If all goes as planned, author David Green will be coming to town with tips on how homeowners can save energy. This topic was one of many energy-saving ideas discussed via Zoom at the August 24 Marion Energy Management Committee.
Green is a graduate of Oxford University and Harvard Business School and is the author of Zero Carbon Home, which touches upon how heat pumps, triple-paned windows, and solar panels can help save money for homeowners.
Green has been in contact with one EMC member and would be willing to conduct a talk, according to committee members on Monday. If approved by Select Board members and a location is secured, the EMC is hoping to secure a talk by Green, a name fitting to the green initiatives he would talk about.
EMC members proposed that the Music Hall or the police station meeting room could be good candidates for this discussion. Committee members also said copies of his book would be available.
Seeing the town’s strategy as short-sighted, the EMC unsuccessfully recommended against the May 12 Town Meeting vote that revoked Marion’s participation in the state’s Stretch Code, the building code that exceeds state law, prioritizing electric energy over fossil fuels. The vote rescinded Marion’s membership in the commonwealth’s Green Communities program, which awards grant funding to compliant municipalities based on incentives. The Town of Rochester had preceded Marion by becoming the first municipality to reject Massachusetts’ Stretch Code and membership in Green Communities.
Another outreach opportunity was also discussed by the EMC. A video is in the works that highlights all the green initiatives in Marion from 2018 to 2024. The EMC is looking to master this product and release it on Old Rochester Community Television (ORCTV) and through other platforms.
Also revealed on Monday was that the town has received a feasibility grant through the state to assess potential locations to set up vehicle charging stations.
The EMC is looking to contact the ORR School District to assess school buildings and how the schools can save on energy costs and initiate other green strategies. According to EMC members, there is $5,000,000 available for Massachusetts public schools.
The committee then set up a meeting with the Select Board about the potential for solar energy that could be used by the town. The EMC said that tax rebates and other incentives will be drying up at the end of this year.
Members said homeowners looking to procure solar panels or other energy savings through Mass Save should begin seeking out those plans before the end of the calendar year.
The next meeting of the Marion Energy Management Committee is scheduled for Monday, September 22, at 6:00 pm.
Marion Energy Management Committee
By Jeffrey D. Wagner