Category Archives: Conservation & Efficiency

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.

Cities Lead the Way

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Last night, I attended a meeting hosted by SF Environment, a department of the city and county of San Francisco.  I was in awe and inspired by how much one city can accomplish when it comes to educating the public about energy efficiency and environmental consciousness.  Not only is San Francisco leading the domestic urban composting charge with a city-wide composting program, whereby the city mandates composting in addition to recycling, but the city is making the process of being an ecoconsumer easier and easier.

When I relocated here two months ago, I was astounded at how commonplace composting was – the city simply places compost bins throughout the city and provides them to each city resident.  In addition, SF Environment provides free compost containers for your kitchen so you can easily discard of food scraps.  The city has also instated a ban on styrofoam and plastic bags and provides easy access for toxic waste disposal and removal. Thus far, the plastic bags ban remains in effect predominantly at larger retailers, however, SF Environment expects to push this ban across a wider market.

And the data is impressive. Over 5,000 restaurants and businesses, in addition to city residents, compost over 600 tons of food scraps and other compostable materials each day. This compost is then used to produce and foster the organic food sold to these same restaurants and consumers.  The cycle is continuous and is saving the city money by reducing the amount of food waste that goes to landfills. In fact, today SF recovers a remarkable 77% of the materials it discards, bringing the city closer to its goal of zero waste by 2020.

Like San Francisco, Cambridge has also focused on recycling and waste reduction for several decades, which is why waste currently contributes only  1% of greenhouse gas emissions. Residents can bring compost to the DPW recycling center and to the local Whole Foods stores.  While composting and waste reduction are excellent everyday actions that residents can do to reduce waste, there are also other ways to make a big impact on the City’s greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency in one’s home or business.  Heating, cooling and lighting buildings contributes to 80% of greenhouse gas emissions.  In addition, a free home energy audit can address energy waste, helping move Cambridge toward zero-waste in both recycling and energy usage.

Cities like San Francisco and Cambridge are leading the way in the United States when it comes to progressive environmental measures and programs.  It’s truly a win-win situation that other cities across the United States, and the world, should emulate for a more prosperous, sustainable and localized economy.

EPA Launches “Greener Products” Portal

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In celebration of Pollution Prevention Week and amid an atmosphere of intelligent concern for the environmental health and safety of products we use in every day life, the EPA has launched a simple online guide for the eco-labeling  programs it supports; the Greener Products Portal.

Consumers, small businesses, retailers, manufacturers, and institutional purchasers can use the Portal to search for products that are included in EPA-approved product labeling systems. Using a set of 3 drop down boxes to narrow their inquiries folks can find information on a wide range of products; from appliances to building materials, from automotive products to cleaning products. This tool can be useful for a wide range of people; from parents to industrial purchasers, and the many demographics in between.

For those most concerned with energy efficiency and e-waste, there is an electronics category that contains a label for most items you can think of. For example; how can you identify the most ec0-friendly computer monitors, and which programs cover them? Take a look:

Currently, the most prevalent labeling system to appear when testing several different types of electronic products is, of course, Energy Star. It is refreshing, however, to note that in addition to this familiar energy efficiency marker, there are other labeling systems in place for some electronic pieces- two of which are visible above.

In addition to the searching methods previewed here, you will also find a Greener Products FAQ section in a menu to the right side of the web page.

Take a look at this valuable new resource today to gain a better understanding of the products you use at home or in the workplace!

Water saving tips

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What is common between the beach, the pool , cold showers and lemonades ?

Water !

Even though water seems like it is an unlimited resource, is in reality a limited resource because there are no known new sources of water. Americans consume about 150 gallons of water every day, which is twice the world average. Water needs energy to be transported and has a huge environmental impact. More water required means more dams and reservoirs, which in turn means more damage to marine habitat.

Check out National Geographic’s water footprint calculator to discover how you use water and calculate your footprint.

Here are things you can do to conserve water and do your part to save the environment :
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Go here for more products that help conserve water.

Fun Facts

  • Running a cold-water faucet for 5 minutes uses as much energy as letting a 60-W bulb run for a week !
  • Water supply and treatment facilities consume about 56 bn KWh per year, which is equivalent to powering 5 million homes for an entire year !
 Save water, save energy, save the planet


Dresden Moving on Climate Protection

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Dresden, a city of 220,000 in the eastern part of Germany, was the target of Allied firebombing in World War II that largely destroyed the city.  The wonderful skyline of towers built by the Saxon kings was restored and the downtown area is vibrant.   While the eastern part of Germany has suffered from emigration to other regions, Dresden has been growing modestly.

The City is bisected by the Elbe River and has a number of tributaries that flow into it.  In 2002, Dresden saw a major flood that inundated the city center, including the central railway station.  Over 1 billion Euros in damage was inflicted by the floods and some lives were lost.  The flooding was the result of the Elbe River overtopping its banks, rising groundwater, and the Weisseritz River defying its re-direction and flowing in its historic route.  The 2002 flood is at the front of City officials’ minds as they develop responses to climate change.

Dresden has a small climate protection office formed in 2010 and headed by Ina Helzig.  The office focuses on climate mitigation initiatives.  Dresden’s goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40% below 2010 levels by 2030.   The City sees their climate and sustainability program as part of their economic development strategy.

Work on adaptation has been centered in a regional initiative called REGKLAM that is funded by the federal government.  The adaptation program is at the stage of assessing Dresden’s vulnerabilities in order to develop their strategy.  But they have already taken action to prevent a repeat of the 2002 flood.  The City’s strategy includes preventing additional development in floodplains, monitoring weather conditions, raising flood retention walls by about 1 meter, creating a system of temporary flood retention barriers to protect the city center, modifying the combined sewer system to store more water and reduce the frequency of sewage overflows to the Elbe, and lowering groundwater levels under key buildings.  An underground retention facility was constructed at a central pumping station to hold 35,000 cubic meters of storm flows.   The City has also installed additional gates in the combined sewer conduit system to shut down the pipes and use them for storage.  Dresden believes the improved system will help them minimize the flooding effects of climate change.

One other climate-related strategy that Dresden, and some other German cities, employs is to protect air flow channels coming down from of the surrounding mountains.  Most of the land within the city boundaries is open space.   There are valleys that slope down to the Elbe River that bring cooler air to the Elbe and into the city.  Land use changes and development that would reduce this effect are restricted.  While this wasn’t done as an adaptation measure, I think this strategy will help Dresden cope with rising temperatures.  This approach has not been taken in any American cities as far as I know.  But it would complement other efforts to reduce the urban heat island effect.

A New Kind of Sustainability Workshop

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Cross-posted from the Sustainable Business Leader Program blog.

On May 23rd the Sustainable Business Leader Program, Cambridge Local First, and the Cambridge Energy Alliance hosted a new kind of business sustainability workshop:  a business-to-business conversation featuring the Cambridge Brewing Company, a handful of business-centered sustainability services, and a score of small business representatives curious about their own green options.

By having many of the players in the room at the same time, small Cambridge businesses were able to comfortably learn how they could make their businesses more environmentally friendly while saving valuable natural resources and money.

The workshop featured a presentation by Phil “Brewdaddy” Bannatyne, owner of Cambridge Brewing Company, who highlighted the steps that his business took to “go green,” including much praise for the Sustainable Business Leader Program, and shared insights into the challenges and benefits of doing so.

After the presentations, business representatives had the opportunity to meet and hear from various organizations about the many programs and incentives that are available to them to make their own journey of sustainability and energy efficiency easy, rewarding, and fun.  Arrow Paper, New Generation Energy, Prism Consulting, Save that Stuff and ThinkLite were on-hand to showcase their services and answer questions during the networking portion.

Attendees (and organizers) enjoyed this informative and relaxed night, and folks left with a clear understanding of how and why to green their small business, after enjoying conversation, food, and free local brews.

Please browse the links throughout this article to make use of the resources presented that evening.


The Sustainable Business Leader  Program, a program of the Sustainable Business Network of Greater Boston, supports locally owned independent businesses in improving their environmental business practices, reducing their carbon footprint, and saving money. Visit http://www.sustainablebusinessleader.org to learn more.

Something to Learn From: Biking in the Netherlands

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Cycling in Groningen, Netherlands

Recently, I had the opportunity to travel to the Netherlands and visit many different areas within the country. I landed in Amsterdam and took a train roughly 200 kilometers (125 miles) to the city of Groningen in the northern part of the country. The trip took about as long as it takes to get from one end Boston to the other via the green line (sadly I’m only half joking here). It doesn’t take long to notice the public transportation system in the small European country is as efficient any.

Stepping out in Groningen, we made our way to catch a bus to the apartment where we would stay for the next few days. Finally outside of airports and train stations, I was able to take in Holland for the first time. Before I could enjoy it all, a bike flew by a few inches in front of me, bell ringing and some Dutch shouted in my direction. I was standing right in the middle of a bike lane that had more “traffic” than the road running parallel to it. I quickly came to realize why the Netherlands is the bike capital of the world. Bikes are locked up all over the place. There are even special garages to lock your bike up for an extended period of time. Thousands of bikes are housed in these garages at train stations every day.

Bike Garage outside of Central Station, Groningen, Netherlands

When cycling in Holland, almost every road has a separate bike lane, usually two lanes, running along side it. In Boston and other U.S. cities, we are used to the little bike lanes painted on the side of the road, with car traffic speeding by only inches away. Not here. Almost everyone owns a bike and can safely traverse the city at their own pace without worrying about car traffic. The bike lanes even have their own traffic lights. It gets a bit busy at major intersections; with traffic lights for car, bike, and pedestrian traffic, but they are all well labeled, making it easy to safely navigate even the busiest of areas.

There is no need to own one of the $1,600 road bikes that cruise many U.S. roads, either. In Holland, a majority of bikes are fairly basic – one speed, and pedal breaks – making this mode of transportation affordable for everyone. This also makes it a bit more bearable to find your bike stolen; a couple hundred Euros lost is much better than over 1,000. Still, bike theft is becoming more of a problem, and police are turning to arresting those who purchase stolen bikes in an attempt to cripple the black market. So, if you’re looking to get a bike, make sure its from a legitimate bike shop (they’re as frequent as Dunkin Donuts are in New England). Of course, nobody wants to lose their bike no matter how cheap it is, so a strong cable bike lock is necessity, along with a neat fixed lock on the rear tire that owners have to put a key into, and leave in to unlock the back wheel. Usually this key is attached to all your other keys, so you’ll never ride your bike away from home without your keys again!

I had the pleasure of enjoying some cycling of my own after settling in. We took the bikes out to get dinner on the other side of the city. It took us maybe ten minutes, with no problems. Its quite the rush cycling on your own road, or safely with traffic. In Holland, for the most part cars will stay well behind you until its completely safe to pass. Bikes are just a part of traffic, something that people have a hard time accepting in the United States it seems. Both the individual and collective benefits of this attitude are simple.

Bike and car traffic at an intersection, Groningen, Netherlands

Individually, transportation costs are incredibly low. The upfront cost for the bike depends on what you want of course. You can buy an expensive new bike, or go used for as little as a hundred Euros. Along with locks and repairs every once and while, that’s all it will cost you. Cycling being a major mode of transportation also benefits the community as whole. The emission of greenhouse gases is significantly reduced because there are many fewer cars on the road. Also, since its not always great weather for biking, the trend makes it even more important for the city to have an efficient public transportation system for those who rely on cycling but cant because of the weather, or any other reason for that matter.

While in Boston it is unlikely a bike lane can be added to every street, it is still important to continue to integrate biking onto our city streets. There is already good work being done with programs such as the growing bike-share program. The more work put into bike safety like that in the Netherlands, the more people will ditch their cars for a bike. It is truly a site to see more bikes at an intersection than cars. Cycling, a staple to Dutch society, is something that cities and countries around the world can learn from as part of bigger plans to curb carbon emissions, transportation costs, and increase energy efficiency.

Cycling through the bike garage, Groningen, Netherlands

China to Enact Strict Plan for Energy Conservation

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A Coal-Fired Power Plant in Shuozhou, Shanxi, China

A coal-fired power plant in Shuozhou, Shanxi, Chin

Unrest in the Middle East has yielded change in the region, but the effects of anti-government protests are slowly being felt globally as oil soars to its highest price in over 2 years. The New York Times reported that Chinese Energy Specialists revealed that the government plans to announce strict goals for energy conservation.

Make no mistake, this is not an altruistic attempt by the world’s leading energy consumer and greenhouse gas emitter to go green or make strides to curb carbon footprint (energy security far out ways climate change in Chinese policy priorities). China views energy as a national security issue; the concern here is how rising oil prices will effect inflation, export competitiveness, and the country’s pollution problems, according to the NYT article.

China still sees oil as its most important energy source, but as Zhang Guobao, former Energy Czar in China, said, “Oil security is the most important part of achieving energy security,”he went on to say, “Preparations for alternative energies should be made as soon as possible.” China is looking to avoid getting stuck trying to fuel a booming economy on oil while prices skyrocket.

Despite the fact that China is the world’s biggest producer of wind turbines and solar panels at the lowest cost, a majority of its electricity comes from coal. When oil use increased dramatically along with the rise of automobile use, the government pushed extensively for electric cars. This decrease in oil consumption only increased the use of coal. Still, electricity plants tend to be much more efficient than the combustion of gasoline, and stay within the energy use goals China has in mind.

Looking at China’s imported energy sources, the concern coming from Beijing is understandable. Oil from the Middle East, along with the increasing price, gets to China via shipping lanes controlled by economic rivals India and the United States. Iran is also a large importer of crude oil to China. The instability of Iran leaves Russia as China’s most stable oil importer, but only 3% of crude oil imports to China come from its neighbors to the north.

Some are worried that the mostly state run energy industry in China would have to start allocating the limits on energy use. This could cause the decrease in production of certain products, like metals for instance. Stuart Burns on MetalMiner explains;

But who decides, with no free market to set prices on the basis of supply and demand? The impact that could have for resource-hungry activities like steel, aluminum and zinc smelting could be profound in the first half of this decade. China may decide it would rather import metals than import energy, reversing the trend of the last decade. Having temporarily idled some of the 20+ million tons of aluminum capacity, could the Chinese really close a significant portion of it permanently?

As china responds to the effects of rising oil prices, the rest of the world may end up feeling the effects of China’s energy policy. In the more immediate future, China may be looking at energy shortages as their own supplies may not be able to keep up with its rapid economic growth. China’s efforts in lowering energy consumption will no doubt have a number of other benefits along with the primary goals of securing its energy future. The reducing of greenhouse gas emissions will save money not only on energy but on health care costs as the environment in China becomes cleaner and safer for its citizens. The decisions made here will have significant effect on China’s role in energy in the region, as well as its role as a major contributer to climate change.

Energy Star Rating Standards to Tighten

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Energy Star Logo

The Environmental Protection Agency recently announced updates to its Energy Star Rating requirements on televisions and cable boxes. The revisions are the first in a list of about 20 products that will receive updates to their Energy Star Rating requirements this year.

Currently, Energy Star rated televisions hold at least 70% of the Market Share. The stricter standards mean, according to the EPA, “substantial overall energy bill reduction, and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions reductions.”

The new standards are requiring a 40% reduction in watt usage. For example, a 60 inch television currently averages about 282 watts, but the come September the same 60 inch TV will be required to use less than 108 watts to receive an Energy Star Rating. Talk about saving a watt!

In its announcement, the EPA states that if all U.S. homes had Energy Star rated TVs and cable boxes under these new requirements, savings would reach $5 billion a year and reduce annual greenhouse gas emissions equal to that of taking over 700 million cars off the road.

Green Medford: Reverse Trick or Treat Bewitches Columbus School Neighborhood

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What would you do if your doorbell rang on Halloween and instead of saying “trick or treat!” your visitors handed you a new, curly-cue light bulb (or two)? This year’s Halloween saw an event that was a brand new take on the usual compact fluorescent light bulb canvasses that the CEA hosts.  We are thrilled to see that this creative event went off without a hitch, and that it has set a great precedent for following years!

Please see below for the post featured on the Green Medford blog:


A group of us from Green Medford and Fletcher Green (a Tufts graduate student group) trolled the streets around the Columbus School last night–Halloween evening–handing out bags of treats to delighted and laughing residents at 84 addresses. People who answered their doors expecting to give out candy were instead handed a bag containing two new energy-efficient lights. Event participant “Sherlock Holmes” noted, “It was gratifying to see how surprised and happy this made people.”

One resident told us, “This is such a great idea! We recently switched all of our bulbs to CFLs and are saving $60 a month.” She turned to her neighbor and said, “You have to take some. This is amazing!”

We gave out more than 180 CFLs that were donated by National Grid and the Tufts Office of Community Relations. The First Annual Medford Reverse Trick or Treat exceeded our expectations, and we are already looking forward to expanding on our success with a bigger event next year!

Thanks so much to all the sponsors and others who helped organize this event, especially JR Siegel, Allie Lipps, Becky Hemperly, Kim Wardwell, Catherine Smith, Alicia Hunt, Brad Steele of EFI, and Barbara Rubel at the Tufts Office of Community Relations.

Susan Altman
Green Medford