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Energy-efficiency volunteers needed by Sept. 13

Environment

Town of Arlington

Monday, 10 September 2018

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Would you like to help Arlington residents improve their homes' energy efficiency?

You can be a volunteer team member for HeatSmart, a state program in which the town is participating.

Volunteers become the face of HeatSmart here and are responsible for the program's success in promoting adoption of new, more energy efficient heating and cooling technologies that speed the transition away from fossil fuels.

The volunteer team, led by a coach, drives the process from start to finish, planning marketing strategy, outreach and education, holding public meetings, and working with the selected installer to answer questions about the systems on offer.

Those involved are looking for a few more key members of the core volunteer team. Additional volunteers will be recruited to support the core team if the town's application is approved.

They need to know by Thursday, Sept. 13. Contact Ken Pruitt, town energy manager, at 781-316-3115 or kpruitt[at]town.arlington.ma.us.

HeatSmart Mass. is a community-based outreach and education program that will encourage clean heating and cooling technologies that include air-source heat pumps, ground-source heat pumps, modern wood heating and solar hot water.

The program aims to help drive down the installation cost and increase deployment of residential and small-scale commercial clean heating and cooling installations through a group purchasing model.

HeatSmart Mass is modeled on the highly successful Solarize Massachusetts program, which was successful in Arlington and is in its eighth year. It has served 66 communities and resulted in more than 3,300 contracts and 22.3 megawatts of solar photovoltaic projects.

The Mass. Clean Energy Center and the Department of Energy Resources anticipate selecting as many as six municipalities or groups of municipalities to participate in HeatSmart Mass.

If Arlington is chosen, customer sign-up is to begin in February and end next July. The recommended deadline for installations is one year after a contract is signed.

This short-term pitch was published Monday, Sept. 10, 2018.

NOTE: This outreach has led to additing two new volunteers and one coach.