Baker’s Movement on New Solar Legislation

By Cherie Ching, Advocacy Fellow

August 11, 2015

An Act Relative to a Long-Term, Sustainable Solar Industry (Docket number HD4090)

 

Governor Charlie Baker is making heat waves in the solar fight to allow the expansion of net metering in Massachusetts. On August 7, 2015, Governor Baker filed legislation, An Act relative to a long-term, sustainable solar industry to encourage the increasing solar development recently halted due to the net metering caps. This is a significant time for Massachusetts because solar is booming and net metering allows homeowners, business, and local governments to sell their excess generation of power to the grid in exchange for credit on their bill. The Net Metering and Solar Task Force emphasized that the Baker-Polito Administration does not support raising the net metering caps in the short-term absent a long-term sustainable solution to effectively balance promoting clean energy and lowering costs to ratepayers. Therefore, Governor Baker’s recent legislation attempts at addressing net metering beyond short-term solutions.

The legislation will raise the net metering caps, currently at 4% for private and 5% for public, to 6% for the private cap and 7% for the public cap. In addition, it will also provide authority for the Department of Public Utilities to raise the caps above that, which is probably necessary for such demanding territories.  The net metering program will continue with its current structure until 1,600 MW is reached, then will continue with full retail rate net metering for small projects and creates a new incentive program.

This legislation comes at a significant time, right after Senator Downing proposed an amendment to S.1973 and the Senate voted to lift the net metering cap in order to meet the state’s goal of developing 1,600 MW of solar power by 2018. As a signatory to the Next Generation Solar Policy Framework for Massachusetts, we are continually supporting the advancement of net metering improvements alongside the Acadia Center and other allied organizations.

Please find more information on Net Metering on our Advocacy Page!

 

Connecting with Students in Green Academia

By Cherie Ching, Advocacy Fellow


Article contribution made by Renan C. Mingrone

Renan (far right) diligently taking notes during Zapotec's presentation on net metering, one of the Chapter's priorities

August 8, 2015

Our Chapter is constantly creating opportunities for our members to stay up-to-date on their green education and informed about the news affecting the green community and our state. From Webinars to Green Breakfast Forums and BBQs, there are always exciting events available for our members of all professions to enjoy! Through our website, we also offer educational resources for all to know about our Chapter's priorities and engagements. From professionals to emerging professionals and university students, our website is a useful resource for all to browse and indulge in. A fifth year civil engineering student at the Federal Technological University of Paraná, Brazil, Renan Mingrone contacted our Chapter searching for information on Sustainable Development and its Certifications and Technologies, the topic of his final thesis. We were able to arrange his participation in our Summer BBQ Picnic and Webinar session in July! Below is his reflection of his experience with USGBC MA:

 

Regarding my visit to Boston and the USGBC MA Chapter events I've attended, I can say they made my long trip from São Paulo more than worthwhile and rewarding. The first was on July 22nd, Fun in the Sun, a picnic at the North Point Park with some members of the green community of Boston. In this reunion, I learned a lot about the Chapter activities in progress and some of their accomplishments. This helped me situate myself in the subject as a future civil engineer on Green Buildings. It was very enriching to talk with professionals of the community and make valuable connections with Chapter members such as with David Bliss, Matthew Smith, James Jones and Paul Lyons. The event was very casual and pleasant and we had delicious drinks and food. The weather was very nice, even with a refreshing light rain. Some members made important announcements about issues like the Net Metering by Zapotec, issues I was able to be aware of and bring back to Brazil with other general acquired knowledges. 

The second event was the Webinar about The Critical Juncture Where Sustainability Meets Building Structure & Commissioning and Integrative Design hosted by the SMMA Sustainability Coordinator, Steven Burke who was very kind and attentive to me. At this event I was able to better understand and learn some specific concepts of green buildings and sustainability like the relation between embodied carbon and structural materials, commissioning in the civil construction and its importance, and the hole of a commissioning agent.

Summarizing my experience, everything was extremely positive and I'm very grateful to all the USGBC MA Chapter crew, specially to Cherie with whom I had the first contact and who made possible my participation in those events. Also, Celis who helped me situate myself and was very kind to me by making my time in Boston more pleasant. I'm definitely going back to Brazil with valuable knowledge and connections and a huge amount of information and references for my thesis. This experience has been priceless.

We hope to welcome Renan back to Boston in the near future, as well as more students interested in taking advantage of our Chapter's exciting and educational events and resources!

 

 

 

Greenbuild: Will you join us in DC this November?

By Grey Lee


Greenbuild is in Washington DC this year from November 18-20th.

Will you be attending? Let us know. We want to see you there. We want to gather. We want to learn, network, and have a great time. Seriously, let us know so we can invite you to the New England Reception we are organizing at some point during the week. We are also organizing accomodation and potentially transportation sharing. Some have discussed biking there…

Register here and then let us know you are going!

We have some of our colleagues already planning on attending and presenting even! Take a look at these and the many other courses offered during Greenbuild. It is a wonderful way to take a deep dive into the design, science, sociology, and economics of green buildings. The educational sessions can help with your credential maintenance and help make important connections & insights. 

And of course there are more to explore – take a look at the session catalogue and schedule here.

Definitely stop by Chapter Sponsor Excel Dryer's booth where they will be exhibiting on the trade show floor!


In case not even all this makes you interested in this event, the main show on the Thursday night is “Fitz and the Tantrums” – apparently a very successful band that all the kids are talking about – which I have never, ever, heard of before. At least they had no trouble getting the domain name. PS: they don't have a guitarist…

Well, we'll be sure to have a great time one way or another! See you there!

Mid-Summer Advocacy Roundup

By Cherie Ching, Advocacy Fellow

August 6, 2015

The past two months have been a hot period for advocacy efforts in our Chapter and State, both with regards to our warm summer weather and the green bills on Beacon Hill! Hosting a Green Building Policy Forum at the State House in mid June, our Chapter provided legislators, staff members, constituents, and many others in the green community with important information on our top priorities to create awareness and promote green education. Our priorities included Net Metering improvements, Net Zero Energy Building codes, and Property Assessed Clean Energy financing. Secondary priorities included Healthy Materials and Toxics, Revenue-Neutral Carbon Tax, and local-levelincentives for LEED certifications.

Our advocacy efforts did not stop there! We continued the momentum by attending and presenting our support at the Energy Efficiency Hearing at the State House at the end of June, showing support for Bills S.1761, S.1771, S.1774, and H.2857. Not only were we able to take action on our current priorities, but we also highlighted many of our secondary priorities. With the help of members of our Advocacy Committee, Residential Green Building Committee, CABA, MA PACE Coalition and headquarters’ staff, our Chapter was well represented at the hearing and we strengthened our advocacy efforts for the weeks ahead.

In addition to our presence on Beacon Hill, our Chapter made time to have a little “fun in the sun” at the Emerging Professionals (EPMA) Summer BBQ event, co-hosted by the Advocacy Committee. This could not have been planned at a more appropriate time to celebrate the sun, as the net metering issues were once again taking up attention at the State House. Having reached many caps in the State, the net metering bills would have to be addressed if the State wanted to continue to support renewable energy, particularly solar. The Advocacy Committee, along with Zapotec the event sponsor, presented background information and strategies to steer the net metering issues in a positive direction. Senator Downing’s amendment to Bill S.1973 was proposed and passed in the Senate just one day later! We were even fortunate to be able host at the BBQ a 5th year civil engineering student from the Federal Technological University of Paraná, Brazil, who is writing his dissertation on sustainable development, certifications and technologies!

Finally, our Chapter ended a high-energy month with a Green Breakfast Forum dedicated to highlighting our Advocacy Priorities and the bills related to them. With six astounding presenters and more than 15 participants, the forum engaged all in a discussion around complicating energy issues and how we can support these bills from hereon in. After such a successful Green Breakfast Forum, we look forward to keeping our advocacy issues alive and relevant with more upcoming green events for our members to take advantage of!

August Newsletter Update for All

By Grey Lee

 

[Click here to read the entire newsletter – it has a lot of great updates and links to events and programs!]

 

[This is the opener from the August Newsletter:]

Greetings,

With summer in full swing, I can't help but wonder how many of you are reading this on a mobile device at a beach somewhere far away. I hope you've been able to make the most of the “slow” season and taken time with family and friends to relax & recharge.

Our work continues. This morning, 8/4/15, we were able to place an Op-Ed in the Worcester Telegram & Gazette regarding green building and economic development. It's all connected!

The Massachusetts Legislature is not going to be too active for the next few weeks, but that gives us a chance to reposition some of our priority issues. Take a look at the extensive resources we have on our website. The net metering issue got a boost when Senator Ben Downing introduced an amendment to lift the caps on the state's solar net metering mechanism, and the Senate approved it. We'll have to work with the House to take it the distance it needs. 

Other priorities include reaching out to more prospective users of PACE financing and exploring how to really operationalize a net zero building code. Stay tuned for more on those issues. 

Will you come to the Biomimicry & Living Buildings 3-hour workshop next Wednesday 8/12/15? How about our Green Schools Committee gathering later that day (see below)? Can you help us at GreenFest in Boston? There are a lot of ways your enthusiasm and engagement with our mission can help us achieve success – thank you for participating and volunteering with us. 

We are here to help you become a better proponent of green buildings – we can help with education, credential maintenance, networking, and of course, advocacy.  
Thank you for your devotion to our mission and your ongoing support. Each month we are becoming more effective at growing the sustainability agenda through the greening of buildings.

I look forward to connecting with you soon,
Grey


 

Green Improvements = Green Money in a Home

By Cherie Ching, Advocacy Fellow

August 4, 2015

In late July, The Boston Globe released an article in the Magazine Section discussing the trend for energy-efficient upgrades in the real estate market. The article, “Will green improvements boost your home’s value?” addressed the issue that unlike traditional renovations, green renovations don’t always get translated into dollars. Although lowering one's energy bill is an attractive option, it may come with a cost that most homeowners and buyers are not quick to make. In addition, the average homeowner may not have correct knowledge about the value of their green renovation projects, making green education an even greater necessity for evaluating their home.

Our very own, Craig Foley, chief of energy solutions at RE/Max Lending Edge, was featured in this article, highlighting his Greater Boston energy study on homes. Craig studied about 4,600 homes in Greater Boston measuring whether buyers preferred natural-gas heating to oil, which tends to be more expensive. More often than not, the higher costs of an energy efficiency upgrade at the time of sale is not quite the best selling point when homebuyers are calculating their annual energy savings.

As a member of USGBC MA, Craig has made significant contributions for our advocacy efforts relating to home energy assessments, greening the MLS, and residential green building education through his role as the Advocacy Coordinator on the Residential Green Building Committee and Advocacy Committee. Alluding to the article’s previous points about education, Craig has helped USGBC MA to expand green education for residential homes to our membership, particularly during our events in the recent months: Energy Efficiency Hearing and Green Breakfast Advocacy Forum

Issues, such as what are the true savings one can get from solar systems and what an energy-efficiency upgrade will do to a home are often complicated with green labels (and green washing) that most homeowners and buyers, along with real estate agents don’t often understand. This is where an accurate knowledge of green terms (LEED, HERS, ENERGY STAR) can play a major role in choosing the best green projects that will have a concrete result in reducing energy use, energy bills, and/or energy impact on the environment in a home.

The research that has been done to compare homes for sale with green features versus without has shown a 1.7% to 9% premium for the green homes in the different samples. More data and improved data will make those results more robust. Thank you to folks like Craig Foley who are helping with the market transformation and especially helping transaction professionals operate better – with better knowledge and better labeling tools. When greening one's home, the homeowner or buyer should know the effects of their green upgrades, even if it's as simple as cleaner air quality or decreased energy and water waste. Because what a great feeling it is to say that your home is energy-efficient, when it actually is enhancing your equity in it at the same time.  

 

Original article, “Will green improvements boost your home’s value?” 

Photo credit: The Boston Globe, Michael Korfhage

ELM Shares Advocacy Strategies with Students!

By Cherie Ching, Advocacy Fellow

August 3, 2015

Last week at the Conservation Law Foundation, Environmental League of Massachusetts (ELM) sponsored a strategy session for students and interns called “Advocacy Strategy for the Environment,” which focused on advocacy and green education. How fitting for USGBC MA to be a part of this event as we recently have been ramping up our advocacy strategies and green educational programs! At this session, students and summer interns representing green organizations, State government departments and legislators came together to learn how to improve our approach to advocacy in the most effective and efficient ways possible.

With training and guidance from Erica Mattison, the Legislative Director of ELM, we held active discussions on the current efforts and issues each of us were working. Erica touched upon strategies to effectively mobilize support for environmental issues and and how we can adjust our methods to create more change in the legislature. Erica also provided many useful tools to reach out to the “power players” and connect with the appropriate organizations regardless of which area we were working in. Through an interactive survey program, the students were able to express their advocacy concerns in their prospective fields.

As a Summer Advocacy Fellow for USGBC MA, I have worked with the Chapter to tighten up our advocacy strategies, especially during such a crucial time in the State House. In June and July, our Chapter has made many great leaps to move our priorities forward. Some of these leaps included reaching out to allied organizations; collaborating and creating focused groups; utilizing media resources, providing educational and networking opportunities; researching updates on current bills; contacting legislators; and connecting with other USGBC Chapters. I was pleased to learn that many of the advocacy strategies we talked about at the training were very much in line with the strategies being used at our Chapter!

The second session this week called “Organizing Strategy for the Environment,” will focus on specific lobbying methods and general advocacy tips.

 

 

 

 

A Green Breakfast That Truly Satisfied Our Appetite for Green News!

By Cherie Ching, Advocacy Fellow

July 31, 2015

The Green Breakfast Forum: What's Cooking With Current Advocacy Efforts?

Our Advocacy Committee hosted a successful Green Breakfast Forum yesterday to highlight the recent Advocacy efforts made in our Chapter. With six Advocacy Priorities and six enthusiastic presenters, our forum turned out to be an exciting touchstone in our Chapter's momentum supporting many hot bills at the State House, and for continuing awareness and education on these issues. Starting with a brief introduction and history of USGBC Massachusetts Chapter, Cherie Ching kicked off the forum and encouraged questions and open discussion throughout the event.


Net Metering Improvements– David Bliss continued the Green Breakfast with the complicated and pressing issue of net metering. Giving a brief background on the origins of energy regulation of Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act (PURPA) enacted in 1978, David explained how net metering has become such an essential element for energy generation and renewable energy nationwide! The recent Bills S.1770 and S.1973, with Senator Downing's amendment, to lift the limits to net metering known as solar caps, triggered interesting comments and dialogue throughout David's presentation. The feedback that we received truly confirmed the complexities of net metering and that continuing this conversation with those of various fields from supporting and opposing sides is the most important. We also look forward to working in collaboration with Acadia Center and allied organizations.

 

Net Zero Energy Building (NZEB) Codes– Kate Bubriski kept the advocacy energies flowing by diving into Net Zero Energy Building codes and how Massachusetts, although maintaining decent progress, still has a long way to go to reach NZEB goals. Bill S.1771 would act as a dragnet for residential and commercial buildings to achieve net zero energy performance by 2020 and 2030 respectively. This bill also designates the Board of Building Regulations and Standards (BBRS) to establish definitions of zero net-energy for residential and commercial buildings. Kate emphasized the interconn
ectedness of supporting NZEB and the movement of the other Chapter Priorities, such as net metering and PACE. Although there are success stories already in the Commonwealth, such as with the Cambridge Net Zero Task Force, there was discussion about organizations in opposition to NZEB, such as NAIOP. We will continue to look towards NZEB as our priority by collaborating and learning from the steps taken by allied organizations. 

Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing– With John DiModica, PACE Issue Captain on the conference line and unable to present, Kate also spearheaded the PACE financing priority by explaining the role of PACE for property owners and project developers. Bill S.1774 would expand the current PACE legislation by allowing 100% project funding as a voluntary property tax assessment, not a loan. The assessment remains part of the property regardless if the property is sold or there is a change of ownership. Giving MassDevelopment state-wide bonding authority, this bill would encourage more energy efficiency and resiliency projects and renovations to commence. The presentation led to interesting discussion on the role of municipalities, which properties and buildings would be included in the bill, and the difference (and complications) of Residential PACE (which is not part of S.1774 and a significantly different policy issue). The MA PACE Coalition continues to work on a more aggressive advocacy approach to pushing PACE to the top of the priority list in the legislature.

Home Energy Assessment– Craig Foley took center stage in addressing many issues on Home Energy Assessments with much enthusiasm as he played devil's advocate on the pros and cons of Bill S.1761, An Act relative to home energy efficiency.” His presentation triggered many questions and concerns about the energy rating systems and requirements, how realtors would be affected, the benefits homeowners would receive, and the inherent energy characteristics v. occupancy energy consumption. Although net metering is taking away much attention from this important priority, we can voice our support for this bill to the legislature to push action. 

Energy Efficiency Education– Celis Brisbin highlighted the importance of Energy Efficiency Education for our Chapter, as well as for our State, in order to create more awareness and regularity of the green building certification process. Celis pointed out the many educational programs our Chapter offers such as LEED Credential Maintenance; LEED Green Associate Exam Prep Workshops; GPRO for Operations & Management; Construction Management, and other modules; Green Building tours; and Outreach & Education to the general public to support our advocacy agenda. Through Bill H.2857, USGBC MA can create more of a presence in the standardizing of green education in MA with the educational programs we already provide to our members!


Green Tax Incentives– Jerome Garciano finished off the Green Breakfast with a brief description of his research on green tax incentives through his Green Tax Incentive Compendium of July 2015. While Jerome further explained about the benefits and availability of these Federal and State tax incentives for renewable energy and energy efficiency, he passed around an impressive 131-pg. booklet detailing the tax incentives by jurisdiction, statute, technology, and amount. The discussion was directed to what Massachusetts would have to do to address expiring or expired tax incentives and what LEED-specific tax benefits would be available for our State. Jerome went further to describe New Mexico and Connecticut as being success stories for green building tax credit. The Advocacy Committee looks forward to continuing the dialogue on green tax incentive opportunities for our State in order to incentivize more property owners to choose the green building path!

Our Green Breakfast Forum came to a close a little later than expected, but surely our participants were going leaving with full stomachs and satisfied minds! Our loyal green participants took advantage of this opportunity to stick around, make connections, ask questions, as well as plan for the beach party, SOAK UP THE SUN rally to the State House happening right up the street in the next hour. Thank you for your participation, contribution, and interest in our Green Breakfast- Advocacy Forum.  We look forward to continuing our advocay movement and hope to see you at the next Green Breakfast on Thursday, August 20 on Architecture + Human Subconscious Responses to the Built-Environment!


We are currently editing our recorded-audio version of the Green Breakfast and it will be up on the GBCI website soon!

Please check out our slideshow presentation.

 

Sponsor Spotlight: RDK Engineers

By Allison Maynard, Communications Associate

USGBC MA Sponsor RDK Engineers is a specialized mechanical and electrical engineering firm offering a spectrum of engineering services – total building systems solutions. A corporate member of USGBC, RDK Engineers is fiercely committed to sustainability. The Energy and Sustainability experts at RDK help run buildings more efficiently, reduce carbon footprints, save money and help meet overall sustainability goals.

RDK Engineers have attained a reputation for practical ingenuity, not mere innovation, and recently ranked on Engineering News-Record's Top 500 Design Firms list. Over 20% of the RDK team is LEED Accredited, and the firm has worked on over 70 LEED-certified buildings in the Massachusetts area and beyond.

RDK recently completed work on exciting projects including a renovation at the Massachusetts Statehouse to install an integrated photovoltaic system, as well as a Zero Net Energy Building for North Shore Community College. The building is LEED Gold certified, utilizes zero net energy consumption, emits zero carbon emissions, and is expected to achieve annual energy savings of $100,000 per year. It is the second largest building of its type in the country.

For more information, visit www.rdkengineers.com.

LEED Green Associate

By Celis Brisbin, Programs Manager

I am proud to announce myself as a recently accredited LEED Green Associate!

 

I started working at the Massachusetts Chapter three months ago and had the goal of being a LEED AP within a year. As any aspiring Accredited Professional knows, the first step to becoming and AP is achieving the Green Associate. The path to becoming a LEED AP can be daunting. Where does one start? How much studying is appropriate? Who should I talk to about the exam? Luckily, I was able to attend one of Chapter's Green Associate Exam Preparation courses, instructed by Chris Liston, and have all of these questions answered. The course changed my nervousness to confidence and knowledge. 

 

I found the course to be effective in highlighting energy efficiency standards, codes and concepts. Presenting ASHRAE codes which are on the exam and teaching the LEED specific content of the exam. I also liked the one-day accelerated program. It was much easier for the group and I, to make the single day session and cut down on commuting time related to a multi day session. 

 

I am delighted to share that the Chapter will be hosting Green Associate Exam Prep sessions in October and December. It is a great course for those in the industry as well as those just starting out. I also found it to be a great opportunity to network and connect with professionals in the industry. 

 

If you are interested in our upcoming courses, please click here. They will be taught by Steven Burke, a Sustainability Coordinator at Symmes Maini & McKee Associates (SMMA), an integrated multi-disciplinary design and engineering firm. In addition to helping his firm work on two LEED v4 projects, he is responsible for acting as a resource for all those in his firm that need LEED assistance; thereby guiding the LEED process for SMMA’s MEP/FP, Commissioning, Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Interiors, and Specifications disciplines. Steven has worked on many different types and sizes of LEED projects, including but not limited to: k-12 schools, higher education facilities, mid-rise and high-rise residential, commercial interiors, retail interiors, and commercial office buildings. He has also delivered presentations covering the changes from LEED v3 to LEED v4 and conducted LEED v4 feasibility studies for his firm’s clients.

 

I hope you will sign up and let your colleagues know about this opportunity!