FREE Courses on Climate Change at Northeastern University!

The Myra Kraft Open Classroom, a semester-long seminar series for students and the public, is offering in person or live-stream courses to promote climate change education, resilience, and action, hosted by the School of Public Policy & Urban Affairs. The series, called “Climate Change: A Course For Everyone” runs on Wednesdays: starting January 8 and going until April 8, 2020, from 6 to 8 p.m.

Throughout the course, they will examine the basic science of climate change, its local and global impacts on the natural world, the built environment, and humankind, and strategies for preventing its worst outcomes while preparing for those we can no longer avoid. Their panels will include faculty experts, community practitioners, and youth leaders.

The next course is called “Agriculture and Food Systems”:

When: Wednesday, January 29, 2020
Time: 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.


Where: West Village F, Room 20 OR Live-streamed

Questionssppua@northeastern.edu;
More Info + Schedule

Reminder: Light Bulb Swap on Saturday!

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If you are a Cambridge resident, this is a reminder to come swap up to three of your incandescent or CFL light bulbs* for free LED replacements this Saturday, Dec. 10, at the Cambridge Winter Farmer’s Market at 5 Callender St, from 10am-2pm! We will also have a pop-up store with heavily discounted LEDs for all of your other lighting needs.

*The swap is limited to A19 and BR30 bulbs.

This event is part of the City’s 100% LED Campaign that encourages residents to change over their lighting to LEDs, which use six times less energy. Please note that the bulb swap is limited to Cambridge residents and while supplies last.

 

8/16: Come to Solar 102: Going Solar for Multi-Unit Owners, Condo-Owners, and Landlords!

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 Solar 102: Going Solar for Multi-Unit Owners, Condo Owners and Landlords

 Tuesday, August 16

 Lesley University, 1815 Mass Ave, University Hall, Rm 2-078 (Second Floor),  Cambridge

Doors open at 6 pm, event starts at 6:30 pm

Interested in going solar in Cambridge but worried that your property is too complicated? Not sure where to begin, how to finance it, or how to make sure you’re getting the best deal? Join the Sunny Cambridge & Solarize Somerville teams for Solar 102: Going Solar for Multi-Unit Owners, Condo-Owners, and Landlords.

  • Learn how solar is a great fit for condos and landlord-owned properties
  • Discuss your questions with the Multi-Family Solar Advisor
  • Hear about your neighbors’experience going solar with Sunny Cambridge

Visit https://www.energysage.com/sunnycambridge/ for info on the Cambridge program.

Visit www.somervillema.gov/sustainaville/solarize for more info on the Somerville program.

Bikes, Data, & A Master Plan: 3 Cambridge Announcements

There is some great stuff happening in Cambridge that you should know about! Here are three announcements from the Cambridge Community Development Department:

 1. Cambridge Conversations: Kicking off the Master Planning Process

What’s special about Cambridge? What could be better? We’re launching our citywide master planning process by collecting feedback on these questions and more. If you work or live in Cambridge, make yourself heard by adding your throughts to our brand new Co-Urbanize site:

courbanize.com/cambridge-conversations

Head to the forum page to contribute your ideas and see what others have been saying. The site will keep you updated on the whole master planning process. It has only just begun.

2. City Open Data Site Live!

See all kinds of interesting information about our fair city, from street tree identification to crime reports to waterplay park locations, and so much more. It’s all here:

data.cambridgema.gov

3. FREE Bicycle Workshops for Cambridge Residents and Employees

Our popular free bike workshop series continues this summer with these great offerings:

Summer_ALL20140605_Poster

 

There you have it. Lots of great stuff to get involved in and explore. Happy Summer!

 

 

The City of Cambridge Pledges to Compete for $5M Georgetown University Energy Prize

Across the country, the demand for energy is rising rapidly.  Yet, despite known negative implications for our environment, we still allow more than half of the total energy produced in the U.S. to go wasted due to inefficiencies. [1]

The City of Cambridge wants to help change this, and as part of our commitment to environmental sustainability, energy efficiency, and climate change action, we have pledged our intent to compete in the $5 million Georgetown University Energy Prize.

The Prize kicked off at a two-day conference in Washington, D.C. on April 23, 2014. At the event—which officially opened the competition’s Application Phase— The City of Cambridge was announced as one of more than 50 communities who have signed letters of intent to compete for the Prize. Meghan Shaw, the Community Outreach Director for the Cambridge Energy Alliance, attended the launch of the competition—there she is in the Indian Treaty Room of the White House, fifth from left in the middle row, with other competitors:

GEUPlarger

As a competing community, we join other small- to medium-size towns, cities, and counties that will develop and implement creative, sustainable, and replicable strategies to save energy. Here’s a map of the other communities that have also pledged to compete:

guep map

During the current Application Phase, we will work collaboratively with local stakeholders to develop an energy-saving plan that will not only deliver financial benefits to residents, but will also help ensure the long-term sustainability of our community. Most importantly, we aim to design a plan that other communities can replicate—so that we can all do our part to increase our nation’s energy independence.

The Application Phase—which ends on June 30, 2014—will be followed by Quarterfinals, and Semifinals, and will conclude in 2017 when one winning community is awarded a $5 million prize purse for use on energy efficiency programs. More information about each of the competition’s four stages is available at www.guep.org/rules-timeline.

Stay tuned for more details on the Prize, the City of Cambridge’s energy-saving plan, and to learn how you can support our efforts. In the meantime, please stay connected with us through this blog, our Facebook page, and Twitter @CambEnergy.

We are excited to get underway in the competition and we look forward to elevating the City of Cambridge as a national leader of energy efficiency efforts in America.

Help us get there! For questions about the Prize or if you would like to get involved in the effort, please contact Meghan Shaw at outreach@cambridgeenergyalliance.org.

 


[1] According to the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, using Department of Energy/Energy Information Administration data from August 2010, out of all energy produced, the U.S. has an energy efficiency rate of 42 percent, which means 58 percent of all the energy we produce is wasted: www.llnl.gov/news/newsreleases/2010/images/energy-flow-annotated.pdf.

 

Prepare for Winter in your Rented or Multi-Family Home

 

As the weather gets chillier, we all start looking forward to—or dreading—winter. In order to be comfortable while still being energy smart, there are some easy but important steps you can take. There is plenty of information out there on how to weatherize your entire home to keep heating costs down, but many of those actions don’t apply to people who are renting or living in a multi-family condo. Here are some tips that will still insulate your home and lower your heating bill even if you aren’t able to do bigger things like replace your boiler or add insulation in your walls:

  • Place 3M window insulator film on the inside of all of your windows to restrict drafts. It goes on and comes off easily without leaving a mark, and it’s a very cheap solution.
  • Programmable thermostats are inexpensive and need only a screw driver to install, so depending on your heating system type you can install it and then uninstall it when you move out.
  • Open your curtains during the day to take advantage of solar heating and close them at night to keep the heat in.  Some curtains also have insulating properties.
  • If you rent, ask your landlord to take advantage of the free Mass Save Energy Assessments and mention that CEA can help landlords with energy projects.
  • Use draft stoppers underneath doors that lead outside or to an unheated hallway or staircase. They are usually cloth tube-shaped objects filled with foam or pellets (like a bean bag). You can even put them underneath doors for rooms you plan on heating with a space heater to fully block cold drafts coming in from the rest of your space.
  • If you heat with oil, which is notoriously expensive, you can save on your bill by investing in a floor-standing electric space heater to more cheaply heat the room you are currently occupying, while keeping the thermostat low. You can save 3% on your heating bill for every degree that you turn it down.
  • Keep your thermostat very low (but above 50 degrees so your pipes don’t freeze) while no one is home, and put it as low as is comfortable when you are home and awake. Before you go to bed, turn it back down a few degrees. If you have warm blankets and a space heater, you won’t need to heat your whole space any more than that.
  • If your home has radiators, place an insulating panel between it and the wall. Insulating radiator panels reflect heat away from the wall and out into your home, improving radiator efficiency by 10-20%.

With these quick fixes, and perhaps a hot cup of tea each night, you will stay comfortable all winter long without using too much fuel or electricity.

Learn More! Don’t be an Energy Turkey this Thanksgiving.

Wednesday November 14th at 7pm

Cambridge College, 1000 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge MA

Stay warm and SAVE MONEY through DIY apartment energy efficiency tips

Enjoy free apple cider and snacks
Win great prizes

 

Cambridge Unveils Solar Map

In collaboration with MIT and Modern Development Studio, the City of Cambridge has put together an incredible online tool that will help spur solar development throughout the city.

In this “solar map,” to be launched on October 3rd, Cambridge has been overlaid with a layer of highly specific solar data. Any resident or business owner interested in installing solar on their roof can use the map to access information about their property’s potential without having to scour the Internet. You can click and drag your mouse, browse and choose rooftops at random. Alternatively you can search for a specific address and view information on the solar potential of the building’s rooftop, as well as financial, environmental, and installation details. Color-coding gives you an idea of the varying ability to catch decent sun rays at each point on a roof.

I was able to find out within seconds that my own building, for example, has a total roof area of 1,150 square feet and enough potential to host a 5-kilowatt system. The system would have a payback period of six years and could save the tenants approximately $2,847 per year in energy bills. That’s pretty convincing math. Now, if only my landlord were keen on the idea!

New York City, Boston, Los Angeles, San Fransisco, and Berkeley, CA all have solar maps up and running or in progress. Although some existing solar maps also calculate solar potential, none are quite like Cambridge’s. It is so far unique in that it uses more nuanced data to create as much accuracy as possible. For example, some solar maps assume all rooftops are flat, which can greatly alter a roof’s potential. The map’s creators also calculated solar radiation on an hourly basis, yielding more accurate and detailed information for each roof.

It is becoming more and more popular- and feasible- to power your home with solar energy. Costs have come down exponentially and they are only declining. Cambridge already has a over 110 projects installed on homes and businesses, as many residents have taken advantage of the lower electricity costs, increased property value, and reduced environmental impact that comes with generating over 1.6 MW solar power. It’s clear that there is vast solar potential in Cambridge. This map will prove to be an invaluable tool for homeowners, landlords and business owners who are interested in investing in solar but might not have the time or expertise to find all the answers themselves.

SPECIAL EVENT Launching the Cambridge Solar Map: You’ve Got (Solar) Potential!

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

6:00 PM – 8:30 PM

Location:
Main Library
449 Broadway
Lecture Hall

What’s your building’s solar potential? Meet installers, hear from homeowners who have installed solar on their homes and learn from the Cambridge Energy Alliance about the resources available to you! Don’t take our word for it, listen to what the homeowners and scientists have to say. “When the numbers work in such a compelling way, it’s almost hard not to install solar,” said David Neiman, Cambridge homeowner.

Professor Christoph Reinhart of MIT will speak about the science behind the NEW Solar Map. “MIT and MoDe Studio have installed an online tool that predicts electricity yield and costs for installing a photovoltaic system on almost any rooftop in Cambridge. What’s YOUR solar potential?”

 

(Cancelled)Join Our Course: The Value of Greening Your Home

** Check out the Winter Courses at Cambridge Center for Adult Education to sign up for this class when it is offered again**

Many homeowners worry about the value of their home in these times and wonder how to make sensible improvements. Come to learn how to improve the value of your home by increasing energy efficiency and conserving natural resources. We will discuss both small, easy D.I.Y. changes and large capital improvements, from weather stripping to installing geothermal systems. We will present financing options from grants to subsidized loans, and introduce expert contractors who will address your specific question and concerns. Come ready to learn and leave with concrete next steps to improve your home, take care of the planet, and invest in a sustainable future for all. Limited to 16.

5 Mondays, 5:45-7:45 pm. Begins Sep. 24
http://www.ccae.org/catalog/detail.php?id=563066

Wild & Scenic Film Festival 2012

The Wild and Scenic Film Festival returns to Boston on March 31st!  Hosted locally by e-inc, the day long film festival, which includes food, networking and discussion, was started eight years ago in California and changes every year depending upon participant submissions.  The national Festival also boasts the reputation as the largest environmental film festival in the United States.

Designed to inspire awareness and activism, the films showcase themes from across the planet on a wide array of pressing  environmental issues ranging from energy resources to species and land conservation.  e-inc, a Boston-area environmental education center, has hosted the Wild and Scenic Film Festival for a number of years and continues to draw crowds for this event.  Get your tickets early and enjoy the show!

Western MA Tornado Relief: ReBuild Western Massachusetts

Image by Tara Holmes

On June 1st, three tornadoes touched down in western Massachusetts during a surprise series of storms, leaving a wake of destruction and confusion. Massachusetts, not known for tornadoes, is now beginning to rethink state policies surrounding severe weather preparation and emergency response.

ReBuild Western Massachusetts, a program developed by the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) and administered in partnership with the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC), was announced on August 4th and will distribute more than $8 million to help building owners affected by the tornadoes rebuild using energy efficiency practices and renewable energy technologies. Eligible participants include those who can document damage caused by the June 1 storms, and who own buildings in communities in Hampden and Worcester Counties, including: Agawam, Westfield, West Springfield, Springfield, Wilbraham, Monson, Brimfield, Southbridge and Sturbridge.

The program will offer incentives for solar PV and solar thermal systems, as well as for renewable heating and hot water systems. Zero-interest loans and grants for building with energy efficient windows, doors, attic and wall insulation, and heating equipment will be offered to homeowner victims. Later this year, offerings will include energy efficiency and renewable energy assistance for other building owners, including businesses and municipalities. “There is now a package of incentives for these communities to rebuild cleaner, greener and more efficiently than ever before,” said DOER Commissioner Mark Sylvia. “For homeowners and businesses these programs bring significant reductions in energy costs and deep energy efficiency savings. These measures will also cut energy consumption, cut greenhouse gas emissions and reduce our dependence on imported energy sources.”

It is important to note that of the approximately $22 billion Massachusetts spends annually on energy, 80% – or nearly $18 billion – goes out of the state and the country to purchase coal, oil and natural gas from Canada, the Middle East and South America.  ReBuild Western Massachusetts aims to encourage building owners to rebuild using cleaner energy alternatives thereby helping to keep energy sources local while decreasing GHG emissions.