City of Boston Achieves Energy Efficiency Gains with Capital Improvements to its Iconic Buildings

By USGBC MA

The following is an article by the City of Boston's Office of Public Facilities. Read the original here.

BOSTON – Mayor Martin J. Walsh today announced recent capital improvements to three of its iconic buildings completed by City of Boston Public Facilities Department will yield nearly $50,000 in annual utility savings for the lifetime of the installed improvements at the Central Library in Copley Square, City Hall and 26 Court Street. The project will also eliminate over 140 tons of greenhouse gas emissions each year, which is equivalent to removing more than 40 cars from the road for a year.

“I am proud Boston is leading by example in pursuing environmentally-friendly, sustainable and cost-saving options for our improvement projects,” said Mayor Walsh. “These improvements are a win-win effort, and I look forward to continuing our collaborative efforts with utility partners to continue making progress towards becoming a more energy efficient city.”

Boston's Public Facilities Department partnered with Eversource on the comprehensive building infrastructure and energy efficiency upgrade projects, with Eversource providing technical expertise and helping the City secure Mass Save program incentives to offset the overall cost of the upgrades to the three buildings.

“Eversource has been working closely with the City of Boston on innovative projects to make the City more energy efficient for many years,” said Tilak Subrahmanian, Vice President of Energy Efficiency at Eversource. “We commend Mayor Walsh and city leaders for demonstrating Boston's commitment to energy efficiency, and providing cities and towns across the country with a model they can follow.”

Last year, Mayor Walsh and the City's Public Facilities Department unveiled new high-efficiency LED exterior lighting on Boston's City Hall. The new fixtures wash the building in a warm white light, and also have the capability of projecting a wide-range of color options, which allows the City to light the building to acknowledge a variety of civic and celebratory events. The Public Facilities Department saved $30,000 on the installation through a Mass Save utility efficiency incentive, and expects to achieve $12,000 in energy savings annually.

During 2016, the Walsh Administration and Eversource also completed energy efficiency projects at the Central Library's Johnson Building, and additional projects at 26 Court Street. The energy efficiency upgrades installed in the Central Library's Johnson Building qualified to receive a $57,000 Mass Save incentive. Those improvements to the building's interior lighting and HVAC controls are expected to save the City $22,000 annually in reduced energy costs. The installation of five high-efficiency condensing boilers at 26 Court Street received a $50,000 Mass Save energy efficiency incentive. The five boilers are expected to reduce the cost of heating the building by $13,000 annually.

“Continuing to make this building more energy efficient through the Central Library Renovation Project was a major priority, and Mayor Walsh's continued commitment to the library and energy efficiency in the Capital Plan enables all of our buildings to offer great spaces on a sustainable basis now and into the future,” said David Leonard, President of the Boston Public Library.

Boston's large buildings and institutions contribute approximately 50 percent of the City's greenhouse gas emissions. The City's updated Climate Action Plan provides the framework for reducing greenhouse gas emissions 25 percent by 2020 and 80 percent by 2050. As a key means of reaching the greenhouse gas reduction goals stated in the Climate Action Plan, the City is leading by example by reducing the energy intensity of its own municipal buildings and working with its utilities to incentivize energy efficiency upgrades.