Northampton Energy & Sustainability Commission - NESC

06/07/2021

HOPE for HOMES Act.
Major home energy efficiency legislation goes to Congress with bipartisan support .
It's very very exciting that this includes a 'measured performance' incentive structure - incentives based on actual savings , using open -source advanced measurement and verification software to measure post retrofit savings.
This opens the door to incentives for deeper energy efficeincy measures.. beyond basic utility sponsored weatherization. This is the beginning to a major initiative to fix our inefficient carbon fuel burning building stock.

1 pager here: https://www.vanhollen.senate.gov/.../HOPE%20for%20HOMES...

Some info on incentives:

The HOPE for HOMES Act will create rebates for homeowners to invest in energy efficiency improvements, including:
$800 to add insulation to their home.
$1,500 for adding insulation and replacing part of their HVAC system.
$2,500 for adding insulation and the installation of an air source or ground source heat pump.
$2,000 for retrofits that lead to modeled or measured savings of 20-35% of whole-house or multifamily building energy use.
$4,000 for retrofits that lead to modeled or measured savings of 35% of whole-house or multifamily building energy use.
Doubling the rebate amount for moderate-income families.
A rebate based on actual energy savings, per kilowatt-hour, for homes and multifamily buildings that demonstrate measured energy savings of at least 15%.
An additional $200 rebate for each retrofit completed in an underserved community.
In addition, the bill will:
Authorize $500 million in grants to help develop training curriculums and assist companies in providing financial incentives to contractors to undertake online training to advance their capabilities to efficiently retrofit homes.
Provide $1,000 per employee rehired, up to $10,000 total, to contracting companies willing to cover the costs of training and technology upgrades needed to achieve online learning.
Provide a $1,000 stipend to contractors who complete the HOPE Training and are prepared to advance their careers and help homeowners with home retrofits.

07/09/2020

The EU is taking steps to transition to a new energy economy

"Greenpeace UK’s Rosie Rogers pointed to funding by other countries for a green recovery, including £36bn by the German government and £13.5bn by France, and said the UK’s £3bn “isn’t playing in the same league”.
“Of course this money is better than nothing, but it doesn’t measure up to the economic and environmental crises. It’s not enough to create the hundreds of thousands of new green jobs that are needed,” she said.

Under the Green Homes Grant, Rishi Sunak said families will receive vouchers of up to £5,000 for energy-saving changes, such as a new boiler, with the poorest getting up to £10,000

05/08/2020

Will we return to ‘normal’ or something better ?

Governments should focus on climate protection when considering fiscal stimulus packages to support an economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Tuesday.

01/11/2020

"The Massachusetts clean energy industry has grown for the ninth consecutive year. According to a report released by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) on Tuesday, the state’s clean energy sector added 1,069 workers to the clean energy workforce between 2018 and 2019... Massachusetts now employs over 111,836 workers in the clean energy industry an increase of 86 percent since 2010."

The Massachusetts clean energy industry has grown for the ninth consecutive year. According to a report released by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) on Tuesday, the state’s clean energy sector added 1,069 workers to the clean energy workforce between 2018 and 2019.

01/02/2020

Three institutions, Alliance to Save Energy, Business Council for Sustainable Energy, and American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, have just released a comprehensive Energy Efficiency Impact Report. "This report seeks to characterize 54 indicators that highlight the main features of the energy efficiency market, describe what our previous commitments to energy efficiency have achieved today, and give a sense of how much further it can take us." http://energyefficiencyimpact.org

11/22/2019

By an overwhelming margin Wednesday night, Brookline Town Meeting voted to ban oil and gas piping in future construction projects, becoming the first community in Massachusetts to pass such a measure. And while over 15 cities in California have passed similar bans, Brookline’s bylaw goes further, prohibiting the installation of new oil and gas infrastructure in gut renovations, in addition to new buildings.

"Other communities across the state are lining up to take similar action."

11/22/2019

A Massachusetts economic development agency has awarded eight affordable housing projects a total of $1.73 million to build energy-efficient rental units that will cut heating and cooling costs and improve air quality for residents. Supporters say the move could be pivotal to bringing high efficiency standards into the mainstream.

State clean energy grants will give a boost to builders attempting to build high-efficiency rental units.

11/22/2019

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is likely to fall short of its greenhouse gas emission goals if it cannot implement utility-scale storage, according to a new study.

But building out storage infrastructure is expensive without policy incentives.

11/22/2019

https://tinyurl.com/wqr8pq6

Democratic presidential candidates wade into a wonky but critical debate over compensation for renewables in the Northeast.

11/12/2019

Can we hit a 0-carbon 2050 goal? Yes! This short article points to some opportunities and challenges

Net zero emissions can be achieved, says EnergyPro's Steve Fawkes, but requires one crucial attribute. Ørsted has it, can others deliver?

11/08/2019

Centre-right opposition National party throws support behind the legislation that has been applauded around the globe

11/03/2019

https://otherwords.org/we-need-publicly-owned-utilities/

California’s wildfires and blackouts show the dangers of entrusting our power to for-profit corporations.