Town Initiatives
 Scituate selectman granted a 15-year contract to Solaya Energy to construct a 390 foot wind turbine on town land on the Driftway, next to the sewer plant. It is expected to save the town $300,000 per year and reduce the town's carbon footprint by 3 million kilowatt hours per year. The wind turbine should be operational by year-end 2011 and provide 50% of the town's electricity. The Renewable Energy Committee (REC) met on September 27th to continue the process of reviewing proposals from nine companies for a solar array at the landfill. This should provide another 33% of the town's electricity. The town planner and town administrator will be working on an RFP for energy conservation, as part of our effort to be designated as a Green Community.
At home -- conservation
The most important thing a homeowner can do to save heat energy is to have an energy audit. You will receive information on the quality of your insulation and the severity of your heat leakage conditions, and you will be told of energy improvement opportunities. Many companies provide this service, but for a free audit, contact Mass Save at 866-527-7283. www.masssave.com
To save electricity, use compact fluorescent light bulbs. An ENERGY STAR qualified compact fluorescent light bulb will save about $30 over its lifetime and pay for itself in about 6 months. It uses 75 percent less energy and lasts about 10 times longer than an incandescent bulb.
At home -- renewable energy
The two primary renewable energy options to generate electricity for home use are small wind turbines and photovoltaic solar panels. The two primary renewable energy options for heating homes are solar thermal systems which use solar collectors to generate heat, and geothermal systems which use less variable underground temperatures in producing heat. An internet search will provide names of mutliple local vendors of these systems. Homeowners can take advantage of a 30% tax credit on their federal taxes when installing renewable energy systems. (i.e. 30% of what you paid for your sysem can be directly subtracted from your tax bill.) Massachusetts provides an additional $1000 tax credit.
|
|
|
Energy |