Category Archives: Lighting

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.

 

City Offers Limited-Time Incentives to Go 100% LED!

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It’s about to get a whole lot easier to upgrade your lights and save money and energy! The City’s Cambridge Energy Alliance is partnering with Eversource to launch the “100% LED Cambridge” campaign, which offers limited-time specials on LED light bulbs for Cambridge residents. The campaign encourages residents to upgrade 100% of their home lighting to LEDs, which use six times less energy than older bulbs.

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From now until November 26th, residents can go to https://www.techniart.us/Cambridge/ to get special pricing that is available to Cambridge residents only. Customers can also get discounted shipping while supplies last. Not sure what bulb to get? See our guide at CambridgeMA.gov/LED

 

 

The 100% LED campaign is one of the city’s initiatives to win the Georgetown University Energy Prize, a nationwide competition among cities to cut residential energy use through energy efficiency. Residents have until the end of December 2016 to help Cambridge win before the judging period is over. Find out more at www.CambridgeEnergyAlliance.org/WinIt!

Money Saving Light Bulbs

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During the summer of 2014 several high school students interned at the Cambridge Energy Alliance helping with canvassing and outreach across Cambridge. The interns also wrote a few blogs on topics they were interested in related to energy efficiency and solar power. The following is one of their blogs.  

 

Today, unfortunately, money is on the minds of many people. This blog offers a simple and straightforward strategy to save money, and energy, by using different types of light bulbs. Currently in the US most people use incandescent light bulbs in their households. However, slowly the tide has turned to Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) bulbs, which offer greater service and economic satisfaction. But what is it that makes these light bulbs so different? Of course they all have differences in their structure, design and technology, but which one is the best?

Incandescent

These bulbs are definitely not energy efficient since most of their energy is expelled as heat and not light. Today most cities do not accept the recycling of incandescent light bulbs as they have stopped being sold in the United States. Nonetheless, because they do not contain any toxic materials they can simply be thrown away.  Some people choose to re-package their light bulbs to avoid anyone getting hurt in the process of disposing them. Other people choose to reuse their light bulbs if they are not broken as forms of decoration, ornaments, and DIY crafts.

CFL (Compact Fluorescent Lamps)

CFLs have become way more popular over the past few years because of their fair prices and energy saving qualities. Unfortunately, a downside they have is that they contain a small amount of mercury, which means one should be particularly careful when recycling these light bulbs. Whether one can recycle or dispose these light bulbs depends on the current state of the bulbs. Nonetheless, it is imperative that CFLs be recycled. CFL light bulbs contain a small amount of mercury so when disposing these light bulbs it’ll be best to not release those chemicals to the environment. Most of the materials used to make CFL light bulbs can be recycled, and in some states and/or local jurisdictions, CFL light bulbs are required to be recycled. CFL light bulbs will not only be more energy efficient for your home, but will also save you money in the long run. Although CFL light bulbs are a bit more expensive than their incandescent counterpart, they last more than 10 times longer and use 4 times less energy while providing equally good quality light. Since CFL’s use much less watts than regular incandescent light bulbs, not only will they last longer but they will also save you money.

LED (Light Emitting Diodes)

LEDs are probably the pinnacle in light bulb technology. Their design and structure has resulted in a more durable, resistant and stylish light bulb. LED light bulbs are slowly being adopted now that their high prices are coming down. Unlike their more primitive counterparts, LEDs contain fewer hazardous materials, and are much more resistant to temperature, humidity and force. LED’s also last roughly 50,000 hours (5.5 years), about 5 times longer than CFLs.

Report Shows Schools’ Environmental Progress

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Cambridge Public Schools published its 2012 Sustainability Year-In-Review this summer and celebrated several environmental successes. The report outlines the schools’ environmental progress and accomplishments in energy reduction, recycling, eco-friendly products and other green topics.

Over the past two years, multiple energy-efficiency projects have been implemented. The result is a net projected annual savings of $295,738 for the whole school district; 618,313 kWh of electricity savings; and 29,863 therms. Projects included:

  • the installation of a high-efficiency condensing boiler at the Longfellow School Building
  • high-efficiency lighting and occupancy sensors at the Peabody School, Kennedy-Longfellow School, Baldwin School, Haggerty School, Morse School, Solomon Garage, and High School Field House
  • the installation of Direct Digital Control systems at nine schools
  • additional energy upgrades

But energy isn’t the only area of improvement. Custodians now use metered green cleaning supplies, and six schools are now composting their lunch leftovers. From March 2009 through April 2012 the King Open School alone composted nearly 20 tons of food scraps. The school’s food waste is picked up and taken to a farming facility in Massachusetts for composting as part of the “Food to Flowers” program. The Cambridge Green Schools Initiative also partners with local organizations such as “Walk-Ride Days” and the Cambridge Health Alliance to promote sustainable and healthy modes of transportation.

Energy Efficient Lighting Upgrades for City Buildings

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The City has taken another exciting step toward reducing energy use by performing lighting upgrades at the Coffon Building, Engine 8 (Taylor Square), Fire Headquarters and three buildings at the Cambridge Cemetery. Existing lights within these facilities have been replaced with high-efficiency lamps and fixtures, and occupancy sensors have been installed in many locations throughout the buildings in order to reduce energy use and costs even further. Projected energy savings from these lighting efficiency upgrades is an estimated 130,000 kilowatt hours/year, resulting in avoided costs of approximately $18,000/year for the City. These energy savings represent averting close to 200,000 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere annually, the equivalent of removing 18 cars from the road!

The electric use of these buildings will continue to be monitored as part of the City’s Green Community commitment to reduce energy use by 20% from its FY08 baseline. Energy efficient lighting technologies have been installed in 22 municipal buildings over the past two years with a projected total savings of 1.3 megawatt hours/year.

Stay tuned for future energy efficiency upgrades!

Green Medford: Reverse Trick or Treat Bewitches Columbus School Neighborhood

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What would you do if your doorbell rang on Halloween and instead of saying “trick or treat!” your visitors handed you a new, curly-cue light bulb (or two)? This year’s Halloween saw an event that was a brand new take on the usual compact fluorescent light bulb canvasses that the CEA hosts.  We are thrilled to see that this creative event went off without a hitch, and that it has set a great precedent for following years!

Please see below for the post featured on the Green Medford blog:


A group of us from Green Medford and Fletcher Green (a Tufts graduate student group) trolled the streets around the Columbus School last night–Halloween evening–handing out bags of treats to delighted and laughing residents at 84 addresses. People who answered their doors expecting to give out candy were instead handed a bag containing two new energy-efficient lights. Event participant “Sherlock Holmes” noted, “It was gratifying to see how surprised and happy this made people.”

One resident told us, “This is such a great idea! We recently switched all of our bulbs to CFLs and are saving $60 a month.” She turned to her neighbor and said, “You have to take some. This is amazing!”

We gave out more than 180 CFLs that were donated by National Grid and the Tufts Office of Community Relations. The First Annual Medford Reverse Trick or Treat exceeded our expectations, and we are already looking forward to expanding on our success with a bigger event next year!

Thanks so much to all the sponsors and others who helped organize this event, especially JR Siegel, Allie Lipps, Becky Hemperly, Kim Wardwell, Catherine Smith, Alicia Hunt, Brad Steele of EFI, and Barbara Rubel at the Tufts Office of Community Relations.

Susan Altman
Green Medford

Reverse trick-or-treat CFL event!

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The Cambridge Energy Alliance has participated in many CFL exchange canvasses. On a chosen day, we and volunteers head out into neighborhoods and knock on doors, offering to give an equal number of CFLs for the number of regular light bulbs a household will hand us. As a special treat with Halloween approaching, Green Medford has announced an event that is a new take on this idea.

From the Green Medford blog:

Hi all! I want to share with you a very fun idea and ask for your help in making it a big success!

We’re calling our event “Reverse Trick or Treat,” thought up by JR Siegel, a student at the Fletcher School and a Medford resident. The idea is for a bunch of residents to get together on Halloween, hopefully including kids, to make it more fun for everyone.

Dressed in fun costumes (but nothing too scary), teams of two or three (no kids without an adult) will ring doorbells in a residential neighborhood during trick or treating time. We’ve been given several hundred energy-efficient lights (CFLs) by National Grid and Tufts to give away to folks who answer their doors. The more of us there are to participate, the more bulbs we can give out. The kids, of course, will do regular trick or treating at the same time!

We want to focus on a neighborhood with lots of families that might not already have CFLs or know all they need to about saving electricity and money by switching to energy-efficient lights.

We also would like to find a reporter to walk around with us and take pictures and talk to people about the event.

In addition to us in Green Medford, we already have all these sponsors committed!

EFI/National Grid, Tufts University Office of Community Affairs, Fletcher Green (a student group at Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy/Tufts), and the Medford Energy and Environment Office.

Please join us! Contact Susan Altman, Green Medford, susan.altman@comcast.net, 781-395-4664, or J.R. Siegel, Fletcher Green, j.r.siegel@gmail.com.

Happy Halloweeeeeeeen!

Peabody Terrace Competition Results

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On March 6th, 84 residents at Peabody Terrace participated in an incandescent light bulb swap for compact fluorescent bulbs. Residents received one free CFL for every incandescent bulb they turned in—over 200 efficient CFLs found homes. The CFLs were provided by the Cambridge Energy Alliance and Harvard Real Estate Services (HRES). HEET, CEA, and HRES organized the promotion and logistics of this successful competition.

During the swap, residents learned about other ways to cut their carbon emissions—seasonable tips also available—and many signed up for a two-month long competition to see who can reduce them the most.

The results are in!

  • Apartments reduced their electricity use by an average of 11%
  • The top six winners reduced their electricity use by 30%
  • And the first place prize winner reduced electricity use by 58%

Winners received several enticing prizes including Smart Strips; credit at Zip Car; and gift certificates/cards from Clear Conscience Café, Shaw’s and Harvest Co-op Market.

Sustainable Business Leadership Graduation Ceremony – Cambridge

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Eleven Cambridge companies were certified as “Sustainable Business Leaders” on Thursday April 1, 2010, for completing the Sustainable Business Leader Program (SBLP)—a program of the Sustainable Business Network (SBN) that provides guidance, support and technical assistance to facilitate the “greening” of small and medium-sized businesses. The special certification ceremony, which was held at the Cambridge City Hall Annex, was co-sponsored by the City of Cambridge, Cambridge Local First and the Cambridge Energy Alliance in partnership with the Sustainable Business Network.

The first Cambridge graduating class included:

Cambridge Naturals, 1369 Coffee House, Veggie Planet, Stone Hearth Pizza, Irving House, Greenward, Harvest Co-Op Markets, Harvard Bookstore, The Fishmonger, Cambridge Brewing Company and Economy Hardware.

Graduates earned their SBLP certification by completing the rigorous six-step SBLP process and reducing their collective carbon footprint, plus they received window decals to demonstrate their leadership to the public.  Measurable and significant changes were identified and implemented in various areas, including Energy Efficiency, Water Conservation, Waste Reduction, Transportation Management, Pollution Prevention and Sustainability Management.  Many companies saw financial savings as a result of lowering consumption of energy and water and diverting their waste stream into recycling and compost.

Mayor David Maher was the first to congratulate the businesses, followed by Vice Mayor Henrietta Davis, Susanne Rasmussen, Director of Environmental and Transportation Planning and Energy, Lilah Glick of the Cambridge Energy Alliance and Rachael Solem of Cambridge Local First.

With over 60 participating companies, the SBLP continues to grow and assist small to medium sized businesses “green” their operations, collectively reducing their carbon footprint in Boston, Cambridge and Somerville.  The Sustainable Business Network of Greater Boston (SBN) launched the Sustainable Business Leader Program (SBLP) in 2008 through a partnership with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA). The objective of the SBLP is to provide guidance, support and technical assistance to facilitate the ‘greening’ of small and medium-sized locally owned businesses in Massachusetts.

Volunteers go door to door in East Cambridge

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CFL exchange volunteers On Sunday, February 21, eighteen volunteers participated in a community canvass campaign to spread awareness about simple home improvements to save money, energy, and the planet. The event organized by the Home Energy Efficiency Team and the Cambridge Energy Alliance sought to help cut carbon emissions in East Cambridge through a CFL light bulb exchange.

Exchanging incandescent light bulbs for compact fluorescents is one of the easiest and effective ways to reduce energy use at home. A compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL) will save about $30 over its lifetime and pay for itself in about 6 months. It uses 75 percent less energy and lasts about 10 times longer than an incandescent bulb. If every Massachusetts household would exchange just one incandescent light bulb to an energy saving CFL, it would save enough energy to light all the homes in Boston for 100 days, reduce greenhouse gas equivalent to removing more than 17,000 cars from the road, and save more than $20 million annually in reduced energy costs.

Volunteers exchanged 129 incandescents bulbs for CFLs, saving over 76,000 lbs of CO2 emissions. Volunteers worked together in teams, offered free energy-efficient CFL light bulbs, initiated dialogue about simple home energy-saving tips, and invited folks to participate in an upcoming Community Weatherization Barnraising on February 28th. The Home Energy Efficiency Team will be weatherizing two houses in East Cambridge. Special guest Andrew Ference—Boston Bruins defenseman and avid climate change activist—will be attending this exciting event and making a donation to the New England Grassroots Environment Fund, one of HEET’s funders.

These type of events go a long way to spreading important information about climate change and energy efficiency solutions to people in our communities who may not otherwise receive it. To learn more information about community barnraisings visit HEET’s website.