The Hillside School’s Buddy Water Project, whose 2010 efforts were featured in this Green Needham blog post, has been recognized with an award for Excellence in Energy and Environment Education by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Richard K. Sullivan, Secretary, Energy
Green Needham receives NSTAR grant to promote improved home energy assessments
It’s a classic win-win situation — Green Needham Collaborative has been awarded a grant from NSTAR to make Needham greener and more energy efficient. The goal is to get more Needham residents to take advantage of NSTAR’s no-cost home energy
Large turnout for Temple Aliyah Energy Fair
Temple Aliyah hosted its first Energy Fair on January 9th, with dazzling results. Over 200 visitors browsed the 24 vendor booths in the Exhibition Hall at the Temple, examined an energy-efficient washing machine, bought locally-produced maple syrup, gathered information about
Olin College’s Library to work with Green Needham on Sustainability Initiatives
The Olin College of Engineering library has received a $5,000 grant to develop sustainability collections and programming in the areas of energy audits and native plants. As part of the community outreach for this grant, the library will be working
It’s All Local – Energy Efficiency and Home Energy Audits
An energy audit is the first step to saving energy and money at home, and you are eligible for a free energy audit yearly. Michael Greis of Green Needham joined Gabe Shapiro of Next Step Living on The Needham Channel’s
High Rock Solar Panels – Here Comes the Sun at the end of the Long and Winding Road
In the summer of 2008, Green Needham and the League of Women Voters Climate Action Committee wrapped up the Needham Community Solar Challenge. Over 250 families and businesses in Needham had made contributions to the New England Wind Fund (supporting
Behold the Carrot Mob!
Since companies are so focused on revenue, maybe we can use this to our benefit by organizing where we spend our money. In San Francisco, an enterprising man did just that and it turned into a movement. After many inquiries
What Works – Driving Demand for Home Energy Improvements
How do you motivate homeowners to invest in comprehensive home upgrades that eliminate energy waste, avoid high energy bills and spur the economy? The Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) just published a study of lessons learned from
Lexington three-part speaker series focused on Home Energy Efficiency
Starting in November, the Lexington Global Warming Action Coalition (LexGWAC) will host a three-part speaker series focused on Home Energy Efficiency. The series is designed to assist residents in reviewing the ways they use energy in their homes and to
Energy Audit Program Launching This Fall
This October, Green Needham, Needham Opportunities Inc. and Olin College have partnered to launch a home energy audit program. Trained Olin students will perform free energy audits on select homes in the Needham community. A home energy audit is the
Save 10 Gallons of Water a Day
(From The Daily Green website) The old folk wisdom that says place a brick in your toilet’s water tank is partially correct: It’s an effortless way to save water, but a brick isn’t the best choice of object. Use a
Updated Energy Star ratings for Televisions
Increased energy efficiency is finally coming to electronic devices in your home. As of May 1st, 2010, it became harder for TV manufacturers to earn an Energy Star label, which also meant it became easier for consumers to shop for
Killawatt EZ Usage and Tips
Green Needham Collaborative and NSTAR have donated two Kill-a-Watt EZ meters to the Needham Public Library for loan to library patrons. These handy devices allow you to measure the energy used by the appliances and other electric and electronic devices
Recycling…water?
Water. Last month we had too much, and basements flooded. Last week we had too little and much of the Boston area had to boil their water in the wake of the pipe failure. How do you use water in
Home Electronics – reducing energy use
April 2010 Green Needham Meeting presentation on reducing home electronics energy use.
Massachusetts appliance rebates – details and availability
Don’t miss the short window to get stimulus-funded $50 – $250 rebates on appliances this April. As reported in our March 11th post, these rebates will only be available from April 22nd – May 5th. Here are the details: Eligible
Hillside Elementary School’s World Water Week Project
During World Water Week, March 21st -27th, over 20 businesses in and around Needham are joining Hillside School students in a nationwide UNICEF campaign to bring safe drinking water to millions of children. For every dollar donated by patrons of
Massachusetts appliance rebates – an even shorter window
The stimulus-funded Massachusetts appliance rebate program will have an even shorter window than anticipated – two weeks. Between Earth Day April 22nd and May 5th, Massachusetts consumers will be able to earn rebates between $50 and $250 for purchasing certain energy efficient appliances.
Home Energy Efficiency Improvement Seminars
Green Needham’s Home Energy Efficiency Improvement seminars are 1 1/2 hour sessions aimed at making it much easier for Needham residents to identify and implement high-value home energy efficiency improvements.
Needham receives stimulus-funded energy management grant
Investing in energy was one of the focus areas of the Federal Stimulus Package passed early this year. Much of that is actually being distributed through existing programs. While this takes longer, it provides greater accountability and costs less than