Sustainable Marblehead hosted its second annual Green Homes Tour on Saturday, showcasing the community’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through energy-efficient home renovations. The event featured a dozen houses equipped with technologies such as heat pumps, solar panels, insulation and electric appliances.
The tour aimed to educate Marblehead residents about the benefits of energy-efficient technologies and inspire them to make changes in their own homes. Many participants expressed concerns about the changing climate and rising energy bills, and a desire to contribute to the town’s goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2040.
“Homes and buildings contribute more than a third of the carbon output from Marblehead,” said Sustainable Marblehead Executive Director Elaine Leahy. “Fortunately, there are programs, financial incentives and improving technologies that will help us slash our emissions and reach our goal.”
One of the homes on the tour, owned by Lisa and Steve Wolf on Pitman Road in the Naugus Head neighborhood, was built in 2016 with the goal of achieving net-zero energy consumption.
“With the 44 panel solar array, the house is actually net positive, generating 15% more electricity than is used on an annual basis which translates to enough energy to power an electric vehicle for the year,” Lisa Wolf explained.
Another homeowner, Dylan Vizy of Longview Drive, shared his experience with installing mini-splits and solar panels.
“From just the mini splits, we’ve cut our oil usage by over 50%. And then with the solar, I mean, we literally have like four to five months of negative bills,” Vizy said. “We estimate it’s gonna pay itself off somewhere between 10 to 15 years.”
Simon Frechette of Rockaway Avenue in the Clifton neighborhood, who installed solar panels, a heat pump system and upgraded insulation and windows, noted the comfort and efficiency improvements in his home.
“We first started this when we had an outdoor central air system that broke. And so instead of replacing that, which would have cost about the same as a three-to-one system (a heat pump system with three indoor units connected to one outdoor unit), which is about $15,000, we went with the heat pump. And what that did was cover 100% of our AC units in the house,” Frechette said. “So you get the benefit, you know, of the heat as well as the AC, so it’s kind of a no brainer.”
Palma Bickford’s 1950 Cape on Longview Drive presented unique challenges when considering energy-efficient upgrades.
“The whole idea of having mini splits in these rooms just architecturally wasn’t going to work well,” Bickford explained. “I spent like five years researching other options and finally realized that you really could do air-to-water heat pumps.”
The couple installed an air-to-water heat pump with a high-velocity air handler, providing four-zone hot water heat to the original radiators. Air-to-water heat pumps use refrigerant to transfer heat from the outside air to water, which is then circulated through a home’s heating system, such as radiators or underfloor heating.
“The new systems work well in all weather conditions,” Bickford said.
While some of the technologies showcased during the tour can be cost-prohibitive, many homeowners emphasized the long-term savings and environmental benefits. Mark Adams, chair of the Sustainable Marblehead Green Homes and Buildings Group, addressed the costs associated with heat pump installations.
“For a three-to-four bedroom home between 1,800 and 2,500 square feet, the costs of heat pumps can range from about $25,000 to $40,000,” Adams said. “The costs are comparable to the installation of a new heating system plus a new central air conditioner. Costs can be offset by rebates of up to $10,000 from Mass Save, $1,500 from Marblehead Light and a $2,000 federal tax credit. The remaining amount can be financed with a zero interest loan for low monthly payments.”
Leahy encouraged residents to start by getting an energy audit through their utility company, which can identify areas for improvement and potential solutions. Both Marblehead Municipal Light Department and National Grid offer energy audit services and rebates for upgrading insulation.
Solar panels are another popular choice among Marblehead residents looking to reduce their carbon footprint and electricity bills. Federal tax credits and the ability to sell excess generated electricity back to the grid can significantly shorten the payback period for a new solar system.
The tour also highlighted the importance of making homes more airtight to improve energy efficiency.
“Extra insulation was added in 2022 with spray foam around rim joists and crawl spaces,” said Dr. Eileen Mathieu of Longview Drive, who installed air source heat pumps and mini splits in her 1938 Colonial.
Frechette, who owns more than one electric vehicle, expressed his satisfaction with powering his cars.
“It definitely feels good to be driving on sunshine,” he said. “It’s a wonderful feeling.”
