Local nonprofit helps consumers support renewable energy and save money on electric cars!

By Mass Energy


​Mass Energy Consumers Alliance, a Boston-based nonprofit organization, is excited to be part of USGBC’s Building Tech Forum on February 16th. Our mission to make energy more affordable and sustainable manifests in two major ways: 1—we influence individuals to take action around energy use in their own homes through a variety of “group-buying” programs. We encourage them to take advantage of the most practical new energy technologies. And 2—we use the lessons learned and momentum of their participation (“membership”) to influence policymakers. Our deep connection to consumer energy needs is why we’re so excited to bring our voice to this conversation on Smart Cities.

Though we offer many programs, our most groundbreaking are shared here. First, our “green electricity” or green power program makes it possible for Massachusetts and Rhode Island electricity customers “make the switch” – in other words, to choose local renewable energy for the electricity they consume. Members of the green electricity program pay a couple extra cents per kilowatt-hour they use in order to match their electricity use with energy from New England sources (like the wind turbine in Lynn, MA—pictured!). You can learn more about our renewable energy program, see a map of all of our renewable sources, and sign up at: www.massenergy.org/green

Mass Energy is also currently running an electric vehicle group-buy discount program, Drive Green with Mass Energy! Anyone can take advantage of big discounts we’ve negotiated for purchase or lease of the Chevy Volt and Bolt, Nissan LEAF, Ford Fusion Energi, Ford C-Max Energi, and Kia eSoul. And Drive Green with Mass Energy discounts are in addition to the state MOR-EV rebate of up to $2,500 and the federal tax credit of up to $7,500. To learn more about how electric vehicles are a great choice for consumers and the environment or to sign up for a test-drive, visit: www.massenergy.org/drivegreen!

We look forward to seeing you at Thursday’s event!

 

OpenDataSoft to Attend the Building Tech Forum!

By OpenDataSoft


The USGBC MA Chapter is thrilled to be working with some amazing organizations and companies for the Building Tech Forum on Feb 16th, 2017. For this event, we're going beyond just sustainability and working with technology companies as well. One such company is OpenDataSoft, and they're going to be bringing in a fresh new perspective to our community! 

From OpenDataSoft:

OpenDataSoft enables any local or national government or agency to become more transparent and accountable to citizens and consumers. Its second generation open data platform is fast to ramp-up and intuitive to use, and transforms data into services without requiring technical expertise.

We are very happy to attend to the Building Tech Forum!

As OpenDataSoft is positioned on Smart city business, attending this event makes sense to us. It would be a great opportunity to meet the ecosystem. 

OpenDataSoft already powers open data portals for many municipalities and agencies worldwide – including the North Carolina Department of Commerce, the City of Paris, the Ministry of Health in Portugal and the Swiss National Railways.

Tickets are still available for the Building Tech Forum! Register here and use the code BTF25 for 25% off any ticket type.

 

Attend ReVision Energy's Event on 3/16 Transitioning to 100% Solar Energy

By USGBC MA


Our friends ReVision Energy (and display sponsor of the Building Tech Forum this Thursday) are holding a great event on March 16th, 2017, Transitioning to 100% Solar Energy: Battery Storage Option.

Transitioning to solar energy saves money and reduces fossil fuel use. Join ReVision Energy for a complimentary educational presentation to learn about battery storage options. They will also outline ways to transition your home or business from fossil fuels to 100% clean, solar energy. 

Please RSVP to Christina at: czlotnick@revisionenergy.com or call (603) 679-1777 for more information. 

 

About ReVision Energy:

ReVision Energy is a full-service renewable energy contracting company that provides a full range of engineering, design, installation and equipment service for homes, businesses, municipal buildings, and nonprofits.

They are trusted as the industry leader in solar design, installation, and service in northern New England. They achieve their vision by maintaining the highest standards of technical accomplishment and customer satisfaction. Fossil fuel consumption and CO2 emissions in the region are shrinking as a result of our installations.

Transitioning to 100% Solar Energy – Battery Storage Options
March 16th, 2017, 6:00pm – 7:00pm
At the Regus Conference Center
35 Village Road #100, MIddleton, MA

Why do We Need Smart Cities?

By Alexander Landa


Smart cities really aren't a product of the future anymore. Cities around the world have already embraced pushing themselves to their limits, with many already employing the Internet of Things and smart devices to catapult their infrastructure to new heights. Over half of the entire world's population resides in urban areas, making it difficult to support such dense areas with existing architecture and resources. It's getting to the point that we need smart cities, rather than calling it a luxury. We need better ways to manage energy, transportation, and the transfer of data.

There isn't a one-size-fits-all solution for addressing the problems that growing cities will face. It will be a sort of a-la-carte procedure with each city having different needs and unique means to meet the demands. 

Some congested cities like many in the UK aren't physically built to handle more vehicles on the road, meaning that will be an urgent priority. The answer isn't clear yet if that will mean fewer cars and more public transport, different commuting patterns, etc, but it will need to be near the top of the agenda.

Like other instances of urban planning, it's not as simple as constructing smart buildings and adding more solar panels that relay statistics to the city. Government officials will have to manage costs (which could actually be less than you might think), how to remove old infrastructure, and training individuals to make these changes.

It will all be worth it, though.

While some of the goals of smart cities are pretty straightforward like fulfilling a person's intrinsic need for technological advancement and pushing the human limit, there will be a significantly higher quality of life for everyone living in these urban areas. We will likely see less waste, better water treatments and retention, better housing options for growing populations, more jobs, more schools, organizations, and public utilities, improved air quality, and more.

It's not impossible, and it's already happening. It's a new and slightly intimidating concept that makes a lot of people nervous and skeptical, but think of the end result and how much better everyone will be once we're living in improved urban settings.

To learn more about smart cities, attend our upcoming Building Tech Forum this Thursday, February 16th at Fraunhofer Boston. Use the code BTF20 for 20% off any ticket type.

 

LEED GOLD for 3 more of Wright Builders’ homes!

By James Robe, Outreach and Communication Manager


Wright Builders feels that home is more than just shelter: homes are the most important buildings in our lives. We believe strongly that every building should be a green building – but especially homes. Why? LEED homes or those that are built to the LEED specifications are built to be healthy, providing clean indoor air and incorporating safe building materials to ensure a comfortable home. Did you know:

As humans, we spend 90% of our time indoors. That time should be spent in spaces that allow us to breathe easy, give us views of nature and daylight, and make us healthier and more productive. 
The EPA estimates that indoor air is between two and ten times more polluted than outdoor air. LEED-certified homes are designed to maximize fresh air indoors and minimize exposure to airborne toxins and pollutants.
LEED certification means healthier, more productive places, reduced stress on the environment by encouraging energy and resource-efficient buildings, and savings from increased building value, higher lease rates and decreased utility costs.

What’s not to like about that!

 

 

Mentoring Kick-Off Recap

By Aminah McNulty


The EPMA Mentor Program Kick-Off event was a great success! People came on the eve of the storm to share drinks, stories, and fun as we got to know our fellow mentors and mentees. We met at Elephant & Castle in downtown Boston for an informal happy hour. While the program is organized to group us by industry, interest, and geography, there was no grouping or categories at this event. People chatted eagerly across generations, industries and experience levels. Two of our mentees were classmates during their masters programs and re-connected at our kick-off after two years of losing touch! 

I was inspired to welcome a new mentee into our community from the world of sales and nutrition. It was great to unpack the USGBC mission of net positive buildings and practices, and hear her experience of the built environment from a health and well-being perspective. 

See Who is Going to the Building Tech Forum This Thursday

By Alexander Landa


The 2017 Building Tech Forum is just three days away! We're incredibly excited for one of our biggest nights of the year to finally come, and we hope many of you will join us as well. This event will feature both fun networking sessions as well as a panel discussion.and other guest speakers. 

 

 

Panel Discussion: 

  • Gretchen Sweeney, VP of LEED Implementation at the USGBC
  • Jennie Stephens,  Dean's Professor of Sustainability Science and Policy at Northeastern University's School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs. 
  • Jascha Franklin-Hodge, Chief Information Officer of the City of Boston.

Other speakers include Kurt Roth of Fraunhofer who will discuss how Fraunhofer is advancing building science, Union Point will cover Smart City they're building south of Boston, and get the latest from Siemens on how people can maximize technology in Smart City settings.

Thanks to Boston Properties for also being a sponsor!

Many high-profile organization will be in attendance too. Display sponsors include:

The Green Engineer
Engie
EYP
ReVision Energy
BuildingIQ
OpenDateSoft
New England Solar Hot Water
Recover Green Roofs
Renova
CrowdComfort
Greenovate Boston
Mass Energy Consumers Alliance

We hope that you'll join us at the Building Tech Forum this Thursday! Use the code BTF30 for 30% off any tickets.

Sponsoring Partner Announcement – Excel Dryer

By USGBC MA


The USGBC MA is proud to announce that Excel Dryer has become a sponsoring partner of our organization! We're incredibly excited to be working with this renowned company that we're sure you've seen in public before. Excel Dryer, Inc. is a family-owned and operated small business that has been manufacturing the finest American-made hand dryers for over 50 years and the only ones that are Made In USA Certified®, featuring the original, patented, high-speed, energy-efficient XLERATOR® Hand Dryers.

Excel is incredibly devoted to their mission of going green in their products. In their products, they factor in an entire Life Cycle Assessment, meaning they need to know the entire environmental impact that their products will have on the environment. You may not expect this one, but their XLERATOR product is more energy efficient than paper towels! That's right – it takes more energy to dispose of paper towels than to use a hand dryer.

The XLERATOR qualifies buildings for LEED credits in two categories:

  • EA (Energy & Atmosphere) Prerequisite 2 – Minimum Energy Performance
  • EA Credit 1 – Optimize Energy Performance (now a mandatory credit for all LEED-certified facilities)

How many hand dryers and paper towels can say they're a part of the LEED rating system? Hint – not many.

Thanks for partnering with us, and we look forward to working with you!

What is the Internet of Things?

By Alexander Landa


As we discuss the Building Tech Forum coming up next Thursday, 2/16, you've likely seen the term Internet of Things thrown around frequently. IoT as it's abbreviated means the interconnectedness between all of a person's technological devices and their immediate environment – or in the case of our event, an entire city.

What seemed like only science fiction has begun to become a reality. We're already seeing our phones control the lights in our homes, and a building's energy usage reporting directly to the city. Smart cars, smart devices, smart products, smart buildings – all becoming a reality already. These devices aren't even exclusive to the 1% or researchers only, as many of these products are readily available for the average person.

It's easy to be skeptical, as a major concern over smart products is that a person's privacy may be invaded, but that's far from the case. Yes, these devices talk to each other and even the city, but only specific facts are shared, such as energy usage or to only control certain other smart appliances from your phone.

What can the IoT do for a city? Well, Smart Cities are slow to start, but many groups are pushing for it now. Little things like MIT creating smart benches and smart signs are already transforming how individuals engage with the city. These changes won't happen overnight, but can easily happen one building or one apartment at a time.

We hope to see you at the Building Tech Forum next week where you can learn more about this emerging topic! Use the code BTF20 for 20% off any ticket type.

Building Tech Forum 2017 Speakers – Kurt Roth of Fraunhofer

By USGBC MA


The Building Tech Forum on February 16th is going to feature some amazing speakers that will surely prove to provide an engaging, informative discussion surrounding a unique and innovative topic. One of the attending speakers is Kurt Roth, the Director of Building Energy Management at Fraunhofer.

Dr. Kurt Roth has been Director of Fraunhofer CSE’s Building Energy Management Group since January 2009. Under his leadership, the team develops, analyzes, tests, evaluates, and demonstrates energy-saving building technologies. Prior to this, he was a Principal Engineer at TIAX LLC, where he led several U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)-funded studies to assess the energy savings and commercialization potentials of HVAC, building controls and diagnostics, toplighting, and IT technologies.

He has also lead several studies to characterize building energy consumption by major end uses. Kurt has presented at numerous conferences and meetings, and authored more than sixty “Emerging Technology” ASHRAE Journal articles. He also serves on the Advisory Board for the Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) Architectural Engineering program.