The Role Of Energy Efficiency In Boston’s Healthcare Facilities – Today was energy efficiency day in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Communities across the state are setting ambitious goals to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. However setting goals is easy, meeting them is the challenge.

In terms of achieving their energy goals, the City of Boston is not on track to be carbon neutral by 2050. This is partly due to the fact that the city is failing to maintain new developments to high energy efficiency and sustainability standards.

The Role Of Energy Efficiency In Boston’s Healthcare Facilities

Boston has seen a huge boom in urban development over the past few years, with proponents touting investment opportunities, job creation, and growth for the city. The major impact these projects have on the city’s emissions portfolio and its ability to meet emissions reduction goals is rarely mentioned. In fact, Boston has been turning a blind eye to emissions from new construction. Data reveals that 1 in 5 buildings built since 2012 is below the national average for energy efficiency.

Inefficient Building Electrification Risks Prolonging Fossil Fuels

Buildings account for most of the city’s carbon emissions. Therefore, ensuring that new buildings are energy efficient is the easiest step the city can take to reduce such emissions. By not taking action on emissions from new buildings as they are built, Boston will be trapped in its energy inefficiency for decades.

However, the problem goes beyond energy efficiency. New developments such as One Dalton Street are highly dependent on natural gas, and local pipelines in the city need to be expanded. Although the switch from coal to natural gas has allowed Boston and the state in general to reduce electricity emissions very significantly, natural gas is still a fossil fuel, which we absolutely should not be encouraging more of.

The recent explosions in the Merrimack Valley, which claimed the life of one man and left 40 families without homes, underline the physical danger of gas. Moreover, being a fossil fuel, it is a leading source of greenhouse gas emissions in the state.

Other cities across the United States such as New York City and San Francisco, have taken completely different approaches, holding their new developments to higher environmental standards and awarding proposals based on deeper commitments to sustainability. San Francisco is an example of a city doing this. The new Salesforce Tower, completed this year, became one of San Francisco’s greenest buildings.

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It is a huge missed opportunity for Boston not to follow similar styles and standards for development that can advance the city’s emissions reduction goals and make it a champion for sustainable urban development and climate action.

Emissions are not the only concern these new developments raise. Boston is a very genteel city, and it doesn’t seem to be getting any more so. The city has been facing an affordable housing crisis and residents need more affordable housing. By focusing on higher energy efficiency standards, the city can actually also promote other such priorities.

The recently completed Old Colony redevelopment project in South Boston was among the first affordable housing projects in the region to plan for net-zero energy use. It scores extremely high in terms of energy efficiency, and recently installed solar panels on top of various roofs.

Boston is by no means powerless to achieve its climate goals. The city can stop all natural gas infrastructure expansion, they can pass the ordinance proposed by Councilman Matt O’Malley to modify zoning to encourage energy efficient design, and Mayor Marty Walsh can support plans to implement choice aggregation community throughout the city. This would allow residents and small businesses, currently served by investor-owned utilities, to use bulk buying power to negotiate electricity supply and have a say over their energy sources.

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Boston should be at the forefront of innovation in urban development and climate response, and should be a powerful and leading example for coastal cities around the world.

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City of completes $11 million investment in energy efficiency and renewable energy upgrades across 14 City buildings

The solar canopy at Police Headquarters completes the first phase of the Renew Trust initiative, which is estimated to save around $680,000 in its first year.

Improving Energy Efficiency Infographic

Mayor Martin J. Walsh today announced the completion of the first phase of Renew Trust , the City of the City’s initiative to invest in energy efficiency and renewable energy measures for municipal buildings. The first phase of the $45 million investment spans 14 City-owned buildings, including libraries, community centers, police and fire stations, and helps reduce energy use, save money, and reduce greenhouse gases emitted by cities that contribute to climate change.

This work marks the City’s ongoing commitment to lead by example and implement the strategies outlined in the 2019 Climate Action Plan update to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and become carbon neutral by 2050.

“Climate change is one of the biggest challenges of our time, and the City must lead by example in our commitment to building healthier, sustainable and fairer communities,” said Mayor Walsh. “The Renew Trust is a smart, progressive program for the City, and it allows us to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that pollute our neighborhoods and further climate change.”

The first phase includes dozens of energy-saving projects completed in 14 City-owned buildings throughout, estimated to save about $680,000 in the first year alone. Investments include efficient lighting and water installations, replacement of HVAC equipment, building management systems to improve operations, and installation of solar panels. This first step is predicted to reduce urban greenhouse gas emissions by one percent, and increase in impact over time, which improves air quality, creates healthier buildings, and reduces carbon emissions to bring the city closer to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.

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“In , buildings account for almost 70 per cent of the emissions that contribute to climate change. The Renew Trust not only makes our buildings more comfortable for workers and visitors, but also enables us to reinvest additional savings from these energy efficiency and renewable energy improvements into resilience measures across the city to build stronger and healthier neighborhoods across ,” said Chris Cook , Head of Environment, Energy, and Open Space.

The first phase of Renew Trust was completed with the installation of car gates at the Police Department Headquarters. On top of these car fields are 707 solar modules that reduce the amount of power the building draws from the grid, producing around 242,000 kWh per year, and saving $6,000 a year first. Solar PV installations were also done at BCYF’s Roslindale Community Center and BCYF’s Tobin Community Center. Each building is guaranteed between $4,000-$6,000 in savings the first year, with more expected over the 20-year contract.

“By using a self-funding funding model with guaranteed savings, the Renew Trust program saves the City money and helps us achieve our climate goals,” said Emme Handy, Chief Financial Officer. “Generating $32 million in proceeds, the City issued its first series of green bonds in December to fund projects like the first two phases of Renew Trust. We are pleased that the sale of green bonds has achieved a three basis point valuation difference, the largest and most definitive valuation gain to date for municipal green bonds.”

Mayor Walsh formally announced his plans for Renew Trust with an investment of $11 million in the FY19 budget. The upgrade is done through an energy saving performance contract, a proven self-financing financing model that guarantees energy and cost savings. The savings in the City’s operating budget from more energy-efficient buildings pay for financing the work. With additional savings, the City plans to reinvest in resilience measures. Renew Trust’s next phase is investing nearly $20 million in energy-saving measures across 31 city-owned buildings.

A Fight Over The Future Of N.h.’s Energy Efficiency Programs Erupts

As stated in the 2019 Climate Action Plan update, ‘a road map for achieving its goals of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 and preparing our infrastructure and communities for the effects of climate change, the City of Cardiff has taken bold and necessary steps to lead by example. As well as investing in our existing buildings and using City assets such as car parks to use renewable energy, in 2019 Mayor Walsh signed an executive order requiring all new municipal buildings (schools, libraries, community centers) to target a standard net zero. To provide high-quality, safe and cleaner affordable housing for our most vulnerable residents, the City offered $30 million to support the creation of new affordable housing built to net-zero standards. Climate Preparedness simultaneously strengthens climate change resilience and adaptation with long-term and long-term planning through engagement and solutions at the neighborhood level. For more information on

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