigned Undersecretary of Energy Barbara Kates-Garnick and Environment Undersecretary Phil Griffiths to oversee this ambitious plan with focus on transportation, buildings, energy generation, non-energy emissions and climate adaptation.  We’ve got our team in place and a plan to engage with stakeholders. We are also unveiling an online tool to track our progress in May.

It will take all of us to meet these revolutionary clean energy goals. I hope you will join us.

Video of the Week

Maia Fitzstevens

Multimedia intern, Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA)

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We continue today with our brand new Video of the week series, which each week highlights a video or two about clean energy in the Commonwealth. Today we bring you “Investing in Solar for your Home.”

This video features Massachusetts residents who have installed solar photovoltaic panels on the roofs of their homes. They share their stories about how investing in solar has made an impact on their lives. Not only do these homeowners spend less on their monthly bills (one resident’s bill dropped from $130 per month to $40 per month), they are doing their part to help meet our statewide clean energy goals.

In Massachusetts we spend $18 billion of the $22 billion spent annually on foreign sources of energy from Canada, Latin America and the Middle East. Instead of spending that money elsewhere we’d like to keep those dollars here in Massachusetts by investing in solar projects that put local installers to work while stabilizing long-term energy costs for residents and businesses and cutting greenhouse gas emissions.

The residents in the video explain how they can sell excess energy back to their utilities and how upfront costs in investing in solar technology are not as expensive as many might think. With the help of state support from solar energy certificates, rebates, tax credits, and sales tax exemptions, residents can help defray their initial investment. One resident even said that she wished she had installed solar 10 years ago, if she knew it would pay off so quickly!

Learn more about home solar energy projects by watching the video.

If you find a video you’d like to see in this blog, share it in the comments section below!

Saving money at state-owned rinks

Mark Sylvia

Commissioner, Department of Energy Resources (DOER)

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The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is continuing to have a positive impact for communities across the Commonwealth. Recently, I joined Lieutenant Governor Tim Murray, Secretary Rick Sullivan and many others to celebrate the installation of new, stimulus-funded energy efficient ceilings that have been placed in five state-owned rinks. These new ceilings will cut energy costs by up to 40%, reduce the rink's carbon footprint, improve ice conditions, and create a more enjoyable space for skaters to enjoy. Check out video from the event below.

 

This project was managed collaboratively by the Department of Conservation and Recreation, which is responsible for the rinks, and the Department of Energy Resources (DOER). DOER's State Energy Program has managed hundreds of stimulus-funded clean energy projects. You can learn more about this program by visiting our Energy Recovery Dollars at Work web page. You can also see photos from the event and other clean energy projects on our Flickr page.

Video of the Week

Madeleine Barr
Multimedia intern, Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA)
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Today we are starting a new Video of the Week series in which we highlight a clean energy video from the Commonwealth. With so many great clean energy stories happening across the state, it will be difficult to pick just one. 

This week, we have two videos that feature energy measurement projects that were funded by the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009 – which just had its third year anniversary and has resulted in a paycheck for more than 6,500 clean energy workers.

Through the Enterprise Energy Management Systems (EEMS), EnerNOC is installed energy meters at state-owned buildings so that facilities managers can see just how much energy is being used.  Using this information they will be able to make adjustments in their own consumption.  This video highlights how Fitchburg State University utilizes EnerNOC technology to reduce their overall energy costs. 

Our second video this week is of the Massachusetts Hospital School; it is an institution that provides medical, rehabilitative, educational, recreational, and vocational services to children and young adults with disabilities.  The mission of this school is to help the students achieve their full potential in all aspects of daily life.  By staying aware of energy consumption through EnerNOC software, the Mass Hospital School can spend its money on assets valuable to their students’ growth as opposed to wasting the limited funds on unnecessary energy use.  This video shows just how they do it. 

Know of a video that you’d like to see on the blog? Share it in the comments section below. 

Energy by the numbers: 2.7 Million

Dan Burgess

Clean Energy Fellow, Department of Energy Resources

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Since the Green Communities Act was passed in 2008, 86 cities and towns in the Commonwealth have been officially designated as a Green Community - that means more than 2.7 million Massachusetts residents are living in a municipality that has met five clean energy criteria.

The residents, businesses, and public officials in these municipalities are making real progress in reducing our dependence on foreign sources of energy and are key partners in the progress that the Commonwealth is making toward achieving a cleaner energy future. 

Visit the Green Communities web page to see a map of the 86 municipalities and to learn more about the program.

Worcester environmental director named White House Champion of Change

Tom Witkin

Department of Energy Resources, Marketing and Collaboration through Information Technology

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When Phil Guerin, a 28-year City of Worcester employee, was named a White House Champion of Change in a West Wing ceremony on February 15, he and U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood noted the essential roles played by local, state, and federal government to bring an energy project to life. Guerin was honored for his work leading a partnership to reduce energy use through a successful renewable energy project.  

Guerin, Worcester’s Director of Environmental Systems for the Department of Public Works and Parks, was the key person-on-the-ground who brought this three-part collaboration to a successful conclusion. The 135 kw project is made up of roof and ground-mounted solar arrays that provide electricity to an energy intensive water filtration plant, which supplies drinking water to 200,000 people in Worcester. 

Secretary LaHood said the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) made it possible for community partners like Guerin to bring about real change.

A community culture that firmly embraces sustainability was critical to the success of the project. Worcester was one of the first Massachusetts municipalities to earn Green Community status. Last fall, the city co-hosted with National Grid a community Green2Growth summit. In December, the city launched its Worcester Energy Program. 

According to Department of Environmental Protection's (MassDEP) Jack Hamm and Patricia Arp, central to the success of the project was an effective Department of Public Works & Parks team that included Bob Hoyt, the Water Filtration Plant Manager and a clean energy advocate. 

The Patrick-Murray Administration’s goal to promote a clean energy economy set the stage and provided policies and processes to make projects like Guerin’s possible. Even before ARRA stimulus funds became available, the Department of Energy Resources (DOER) and MassDEP teamed up – as part of the state’s Energy Leaders initiative – to conduct audits to identify water and waste water plants with the best potential for renewable energy sources, including PV. 

The Worcester project received $1,173,684 in federal grants to fund the project and DOER procured a contractor to manage the solar installation and a consultant to assure proper installation and electricity production. MassDEP supplied the ARRA grant money through the State Revolving Fund, which provides low-interest loans to cities, towns, and other local governmental units for drinking water and wastewater-related infrastructure projects. John Odell, Program Manager for the Worcester Energy Program, noted that the "timing worked extremely well," and the clear process removed barriers to the city's municipal project.

All of EEA congratulates Phil Guerin and his colleagues for the project’s success and for his recognition as a White House Champion of Change. We applaud his team and the City of Worcester for the work they've done to demonstrate how all three levels of government can work together to meet critical statewide clean energy and environmental goals.

Infographic: Clean Energy in Massachusetts

Dan Burgess

Clean Energy Fellow, Department of Energy Resources

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You can download the text of this infographic here.

Energy efficiency services available to businesses

Maia Fitzstevens

Multimedia intern, Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA)

View Maia's Bio

Interested in investing in energy efficiency to cut costs and reduce energy use at your business? If so, you should know that energy efficiency services, incentives and technical assistance are available for all Massachusetts industries and businesses.

Mass Save®, an initiative sponsored by Massachusetts’ gas and electric utilities and energy efficiency service providers, offers a wide variety of opportunities to save energy and money in the near and long term for small businesses, medium and large businesses, and industrial customers. Whether you need help assessing your energy use, updating your lighting to compact fluorescents or LEDs, or making sure that you choose the right high efficiency heating and cooling system for your building, the help you need to manage your energy costs most effectively is there.  Mass Save can also connect you with incentives for new construction and equipment or building upgrades.

To see how other businesses, nonprofit organizations, and communities have used these services, take a look at the case studies posted online at Mass Save. There are also industry-specific details available for sectors like healthcare, property management, labs, and grocery stores. 

If you are a large industrial company, there’s another resource to check out, the Industrial Assessment Center (IAC). IAC was recently hailed by President Barack Obama as "an important part of the administrations 'all-of-the-above' approach to domestic energy sources" through conducting energy assessments that save manufacturers money and teaching students how to be energy efficiency leaders. Over the last 25 years, IAC has made 2,243 recommendations  to help Massachusetts companies save energy and money, and specializes in helping companies identify best energy practices, which include improving waste heat recovery and compressed air systems or creating more efficient steam, pump and fan systems. To find out more or to schedule an energy audit you can visit their website.

There are many other energy efficiency incentive programs, both state and federal, which help businesses reduce the costs of implementing these efficiency improvements and you can find a comprehensive list here.