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• Market energy efficiency to homeowners interested in
B O STO N CL I MATE AC T I O N P LAN
UPDATE 2011
MITIGATION
residential solar energy and coordinate utility energy efficiency incentives with third-party financing for over 100 solar energy systems on retrofitted homes
retrofit process. In particular, Renew Boston has:
• Launched residential ($1.8 million) and small
business ($1 million) programs that combine existing utility rebates with EECBG funds to assist qualified Boston homeowners, landlords, and businesses in making energy improvements to their properties. Eligible Bostonians receive low-hassle, no-cost home energy assessments and free efficiency upgrades including insulation, air sealing, water saving devices, and high-efficiency light bulbs
• Contracted with 13 community-based organizations
to conduct local outreach, and contracted with three full-time community coordinators to oversee the outreach city-wide
• Reached agreements with NStar and National Grid that place a utility program manager in the Renew Boston offices to facilitate coordination
In support of Renew Boston’s efforts, the Boston Commission on Affairs of the Elderly, in 2011, began recruiting 55 volunteers through its Retired Seniors Volunteer Program to work 5 to 10 hours per week with the community-based campaigns. The BRA has initiated a Green Triple Decker pilot program, which will provide grants, matched with utility incentives, to five owners to substantially improve energy performance in Boston’s historic three-deckers. Project partners include the utilities NStar and National Grid, and Historic Boston Inc., which will ensure that the retrofits, while achieving energy goals, maintain the structures’ historic character and details. During the project, to begin in 2011, building owners and contractors will create and follow an energy-efficiency retrofit work plan and budget, with the potential for up to $27,000 per building in rebates.
Oil-Related Energy Efficiency Programs About a quarter of the residences of Boston get their heat from fuel oil, which produces more GHG emissions per unit of energy than natural gas. Although Massachusetts law currently mandates a electric and natural gas “systems benefit charge” paid by ratepayers to fund energy efficiency programs, there is no funding source for targeted heating oil-related energy efficiency programs. However, some of the current utility efficiency programs may assist low-income heating oil customers.
In 2011, Renew Boston will:
Boston City Government will work with the Massachusetts legislature, the Department of Energy Resources, and others to establish a statewide fuel oil surcharge and oil-related energy efficiency programs. An important concern for Boston is to protect low-income residential oil users from undue hardship due to additional costs. When such programs are created, Renew Boston will work with the Commonwealth to deliver them to Boston residents and businesses and ensure that the investments in energy efficiency that Boston residents and businesses receive are commensurate with their surcharge payments.
• Promote comprehensive projects—including
Buildings and Behavior
• With private funding, established an Energy Use Data Task Force to develop guidelines for confidential data management
• Launched a $900,000 retrofit program specifically
directed at low-income, multi-family buildings. This federally funded effort will supplement $1 million in energy retrofit funds made available by the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) and a low-income multi-family grant program funded by the utilities
combined heat-and-power installations—by large commercial, industrial, and institutional energy users by coordinating utility energy efficiency work with local industrial development financing
• Investigate the establishment of a loan-loss reserve fund to support landlord financing of retrofits in multifamily buildings, particularly three-deckers
An important inducement, beyond economic incentives, for many people and businesses to take climate action is the opportunity to learn something new, exercise responsibility, and participate in a community effort. Boston City Government’s ongoing education and motivational effort around energy efficiency includes: