Tag Archives: Rebates

Time is Running Out: Get Up To $2,000 from Cambridge for Installing Solar Hot Water

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Through November, Cambridge Energy Alliance is offering Cambridge businesses and residents up to $2000 to install solar hot water heaters. The CEA Solar Hot Water Grant combined with the state and federal incentives, will allow you to install a new 20-year hot water heating system for up to 75% off. Average systems that are normally about $8,000 will cost less than $2000 in out-of-pocket costs.

Cambridge resident Ken Bader installed a solar hot water system a few weeks ago, saying “the grants and tax credits made this deal a no-brainer! I’m looking forward to paying (almost) nothing to heat my water.” Since his solar system allowed him to eliminate his hot water heating tank entirely he’s looking forward to the added benefit of “not having to buy a new water heater every six or seven years.”

With only three and a half months remaining the Cambridge Energy Alliance is urging any business, non-profit, or resident that is considering solar to install a solar hot water system now, while generous grant money is available.  Many people will also qualify for a 0% interest rate HEAT loan, meaning they can put in a system with no upfront cash needed.

Claudia Majetich, of Concord Avenue is pleased with the solar hot water rebate, saying “The Cambridge rebate program for solar hot water is a wonderful help to home owners who need to replace their hot water systems.  It makes our installation costs very affordable–just about the same as a new gas or oil system.  And that doesn’t even include the savings I’m anticipating from reduced oil usage.   Staff at the Cambridge Energy Alliance returned my calls right away, and provided lots of helpful information.  Great program, Cambridge!”

Residents are not the only ones who can benefit. Businesses like gyms, laundromats, restaurants, and hair salons are excellent solar hot water candidates. Solar hot water installer Eric Lorenz of S&H Construction points out that “business owners investing in solar hot water systems can realize a 20-50 percent savings in monthly fuel costs, expand their marketing opportunities to reach new audiences and simply enjoy the fact that they are harvesting the sun’s energy for use in their day-to-day operations.  Installing solar guarantees a positive return on investment and with current incentives in place today, the returns are the best they have ever been.”

To get started, contact a local solar hot water installer and apply for the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) rebate. After receiving the MassCEC rebate, Cambridge residents, businesses and non-profits can apply for the non-competitive CEA Solar Hot Water Grant.  The CEA Solar Hot Water Grant will reimburse system owners up to $2,000 for out-of-pocket costs after all other rebates and incentives have been calculated.

Solar hot water systems provide an easy and low cost way to make hot water sustainably. Solar hot water systems heat water for laundry, bathing and even space heating. Anyone with heating oil can expect a short 5-year payback on the investment.  A solar hot water system generally works in conjunction with your existing hot water heater or utility incentives can be used to replace old systems with new, super efficient hot water heaters and boilers installed in combination with solar hot water systems.

Solar hot water systems generate heat from sunlight to make hot water. Roof mounted solar ‘collectors’ for hot water systems look very similar to solar photovoltaic (PV) panels, which generate electricity rather than hot water.  A solar hot water system can be connected to a building or home’s existing hot water tank to heat water. Some solar hot water systems can also connect with the heating system to provide space heating.  Because about 20 percent of the energy a consumer uses at home goes to heating hot water, solar hot water systems can generate significant savings by decreasing the amount of gas, oil or electricity used to heat the water.

To find out more about solar hot water, see the MassCEC Solar Hot Water Fact Sheet.

The Cambridge Energy Alliance grant will amount to approximately $2,000 for a typical solar hot water system for a four to five person household, in addition to the approximately $1,000 in MassCEC rebates.  Combined with other federal, state, and utility incentive programs, the total rebate can cover more than half of the cost of a system. Cambridge Energy Alliance’s Solar Hot Water grant is funded with $40,000 from the federal Energy Efficiency Conservation Block Grant.

Get started by calling a local Solar Hot Water installer to begin MassCEC’s Commonwealth Solar Hot Water rebate application.

Applications for the CEA Solar Hot Water Grant must be received by November 19, 2012. CEA Solar Hot Water Grants cannot be processed until you complete the MassCEC Commonwealth Solar Hot Water application process.

Solar rebate programs have helped spur a vibrant solar industry in Massachusetts. According to a MassCEC survey of clean energy companies, employment in solar manufacturing, installation, and services has increased nearly three times since Governor Patrick first took office, and solar manufacturing jobs alone have close to tripled from 2007 to 2010.

NSTAR has approved an extension to the Early Boiler Replacement Rebate Pilot

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Have you been thinking of replacing your 30+ year old boiler?

Now, only through the end of September 2012, the Mass Save® Home Energy Services Program is providing a temporary increased rebate for replacing 30+ year old boilers.  The rebate ranges from $1,750 to $4,000 for new efficient boilers using the same fuel and installed by October 31, 2012.  This is a large increase from the normal $400 to $1,500 in existing rebates.  A no-cost Mass Save home energy assessment is required by September 30, 2012 to determine if your boiler qualifies.

Not sure what a boiler is or if you have one?

Schedule your no-cost Mass Save home energy assessment and your home energy advisor will let you know if you have a boiler and he/she will also collect the information needed for the rebate.  Boilers heat your home with hot water or steam.

Want to make your boiler upgrade even more energy efficient and save more –  consider installing solar hot water?

Heating water accounts for 20% of household energy consumption, even more with a boiler fed hot water or steam heating system. Solar water heating displaces 50-80% of the energy used to make hot water in a household. While you’re upgrading your boiler think about adding solar hot water to help you save more and become even more energy efficient.  Right now, Cambridge Energy Alliance has a solar hot water grant that rebates 50% of your out-of-pocket costs, up to $2000. Essentially you can install a solar hot water system for almost 75% off when you apply our rebate with the other state and federal incentives. You can also use a 0% interest HEAT loan to install solar hot water systems with no up-front cash. The grant will only continue through November so act quickly!

Schedule your no-cost Mass Save home energy assessment by calling Next Step Living at 866-867-8729.

NSTAR Customers: Summer Insulation Bonus…up to $100 VISA Gift Card

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Residents that sign their Mass Save insulation contract by August 31, 2012 and have the insulation work completed within 60 days of signing the contract, will receive a VISA Gift Card from NSTAR.  The VISA Gift Card value will match their out-of-pocket cost of the insulation work, up to $100!

You must be an NSTAR Gas heating customer or an NSTAR Electric customer that heats with a primary fuel other than natural gas.

Cambridge Thermal Imaging Project

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This winter photo shows brightness where the most heat is escaping this home.

Cambridge! It’s finally here: a chance to vividly see the cool or warm air leaving your drafty home, without having to pay hefty fees to a thermal photographer. Thanks to the Thermal Imaging Project on which HEET has partnered with Sagewell Inc., Cambridge homeowners can request thermal (infrared) images of the outsides of their homes.

The images are taken with car-mounted cameras similar to those used for Google Maps street view, and taken on a “first come, first served” basis – with highest priority given to locations with highest demand.  With the slight air of a Groupon deal, Sagewell has asked for 400 requests from Cambridge before they will release our thermal images for free.

Because of fossil fuel prices skyrocketing and scientists projecting Cambridge’s summer temperatures will soon start looking more like Atlanta, GA temps, everyone’s heating AND cooling bills are only on their way up. High efficiency in your home is valid for every season.

Even better, the easiest time to work on your home’s energy efficiency is spring and summer, when the wait for weatherization services is short!

Request yours on Sagewell.com now.
It should take about a minute to do so;  just enter your address at the bottom of the home page, hit enter, and then enter your information on the next page that shows up by clicking the green “HERE” (see following photo).

This page appears after you enter your address at the bottom of Sagewell.com's home page.

There have already been over 100 requests for thermal images, so if 300 are generated in the next month, everyone will get to have this great service free of cost.  Tell your neighbors! We all want to save money and live a little lighter on the planet, don’t we?

The Extra Goods
You and other homeowners, condo owners, and landlords can access their images and an individualized report free of charge online via a password-protected account when the images are available (Sagewell will email you a link).  The individualized report shows what to work on, how much it will save you, and connects you with the needed free and rebated services. Commercial building owners and owners of more than one building will be able to view their images and analysis for a small fee.

Not all buildings can be analyzed (due to blocked views from trees, etc. or private way constraints), but Sagewell has agreed to image around 22,000 buildings in Cambridge!

The Thermal Imaging Project will enable residential and commercial building owners to lower costs while supporting our city’s climate and emission reduction goals. One more great tool to wield for average citizens and environmental warriors alike. Get to http://www.Sagewell.com now!

If you have any remaining questions, please contact Sagewell at info@Sagewell.com or HEET at heet.cambridge@gmail.com.

Ultimate Greening Your Home Seminar

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Residents of Cambridge, MA were introduced to a new opportunity on February 8th, 2011. Energy efficiency is on the minds of renters, condominium owners, and homeowners alike as the environmental, financial, and physical benefits become more prominently appreciated. Usually when energy efficiency information is available, it is more general and further discussion with specific professionals is suggested, since the process of making home energy efficiency improvements is tailored to unique home and ownership characteristics and often entails several detailed levels of complexity. On February 8th, those professionals were brought together in one place for an evening of sequential enlightenment for curious attendees, with an added bonus of networking amongst their industry peers and less-assumed partners, Green real estate agents.

When the Cambridge Energy Alliance and Coldwell Banker Agents Amy Tighe and Robin Miller designed this new collaborative seminar, their focus was on approaching one seemingly under-served demographic: condominium owners and associations. [This group will, luckily, begin to be served more as the NSTAR 5+ unit (“Multifamily”) energy assessment program rolls out.] That said, this successful design would clearly be valuable to other demographics (e.g. home owners) in addition to condominium owners/associations.

Beginning with the simplest in-home steps and leading to discussion of assessments, retrofits, and financing of projects, Sustainable Life Solutions, Next Step Living Inc., S & H Construction, CPCU Credit Union, CEA, Robin, and Amy engaged enthusiastic condo owners and association representatives in energy efficiency learning in a way that simply made sense. Speakers explained each of their areas of expertise thoroughly in their limited time, intermittently questions were asked and answered comprehensively, sometimes by the several professionals that were in the room, and when presentations were through, meaningful inquiry-fueled conversation rounded out the evening. A happy closeout to the seminar was the drawing of the raffle winner, who took home a wonderful green-living package that was generously donated by Whole Foods.

The results of this innovative event were remarkable: A valuable seminar was put together by unprecedented collaborators in a replicable format; speakers were able to answer significant questions jointly, and see how they might work together effectively in the future; seminar attendees were able to walk out with a mental arsenal of energy efficiency tools, feeling utterly aware of a previously mysterious process, with proper contacts in hand, and ready to share with their peers. This type of event is unquestionably beneficial for all involved, so watch out for announcements of the next installment in months to come!

Volunteers Take Energy Efficiency to Cambridge’s Main Streets

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CEA canvassing interns: Stephanie, Mira, Danit, Trevor, Federico, Laurence

On July 7th CEA’s six volunteers took to the streets for the first time, canvassing businesses in Inman Square, and eastward on Cambridge Street. Over the next three weeks, they would reach out to over 440 people in small local businesses—barber shops, cafes, hardware stores, book stores, florists, bars, convenience stores, restaurants, bike shops, you name it—in North Cambridge, Leslie and Porter Square, Harvard Square and Church Street, Mount Auburn and Brattle Street, Dana Hill, Bow Street, Central Square, Lafayette, Concord Ave, Huron, East Cambridge, and Broadway.

In 90+ degree heat, over previously unfamiliar terrain, and sometimes through rain storms, the teams of interns  met with over 190 business owners and discussed energy efficiency opportunities—programs and incentives from NSTAR—while also providing information on other sustainability resources, as detailed in my first canvass blog.

These canvassers, our 14 to 18 year-old Northeastern University Summer Discovery and Mayor’s Summer Youth Employment interns—Stephanie, Federico, Danit, Laurence, Mira, and Trevor—distributed information and opportunity all over Cambridge, and gained valuable life and work experiences. For that, they thank the small business community of Cambridge.

We can all thank them for something, too.

After canvassing for 12 days and following up with phone calls to visited businesses, CEA has received 100 requests for energy assessments through NSTAR’s Direct Install, Small Business Program. We expect many more to accrue, as folks have time to browse the literature and call to talk with our Energy Advisor, or sign up online.

If you own a small business in Cambridge, please feel free to call CEA to talk, or sign up online at any time; our canvassers have gone home, but the operation is not over, by any means.

Thanks to NSTAR, CEA, and our six interns, Cambridge has now taken one step further in the direction of reducing its carbon footprint, and thereby, toward taking a concrete stab at the Climate Change caused by Global Warming. Congratulations, Cambridge businesses!

CEA and NSTAR canvass Cambridge businesses

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CEA canvassing interns: Trevor, Laurence, Stephanie, Mira, Danit, Federico

Starting Wednesday, July 7th, a city-wide canvass will be visiting Cambridge business squares, bringing money- and planet-saving opportunities to the doors of hundreds of small businesses.  Canvassers will talk with business owners about what they can do to make their businesses more energy efficient, supplying them with ample information about which programs to employ to best suit their needs. During these short interactions, businesses will have the chance to sign up for a free energy assessment, and connect with other community resources including:

  • New Generation Energy works with green-minded individuals, corporations, and foundations to develop funds to help support green energy upgrades for community nonprofit organizations.
  • The Sustainable Business Leader Program assists businesses in Boston and Cambridge to become more sustainable by offering technical, hands-on assistance that is affordable, actionable and practical.

In previous residential canvasses, the numbers of buildings reached has been substantial.  Through the efforts from Northeastern University’s Summer Discovery Internship program as well as the Mayor’s Summer Youth Employment Program, the Cambridge Energy Alliance will reach an estimated 1,000 small businesses by the completion of the campaign–  July 22nd. These students range from age 14 to 18 years of age, and have come from both nearby (Cambridge) and far (UK, China, Nicaragua, California, and New Jersey)  to make a real difference in this community, while gaining experience that they will surely employ in future ventures.

This campaign is especially significant due to the nature of the target audience. Eighty percent of energy used in Cambridge goes to buildings, and 67% of energy used in Cambridge goes to commercial use. Reducing the commercial energy used by implementing efficiency measures from simply replacing incandescent lighting with CFL bulbs to improving heating and cooling systems within businesses will go a long way toward reducing Cambridge’s overall carbon footprint.

The CEA interns will be out in the field Monday-Thursday from 1pm-3:30pm. So that you may be on the lookout for their friendly faces when they’re in your area, here’s the tentative schedule:

July 7th: Inman Square & Cambridgeport

July 8th: North Cambridge

July 12th: Leslie & Porter Square

July 13th: Harvard Square & Church Street

July 14th: Mt. Auburn & Brattle Square

July 15th: Dana Hill, Bow Street, & City Hall

July 19th: Central Square & Lafayette

July 20th: Concord Ave, Huron, & Strawberry Hill

July 21st: East Cambridge

July 22nd: Kendal/Brookline/Sherman/Broadway

Financing a Solar Project

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Wayne National Forest Solar Panel Construction by Wayne National ForestThe Cambridge Energy Alliance recently organized an event at the Cambridge City Hall Annex on financing solar energy projects for your home and business.

The event featured some wonderful presentations by our panelists and we wanted to share them with you here.

Here is the presentation from the Mass Clean Energy Center giving an overview of the CommonWealth Solar rebate program, renewable energy certificates, tax incentives, and other financial options to help pay for a solar project.

Mass CEC Presentation

SunBug Solar gave a presentation about Solar Renewable Energy Credits (SRECs).

Here is the presentation from Mass Energy about regulations, “neighborhood” net metering, and ownership structures.

Nexamp presented about photovoltaic projects for businesses, institutions, and government facilities.

If you would like to find out more, check out our website about renewables for your home or for your business.

Mass Save experiencing difficulties

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Due to the overwhelming demand for the Great Mass Appliance Exchange, Mass Save’s web server and phone lines were down earlier today. If you experience any difficulties requesting a rebate authorization, please be patient as Mass Save adjusts its services to meet the load.

Similar demand is being seen across the country.

UPDATE: According to the Boston Globe, and the rebate-only website, the available funds have already been reserved.

Simple savings with smart strips

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Smart power strip by villagelinca Too lazy or forgetful to turn off your subwoofer when you shut down your stereo? Or maybe you take the time to do so, but wish a magic elf would power down your computer’s monitor and external hard drive for you instead? You’re in luck, local water & energy efficient device supplier EFI is offering smart power strips at approximately 40% off retail (with the included free shipping), in partnership with Mass Save. With these power strips you can save the energy these dormant devices would otherwise use since all of the peripherals plugged into white sockets will automatically be turned on or off when you do the same to the device plugged into the blue socket; avoid the reds, they’re always on. Ain’t science super? Offer ends May 30.

(Of course you’d still be better off using the power switch for the whole strip, but these are often located in inconvenient places, and some energy savings beats no energy savings.)