Salutations, friends and affiliates of the Cambridge Energy Alliance!
I hope you’ve shoveled out and are staying warm within your cozy energy efficient homes (if not- we can help you!).
In this update email you will find some great Massachusetts clean energy news, several upcoming event descriptions, information about a green building challenge, and an update on a past event!
Events coming up include the Green Streets Initiative Walk/Ride Day free hot breakfast on this Friday, January 28th in Harvard Square, a HEET weatherization barn-raising on Saturday Jan 29th, a lecture on Eco-municipalities on February 3rd, and finally the Cambridge Energy Alliance/Coldwell Banker–sponsored Green Condo seminar on February 8th.
We hope to see you there!
Best wishes,
Jesse Gorden
Outreach Coordinator
Cambridge Energy Alliance
News
Massachusetts
Commonwealth Solar Hot Water*: New Solar Hot Water rebate program!
This February, the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (Mass CEC) is launching a new rebate program to help residents finance solar hot water projects.
The Commonwealth Solar Hot Water rebate program will provide rebates to
qualifying applicants for the installation of solar hot water (SHW) projects,
through a non-competitive application process. Systems must serve residences of
one to four units that are located in an electric utility territory that
contributes to MassCEC's Renewable Energy Trust Fund. Customers may
install SHW systems that supplement any fuel type.
*Please view the attached fact sheet for more information on solar hot water.
--------------------------------
Events
Greenstreets 3rd Annual Kickoff Walk/Ride Day*
Free Hot Breakfast hosted by Harvard Square Business Association
Friday, January 28th
7:00-9:00am
Holyoke Center (next to Au Bon Pain) in Harvard Square
WALK, BIKE, take the T or BUS or just PARK a little further away then usual. It'll be a hearty and fun affair at the Holyoke Center with the Harvard Square Business Association providing a delicious HOT breakfast, including, we hear, Fire and Ice's green eggs and sausage with lots more from other Harvard Square eateries! (updates at www.harvardsquare.com)
Come hang out with your favorite dignitaries, including Cambridge Mayor Maher, BostonBikes' Nicole Freedman, Cambridge School Superintendent Jeff Young, School Sustainability Director Kristen Von Hoffman, Cambridge School Committee members and City Councilors, Superintendent Haas and other members of the Cambridge Police Department, DOT's Ned Codd, and fellow green commuters.
This year, for the first time, there will be exhibitors at the event including, the Cambridge Community Development Department, Cambridge Climate Emergency Action Group, DPW Recycling Program, Cambridge Energy Alliance, Cambridge Local First, CycleKids, Friends of the Community Path, MassBike, NuRide, RelayRides, TROMP, Urban Adventours, WalkBoston, ZIPCAR, and, of course, Green Streets!
*Please see the attached flier.
----------
The 2030 Challenge
19 years and ticking
Tuesday, February 1
6:00 – 8:00pm
Wentworth Institute of Technology’s Watson Hall (550 Huntington Ave, Boston)
The AIA called for a commitment from architectural firms to design carbon-neutral buildings by the year 2030. Eleven years into this bold challenge, what are firms doing today to progress toward the goal, and what does the future of building energy look like?
Boston Society of Architects (BSA) Committee on the Environment (COTE) hosts a roundtable discussion with leading architects working on a broad range of sustainable projects. We'll look at real-world strategies; case studies; challenges; and opportunities related to team selection, design and implementation.
The discussion is free and open to BSA members and the public. Space is limited. Parking is also limited. Why not use public transportation?
Co-moderators
Philippe Genereux AIA, LEED AP (SMMA/Symmes Maini & McKee Associates)
Jim Stanislaski AIA (Gensler)
Panelists
Bruce Coldham FAIA (Coldham & Hartman Architects)
Martine Dion AIA (SMMA/Symmes Maini & McKee Associates)
Kenneth Fisher AIA (Gensler)
Robert Hoye AIA (TRO Jung|Brannen)
Deborah Rivers AIA (Perkins + Will)
----------
What do Hanover, NH, Madison, WI, Lawrence Township NJ, and over 70 cities and towns in Sweden have in common?
They are all Eco-Municipalities.
Thursday, February 3rd
7:00pm
Auditorium, Main Library, 449 Broadway, Cambridge
Learn how eco-municipalities are taking a comprehensive approach to sustainable change—as opposed to carrying out a collection of disparate sustainable development projects.
Speaker: Sarah James, Institute for Eco-Municipality Education & Assistance and a brief report from Vice Mayor Henrietta Davis about her participation in the European Capital Cities Conference in Stockholm, Sweden.
Sponsored by the Cambridge Renewable Energy Action Team (CREATe), the Cambridge Energy Alliance (CEA), and the Office of the Vice Mayor Henrietta Davis
----------
Green Your Condo, Save Your Money, & Help Your Planet, too.*
Learn how “green” investments in your condo can make it more sustainable and add value to your home.
Tuesday, February 8th
6:30pm-8:30pm
171 Huron Avenue, Coldwell Banker Office
At this seminar you will learn about energy efficiency and smart living starting with small steps to take within your condo like installing weather stripping, then moving onto larger steps for your entire condo building like getting a free building-wide energy assessment or even installing solar. We will also cover how to cash in on the incentives/rebates, as well as the attractive 0% financing available through local banks and NSTAR. Come learn how to make your condo greener, more energy efficient, and save yourself and neighbors money each month.
Presenters
Sustainable Life Solutions
Next Step Living
S&H Construction
Cambridge Portuguese Credit Union
Attendees will have the opportunity to win raffle prizes of green gear and purchase Smart Strips powerstrips with the utility discount already included.
*Please view the attached flier.
Co-sponsored by CEA and Coldwell Banker agents Amy Tighe and Robin Miller.
RSVP to outr...@cambridgeenergyalliance.org
---------------------------------
Updates
• Slides from the HEET/CEA-hosted talk with Michael Blasnik are now available on http://www.heetma.com.
---------------------------------
From the E2.0 Blog
2005 and 2010 Tied for Hottest Years on Record
Every Day Smart Alternatives to Car Congestion Woes
MLK, Many Helping Hands, and CEA (photos within)
Thanks for taking time out of your day to read through this email!
Please feel free to pass this along to anyone you know who may be interested in attending our events or volunteering to help their community become more sustainable.
Others may subscribe to this mailing list by sending a blank email to updates+...@cambridgeenergyalliance.org
--
Jesse Gorden
CEA Outreach Coordinator/Intern
617-491-0488 ext.124
Cambridge Energy Alliance: Save Money. Save the Planet.
1385 Cambridge Street, Cambridge, MA 02139
http://www.cambridgeenergyalliance.org | http://www.energytwodotzero.org | http://www.facebook.com/CambridgeEnergyAlliance