CDM and the Cambridge Energy Alliance (CEA) have formed the first-of-its-kind partnership to evaluate energy and water efficiency at One Cambridge Place, CDM’s
world headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts. This large-scale energy and resource conservation project for CDM represents an innovative, community-based approach to making energy efficiency a reality for residents and businesses.
The project team includes ConEdison Solutions, an energy service company, which is conducting a comprehensive energy efficiency audit of the 180,000 square feet that CDM leases at One Cambridge Place. The audit will create an accurate energy model of the building; identify electric, gas, oil, and water efficiency opportunities; and optimize building functions. Proposed infrastructure investments could yield more than $100,000 per year in energy, water, and operational savings—as much as 16 percent of CDM’s projected 2009 energy and water/sewer costs.
Tom Pedersen, CDM director of sustainability, states, “This effort is an integral part of our corporate-wide sustainability performance improvement program and further demonstrates CDM’s commitment to develop lasting solutions for our clients, communities, operations, and people that meet current needs while preserving resources for future generations.” CDM is one of the city’s top 20 employers with 683
employees at One Cambridge Place.
“We’re excited to be the first major business in Cambridge to be collaborating with CEA and ConEdison Solutions on this pioneering partnership in energy and water efficiency,” says Robert Cabral, CDM vice president, facilities. “Proposed savings would not only cover the cost of doing this study and the implementation of recommended measures, but significantly reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and
pay back the investment within 6 to 8 years.”The audit will be complete by the end of 2009 with the installation of improvements slated for early 2010.
ConEdison Solutions will supervise the installation of energy efficiency measures and ensure that the expected savings materialize. Measures being considered include improved heating, ventilation, and air conditioning controls; energy-efficient lighting, refrigerators, and ice machines; as well as enhanced facility management processes, procedures, and policies.
CEA, the result of a first-in-the-nation collaboration between the city of Cambridge and major foundations, is a non-profit organization that is facilitating increased sustainability through large-scale implementation. “CEA aggregates all aspects of energy and water efficiency—from energy service providers, government rebates, and financing to renewable energy and demand reductions and community education and outreach—into one effort,” explains Deborah Donovan, CEA executive director. “The inclusive program allows businesses, residents, and institutions across Cambridge to save energy and money, and dramatically reduce the city’s greenhouse gas emissions. We’re grateful for the city’s forward-thinking support for CEA and to CDM for putting this project on the map by becoming the city’s first major participant.”
“This is an exciting development for CEA and the city,” says Robert W. Healy, Cambridge city manager. “When the city co-sponsored the creation of CEA, we aimed to spur energy efficiency and clean energy improvements in the commercial building sector because that is where most of the energy use and greenhouse gas emissions are occurring. I congratulate CDM for stepping up to the plate and leading the way for our businesses. We hope many others will follow their example.”
MetLife, the owner of One Cambridge Place, is working to obtain U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Existing Building certification and an Energy Star™ rating for the property.
The Cambridge Energy Alliance donated the efficiency lighting supplies—bulbs initially provided by TCP, Inc.—and resources for the Area 4 exchange. In addition, Whole Foods donated food for the community volunteers and EFI provided discounts for the purchase of efficiency materials used in the community barnraisings.
The communities of Reading, Boston, Waltham, Arlington, and Maynard will continue the spirit of the International Day of Action with weatherization barnraisings scheduled for the next 30 days. The buildings included homes for mentally disabled adults and a church.
In addition, many houses of worship around the world and in Cambridge rang their bells 350 times on Saturday in a call for climate action. “We’re ringing our church bell because climate justice is a religious issue,” explained Rev. Fred Small, Senior Minister of First Parish in Cambridge (Unitarian Universalist). “The eighth commandment says, 'Thou shall not steal,’ and global warming steals from our own children and grandchildren. It harms most the poorest and most vulnerable people on earth, who are least responsible for causing it.”
Many of the eastern Massachusetts community events ended the day by joining the Boston 350 Under Water Festival. Hundreds of citizens gathered en masse in downtown Boston's Christopher Columbus Park and engaged in positive attention-getting and imagination-catching activities. The Boston 350 event used the iconic image of sea level rise to draw attention to the threat of global climate change.
Swap ‘N Go
Many residents of Peabody Terrace did something unusual as they prepared to leave their apartment on the morning of March 6, 2010 – they unscrewed their incandescent light bulbs.
Sound like an odd thing to do? Not for participants in Peabody Terrace’s first Bulb Swap. An incandescent bulb was their ticket to a better planet and free prizes. Residents received one free compact fluorescent light (CFL) for every incandescent bulb they turned in. During the swap, residents also learned about other ways to reduce their home carbon emissions and could sign up for a two-month long competition to see who can reduce the most. Winners are eligible for several enticing prizes including Smart Strips, credit at Zip Car, gift certificates from the Clear Conscience Café, and gift cards donated by Shaw’s and Harvest Co-op Market.
Maximizing Partnerships
The concept of this event arose through discussions between HRES’ sustainability team and two local grassroots organizations: the Home Energy Efficiency Team (HEET) and the Cambridge Energy Alliance (CEA). A planning team consisting of personnel from HRES and the two community groups coordinated the event in a little under a month’s time. HEET recruited volunteers for the swap, and both HEET and CEA obtained prizes from local businesses. HRES managed event promotion and purchased bulbs to supplement those donated by CEA.
Site-Specific Strategy
Peabody Terrace, an HRES property comprising 495 units, is unique because residents provide their own room lighting fixtures, and electricity data is available for individual units. This offered a rare opportunity to implement an occupant engagement project with quantifiable results. The planning team adapted the HEET model for neighborhood energy efficiency events to fit the unique parameters of an apartment complex. Posters, emails, and door tags were distributed to promote the event. On the big day, participants could go to any of four stations around the complex to exchange bulbs and learn energy tips. Volunteers at each station offered to demonstrate how to change computer power settings, how to use a Kill-a-Watt meter, and how to use a power strip as a central shut off for multiple devices. Competition results will be monitored for two months, with a mid-way progress report to residents by email.
Preliminary Results
By the end of the swap, 84 apartments had registered for the competition and over 200 efficient CFLs found new homes. “We were surprised at how many 100 Watt bulbs were turned in,” said Audrey Schulman, HEET President. “Going from a 100 Watt incandescent to a 13 Watt CFL makes the carbon reduction even better than we’d hoped.” The new light bulbs could avoid up to 5.6 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MTCDE) each year. Justin Stratman, Assistant Director of Property Operations at HRES, is also hopeful. “If the results are good, we could see doing this kind of event at some of our other properties,” he said. HRES already provides one CFL in a welcome bag for new residents each year, but a concerted effort to engage occupants through a swap paired with a competition might unlock even more greenhouse gas reductions.
