Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood: How We Achieve Massive Home-scale Climate Actions

Urgent climate goals require state programs such as Mass Save to better target comprehensive decarbonization – applying efficiency, electrification, demand response, and solar+storage – in an equitable manner that addresses differences in local building characteristics. Meanwhile cities and towns, including low income/urban, suburban, and rural communities, are making commitments to local climate neutrality and social equity for their citizens. The panel and audience will discuss how communities could achieve these with localized information, simplified processes, and improved retrofit economics, as many have done before with their Solarize initiatives. The panelists will discuss enabling community-based services now being deployed that foster high carbon impacts, such as MassEnergize, EnergySage, and All InEnergy, as well as potentially supportive state program ideas.

Session Speaker(s): 

Vikram Aggarwal
Rouwenna Altemose
Harvey Michaels
Ellen Tohn

Session Chair(s): 

John Livermore

Event Time: 

Thursday, August 13, 2020 - 9:15am to 10:45am

Room / Location:
Marina IV

Experience Level: 

1 (no prior experience/knowledge needed)

CEU Information: 

AIA 1.5 LU/HSW
AICP (American Planning Association) 1.5 hour

Learning Objectives:

  • Explain how community-driven Solarize Mass programs have produced 3 to 10 times higher program penetration by lowering consumer costs, reducing time and risks, providing trusted local support and personal recognition
  • Describe nascent local tools and services developed and provided to foster high carbon impacts in both low income/urban and suburban communities (and in so doing, attendees may explore opportunities to pursue business and career opportunities in the community climate arena)
  • Advocate for the advantages of changing policies towards programs targeting comprehensive decarbonization in a manner that addresses local values and building characteristics, over statewide "one size fits all" program models
  • Explore how this local, comprehensive approach may improve retrofit economics for consumers, and increase social equity, while helping us reach the penetration necessary to achieve our climate goals

Session ID: 

BOS20-105

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