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Mass Solar Loan: Expands Access to Solar PV and Supports Local Lenders in Making Clean Energy Loans
After five years of facilitating solar photovoltaic (PV) installations in Massachusetts (MA), the Mass Solar Loan (MSL) program closed to new applications in December 2020. The program was designed as a kickstart to solar lending that would... READ THE FULL POST
MassCEC’s “Clean Energy Lives Here” Offers A New Take On Home Improvement
Did you know that half of all the owner-occupied homes in Massachusetts were built before 1962? Even if your home isn’t quite that old, energy-conscious solutions for insulating, heating, cooling, doing laundry, and cooking were most likely not a priority for your home’s builder or its prior owners... READ THE FULL POST
Lolita Cocina in the Fort Point District of Boston uses a VRF system to keep the restaurant’s patrons comfortable. Photo Credit: ©RYAN FISCHER/RYAN FISCHER ARCHITECTURAL PHOTOGRAPHY
Get To Know Variable Refrigerant Flow Heat Pumps, A Flexible Option For Commercial Heating And Cooling
As the urgency of reducing greenhouse gas emissions grows, Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) heat pumps offer a streamlined heating and cooling solution for commercial buildings, all with zero on-site emissions and high-efficiency performance. In a new series of case studies, MassCEC describes the... READ THE FULL POST
One of the outdoor units for the whole-home heat pump system at the author’s home.
MassCEC Pilot Showcases Success of Whole Home Heat Pumps
Heat pumps can serve as a whole-home heating and cooling solution in Massachusetts. That was the primary takeaway of MassCEC’s Whole-Home Heat Pump Pilot, which ran from May 2019 through June 2021. And whole-home heat pumps will be fundamental to the Commonwealth meeting... READ THE FULL POST
Innovating Access to Clean Energy Benefits: EmPower Program Overview
At the SmartGrowth America Equity Summit in January 2021, Sekita Grant, Vice President of Programs for The Solutions Project, stated, “The people closest to the problems innovate the most effective solutions.” This simple, yet critical... READ THE FULL POST
The Cultivation of the Clean Energy Economy: Community Campaigns and Installers
In a previous blog in this series, we highlighted two MassCEC programs, HeatSmart and Solarize Massachusetts, to show how these programs acted as seeds for... READ THE FULL POST
The Cultivation of the Clean Energy Economy in Massachusetts
As the spring crowds walk through the Boston Public Garden, soaking in the beauty of this enclave of nature in the center of a concrete and steel jungle, it is interesting to think that every cherry blossom tree began as a seed. After these seeds are planted and before the cherry blossom trees... READ THE FULL POST
Screengrab of trainee signalling down a crane for a turbine blade lift in VR.
Virtual Reality is Bringing Wind Turbines to a Classroom Near You
We often understand the coming offshore wind boom through statistics, but have we thought about what those numbers really mean? How big is a 14-megawatt turbine, really? What is it like standing on top of a 300-foot turbine (30 stories)? What does it mean to train 77,000 new workers nationwide in... READ THE FULL POST
This month, MassCEC launched a weatherization checklist to help homeowners get the most out of a visit with a home energy assessment professional.
March Whole-Home Heat Pump Pilot Update: Apply by June!
MassCEC is accepting new applications for our whole-home air-source heat pump pilot program from now until the pilot closes on June 25, 2021. Applications must be received by that date, but approved projects will have at least six months to complete... READ THE FULL POST
An illustration of a 19th century two-family home in Salem, MA. The second-floor unit has converted from a natural gas furnace to a centrally ducted air-source heat pump.
February Whole-Home Heat Pump Pilot Update: Higher Incentives Available through June
MassCEC is pleased to announce higher incentives for our whole-home air-source heat pump pilot program from now until the pilot closes on June 25, 2021. The base incentives for low- and moderate-income households have increased, and we have begun offering an... READ THE FULL POST