Did you know that 44% of Marblehead’s carbon emissions come from our homes and buildings? This statistic is revealed in our town’s Net Zero Roadmap published last year. Our town is on record with the goal of reducing our carbon output to zero by the year 2040, so we need to find ways to significantly slash, if not eliminate, the burning of fossil fuels in our homes.
To help in this effort, Sustainable Marblehead will host its second annual Green Homes Tour on Saturday, May 4, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. This year’s tour will feature 12 houses, several of which are net zero. Net zero homes burn no fossil fuels and produce more electricity than they consume.
If you are looking for ways to make your house more energy efficient, significantly lower your utility bills and reduce your carbon output, then take this opportunity to learn from other Marblehead homeowners who have already made these changes in their own homes. You can register for the Green Homes Tour at sustainablemarblehead.org. Look for the tour in the events section.
The types of efficiency upgrades that you can see on the tour are a) improved insulation, b) highly efficient and electrified appliances, c) heat pumps for heating and cooling and d) rooftop solar. One house uses photovoltaic tiles for solar power generation rather than traditional solar panels. In other homes, owners have converted their boilers to heat pumps, including one house that is using the original radiators rather than mini-splits. A variety of neighborhoods is represented, including the historic district, where one house on the tour has a heat pump with mini-splits. Tankless water heaters and induction stoves will also be on display.
Today’s heat pumps are available in designs that work well in cold weather and are able to operate at full capacity even when temperatures drop well below zero. They come in a variety of options. And they will cool your house in the summer as effectively as they heat it during the winter.
You can also learn about programs that will provide you with a no-cost home energy audit. An audit will identify areas that are insufficiently insulated along with possible solutions that will result in a more comfortable house that consumes less energy. Further ways to save energy through more efficient appliances will also be suggested. All Marblehead residents, including renters, can schedule an energy audit through Marblehead Light’s partner at NextZero. Natural gas customers of National Grid are eligible for a similar service through the Mass Save program.
You’ll also get information on how cost of upgrades can be reduced by the incentives offered by the federal and state governments as well as the NextZero and Mass Save utility programs. Upgrade costs that exceed the amount of incentives can sometimes be financed by zero-interest loans which make for manageable monthly payments.
We hope you will join us on the Green Homes Tour on May 4 and encourage you to sign up in advance at sustainablemarblehead.org.
Mark Adams is a Marblehead resident and the co-chair of the Sustainable Marblehead Green Homes and Buildings working group.
