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Boston, MA
October 8, 2009: Boston receives Recovery Act funding for Solar America Cities Special Project.
Credit: www.hms.harvard.edu
With an average annual temperature of 51.6° F (10.9° C), Boston is helping to debunk the myth that solar energy is only feasible in the warmest of climates. Boston has some of the highest energy prices in the country and will be one of the first locations where solar power achieves parity with conventional energy technologies. The goals of “Solar Boston” (Boston’s Solar America Cities project name) are to facilitate the rapid development of solar energy projects and infrastructure in the short-term, and prepare for the rapid market growth that is expected with grid parity over the long-term. The city is currently mapping its solar resource and solar industry, actively developing solar energy projects, and exploring innovative financing options for large-scale solar energy procurement. These activities will help to overcome barriers to widespread solar energy deployment.
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Secretary of Energy Samuel Bodman (left) presents Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino with a Solar America City road sign.
Mayor Tom Menino and others inspect the 2.4kW rooftop solar installation at the Boston Arts Academy.
Credit:solar-works.com
The Boston Nature Center was the first municipal green building in Boston and the inspiration for Boston's requirement that all new private sector development be built green.
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Activities
Boston plans to maximize solar technology’s role in its planning, educational, and emergency preparedness policies by installing solar technologies, both solar electric and solar thermal (solar water and space heating), on feasible and appropriate locations around the city. In this project, Boston will identify and address barriers to widespread solar deployment, and will develop a strategy for achieving Mayor Menino’s goal of installing 25 MW of solar energy throughout Boston by 2015.
- Create an online map of current local renewable energy projects, with a tool to allow building owners to calculate their rooftop solar potential. The map is currently live here.
- Support the City’s Green Affordable Housing Program (GAHP), in partnership with the Department of Neighborhood Development (DND). Under GAHP, the City is installing over 150 kW of PV on 200 units of affordable housing. DND requires that all new City-funded affordable housing be LEED Silver certifiable and built solar-ready.
- Coordinate resources and best practices with the U.S. Department of Energy, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, local utilities, the electrical workers’ union, the solar industry, and non-governmental organizations.
- Market solar energy to potential sites.
- Explore innovative financing strategies in order to facilitate the bulk purchase, financing, and installation of solar energy technologies.
Partners
- Boston Community Capital
- City of Boston (Project Lead)
- The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
- Green Roundtable
- International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
- KeySpan Energy Delivery
- ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability
- Massachusetts Energy Consumers Alliance
- Massachusetts Technology Collaborative
- New Ecology, Inc.
- NSTAR Electric and Gas
- Solar Energy Business Association of New England
Solar Evacuation RouteThe City will integrate solar energy applications into its emergency response infrastructure by creating a pilot solar evacuation route that will feature a backup PV system at Boston’s main emergency-vehicle fueling station as well as solar-powered traffic control and monitoring equipment, lighting, and emergency radio repeaters.
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