Peabody Terrace residents green their lighting with help from CEA and HEET

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.

The Cambridge Energy Alliance (CEA) and NSTAR launched a commercial outreach effort today in the Cambridge small business community to promote energy efficiency measures and accompanied incentives. Over the course of the next three weeks, CEA is partnering with Northeastern University’s Summer Discovery program to visit small businesses establishments throughout Cambridge. Volunteers from the Northeastern University’s Summer Discovery and the Mayor’s Summer Youth Employment programs will be key participants in making this canvass a success. Volunteers will visit over 1,000 businesses in the Cambridge community, and will in turn receive valuable, hands-on community outreach and energy efficiency experience that will aid them in future endeavors. The Cambridge commercial canvass helps businesses save money on their utility bills through energy efficiency improvements, by connecting businesses to NSTAR’s Direct Install, Small Business Program. "Our Direct Install Program for Small Businesses helped save 30 million kilowatt hours of electricity in 2009 alone," said Penni Conner, NSTAR Vice President of Customer Care. "This initiative provides free energy assessments and incentives for qualifying businesses, including discounts of up to 70% on certain efficiency measures. We believe energy efficiency is one of the best ways to reduce energy use resulting in lower customer energy bills -- a true win-win situation." In addition to helping businesses become more energy efficient, business owners can also become eligible for participation in the Energy Business Leader program. “This summer’s Commercial Canvass will be a great opportunity for local businesses to reduce their costs and help the city reduce its carbon footprint” said Lilah Glick, Director of Community Outreach at CEA. “Energy Efficiency not only makes good business sense, but the Energy Business Leader Program provides an opportunity for businesses to demonstrate their commitment to doing their part to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.” The targets for this canvass are Cambridge’s main commercial squares including: Harvard, Central, Porter, Inman, Kendall, East Cambridge, and Huron Village. This canvass, organized by CEA, is a collaboration of many institutions. CEA is working closely with NSTAR,the Cambridge Chamber of Commerce, and participating Business Associations. Terrence Smith, Director of Government Affairs, Cambridge Chamber of Commerce shared that, “We are excited about this important initiative and are eager to see the results from businesses taking steps to reduce their carbon footprints. Energy Efficiency improvements are an excellent way for businesses to improve their bottom-line during these tough economic times.” Other benefits to this program include using less energy, saving money, catching up on neglected maintenance, and even improving the comfort and productivity of staff and customers. Working with the CEA means that businesses will have easy access to rebates and incentives, access to financing options, and free guidance through the energy assessment process. The Cambridge Energy Alliance is also connecting businesses to other valuable resources in the community including the city’s Façade Improvement and Better Retail Practices programs, Sustainable Business Leader Program, and New Generation Energy.

NSTAR, along with the City of Cambridge, business leaders and state officials including Governor Deval Patrick, today launched the Cambridge Energy Alliance. This new non-profit organization will design, market, finance, manage, and document unprecedented efficiency improvements in the use of energy, water, and transportation. Overall, the Cambridge Energy Alliance initiatives will lead to a substantial reduction in the carbon emissions of the City of Cambridge. Specifically, the Cambridge Energy Alliance aims to: reduce electricity demand by 50MW, a 15% peak load reduction; reduce annual electricity and water consumption by 10% city-wide; achieve a participation rate of 50% in each sector (e.g. municipal, commercial, residential); and reduce annual GHG emissions from the city by 150,000 tons (10%) by 2011. Also, Governor Patrick announced the creation of MassEfficiency, a $2 million revolving loan fund that will finance start-up costs for replicating this energy initiative in five more Massachusetts cities. The City of Boston will be the first to take the lessons learned from the Cambridge Energy Alliance and apply them on a larger scale. “The Cambridge Energy Alliance is pioneering a new model for energy efficiency that should be replicated by communities across the Commonwealth,” said Governor Deval Patrick. “MassEfficiency will help make that happen.” The Cambridge Energy Alliance will carry out a $100+ million massive energy efficiency implementation effort, while also installing, where feasible, new renewable and clean energy generation, and technologies that curb electricity use during peak demand periods. NSTAR is a key partner in achieving the project’s goals. If the entire state followed Cambridge's lead over the next half decade, the commonwealth would save the equivalent of two coal-fired power plants in electric demand reduction. The tagline of the program, which will also target transportation, water use and heating efficiencies, is Saving Money and the Planet. Start-up support for this project has been provided by the Henry P. Kendall Foundation, the Barr Foundation and The Chorus Foundation. “All the foundations involved are very excited about the project’s potential impacts and are committed to the project’s success,” said Rob Pratt, Senior Vice-President of the Henry P. Kendall Foundation. “As a foundation focused on climate change solutions, we view cities as the most promising areas for near-term success in efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In city environments, buildings represent 65-80% of the emissions, so a targeted energy efficiency approach is a clear win-win – reduced emissions and lower energy bills.” A critical project component is the collaboration of stakeholders including Cambridge Health Alliance and city officials, NSTAR, members of the corporate community, university and civic leaders, energy suppliers, and regulators. New efficiency opportunities are being identified and planned for implementation. “The Cambridge Energy Alliance will make the community a better place economically and environmentally,” said Robert W. Healy, Cambridge City Manager. “This very innovative approach that brings together unique financing, the latest in energy and building technology, and a broad outreach program will allow us to reach a much larger number of households and businesses than past efforts. With this approach the city will be able to make big strides toward its goal to reduce global warming pollution and at the same time make our households, businesses, and institutions more resilient against rising energy prices. I'm very pleased that the Kendall Foundation has chosen the City of Cambridge to be its partner in pioneering this new approach that we can share with other communities throughout the region and beyond.” Cities naturally aggregate both needs and services and therefore can support the design of a unique, but replicable financial mechanism – a Revolving Fund for Energy Efficiency – as proposed by the Cambridge Energy Alliance. By sponsoring and then aggregating reductions of both energy consumption and peak demand within its borders, Cambridge Energy Alliance, in conjunction with its many collaborative stakeholders can participate in all markets that value such reductions. Once the Revolving Fund is in place, the project is expected to become fully self-sustaining. “We are very excited to be part of a team that is creating an energy model for the future," said Thomas J. May, NSTAR Chairman, President and CEO. "The Cambridge Energy Alliance has designed an approach to energy efficiency that is focused on customer-based solutions that involve the whole community. This forward-thinking initiative will complement and enhance our existing efforts to help our customers save money and energy today, resulting in a cleaner, healthier environment for tomorrow.” The project incorporates innovative financing techniques which could be used to develop similar energy efficiency projects in other Massachusetts communities as well as those across New England. Approximately 80% of the financing will come from private sources, without obligation to Cambridge or the state, resulting in an approach which should be highly attractive to cash strapped cities and towns. The remaining 20% will generally come from a number of electrical utility incentive programs that were established in part to promote energy efficiency. As a result, energy savings and clean energy installations will in most cases be paid for by the project financing and be repaid from future energy savings of the companies, Cambridge city facilities, universities, hospitals, small businesses and residents. No upfront costs will be required for such installations, and there will be no cost to Cambridge or state taxpayers.

Governor Deval Patrick today announced a $2 million state revolving loan fund to cover the start-up costs of large-scale energy efficiency programs modeled on the Cambridge Energy Alliance, an innovative public-private partnership also unveiled today. The state fund, called MassEfficiency, will allow the City of Boston and four other Massachusetts cities to replicate the Cambridge effort, which promises $100 million in efficiency measures to be paid for largely out of the savings they generate. “The Cambridge Energy Alliance is pioneering a new model for energy efficiency that should be replicated by communities across the Commonwealth,” said Governor Patrick, speaking at the launch of the Alliance at the Cambridge City Hall Annex. “MassEfficiency will help make that happen.” The Cambridge Energy Alliance is a new nonprofit organization formed in partnership with the City of Cambridge to carry out a first-in-the-nation level of energy efficiency measures in a single city. Over the next five years, the Cambridge Energy Alliance will carry out a $100+ million energy efficiency implementation effort, while also installing, where feasible, new renewable and clean energy generation, and technologies that curb electricity use during peak demand periods. The tagline of the program, which will also target transportation, water use and heating efficiencies, is Saving Money and the Planet. Specifically, the Cambridge Energy Alliance aims to reduce electricity demand by 50MW, a 15% peak load reduction; reduce annual electricity and water consumption by 10% citywide; and reduce annual greenhouse gas emissions from the city by 150,000 tons (10%) by 2011. The Alliance intends to achieve a participation rate of 50% in each sector of customers (municipal, commercial, residential). “As a foundation focused on climate change solutions, we view cities as the most promising areas for near-term success in efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” said Rob Pratt, Senior Vice-President of the Henry P. Kendall Foundation, which, along with the Barr Foundation, provided start-up funding for the Cambridge Energy Alliance. “In city environments, a targeted energy efficiency approach is a clear win-win – reduced emissions and lower energy bills.” Cities naturally aggregate both needs and services and can therefore support the unique but replicable financial mechanism – a Revolving Fund for Energy Efficiency – designed by the Cambridge Energy Alliance. Approximately 80% of the financing will come from private sources. The remaining 20% will come from a number of electrical utility incentive programs that were established in part to promote energy efficiency. As a result, energy savings and clean energy installations will, in most cases, be paid for by the project financing and repaid from future energy savings of companies, municipal facilities, universities, hospitals, small businesses, and residents. No upfront costs will be required for such installations, and there will be no cost to Cambridge or state taxpayers. “What’s exciting about this initiative is that it brings private financing to a large-scale energy efficiency project,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Ian Bowles. “Governor Patrick and I are glad to be able to provide start-up funds for five more cities to adopt the Cambridge Energy Alliance model through MassEfficiency. The City of Boston, in particular, will be able to take the lessons learned in Cambridge and apply them to an even bigger market, for more savings in energy and money, and greater environmental benefits.” “I appreciate Governor Patrick’s commitment and leadership in providing the necessary start-up funding to expand this major energy efficiency program to the City of Boston and beyond,” said Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino. “Conservation is where we must first look to meet our future energy needs, because with each kilowatt we save we reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, eliminate pollution in our neighborhoods, and provide cost savings to residents and businesses alike. The Governor’s leadership in this area will help leverage hundreds of millions of dollars in capital for these projects, serving as a major boost to our economy and creating jobs.”

CEA and NSTAR Announce Unprecedented Commercial Outreach Effort

NSTAR Partners with City of Cambridge, State and Community Organizations to Create Energy Initiative

Governor Patrick Hails Cambridge Energy Efficiency Initiative as Model to Spread Across the Commonwealth