As we face more and more geopolitical uncertainties leading to rising energy costs, most of us have seen our utility bills increase. In addition to being anxious about affordability, many of us are worried about climate change and how that could impact us and future generations in our coastal community. It might be time to make some strategic changes in our home equipment and appliances to stabilize our monthly utility bills, while also helping mitigate the potential effects of rising global temperatures.
To help Marbleheaders learn about home energy efficiency, Sustainable Marblehead is organizing a Green Homes Tour on Saturday, May 2, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., featuring nine homes around town. If you have wondered how to begin your journey to make your home more affordable and less polluting and what it actually looks like to make your home more energy efficient, our tour will offer potential solutions for you to consider.
Marblehead residents will be able to visit with other homeowners who have installed heat pumps, solar panels, insulation and other energy-efficiency technologies, such as induction stoves and tankless hot water heaters. Each home tells a slightly different story, and these homes show that there is no single path but a range of options that homeowners can explore over time. Visitors can see upgrades in action, ask homeowners questions and come away with
a clearer sense of what might work in their own space. It is a great way to learn how some of these retrofits have saved the homeowners on their utility bills. For more information and to register, go to sustainablemarblehead.org.
Did you know that homes and buildings contribute more than 40% of Marblehead’s carbon output? Fortunately, there are programs, financial incentives, and improving technologies that will help us slash our emissions and potentially our energy bills. This year, the tour will be introducing a new team of volunteers: trained energy coaches. They will be available to answer questions and set up meetings to work with attendees one-on-one to address their specific home situations.
The best way to start is by getting an energy audit through our utility. All Marblehead residents, including renters, can schedule an energy audit through Marblehead Light’s partner at NextZero. Their audit will show residents how they can reduce their energy consumption and save money on their energy bills. Natural gas customers of National Grid are eligible for a similar service from the Mass Save program. MMLD also has a partnership with the Center for EcoTechnology to run a heat pump assessment in your home, in order to help you evaluate and consider how effective switching from your current HVAC systems to heat pumps would be.
A NextZero energy audit will start by assessing your home’s insulation capabilities. Areas that are insufficiently insulated will be noted along with possible solutions that will result in a more comfortable house that consumes less energy. We cannot emphasize enough how important it is to make sure insulation and air sealing is addressed before other changes are made regarding heating and cooling equipment.
Even if you are still researching how you would like to modify your systems in the near future, adding insulation will immediately improve the efficiency of your current systems and therefore reduce energy use, which will in turn save money. Both the NextZero and Mass Save programs provide rebates that will reduce the cost of insulation.
Homes that are being heated by burning oil, propane, or natural gas are candidates for upgrades to heat pumps. Heat pumps are highly efficient, because they do not create heat; they simply extract it from the atmosphere. Note that for our region and climate, modern “cold climate” heat pump systems can be purchased to create strong heat in temperatures as low as -15 degrees F. When a home is properly insulated, homeowners who convert from oil to heat pumps typically save 30% to 40% or more on their energy bills. In addition, heat pumps can provide efficient and quiet air conditioning in the summer months.
Once you have established your new HVAC equipment and more efficient appliances, you might consider adding rooftop solar to power your electrified home system in order to further reduce your electric bill, avoid future price spikes, and, of course, lower your carbon output. New technologies are increasing the electrical output of solar panels. Many of the folks in town who have solar PV systems actually have negative electricity bills for six to eight months of the year, and then lower bills than before during the winter months. If you are concerned about the aesthetics of current solar panels on your roof, there is even the option to install panels that look like regular roofing tiles. Here too, incentives are available to reduce the cost. There are options from our State as well as low interest loans to help with the initial outlay. Then, you have the ability to sell the excess capacity that is generated during the day, resulting in a payback period that is now potentially eight-to-twelve years for a new high performance solar system.
Please join us for the Green Homes Tour on May 2 from 10 a.m.– 2 p.m. to see these technologies in action.
Louise Bullis Yarmoff is a Sustainable Marblehead board member.
