Tatiana is giving it her all running the Boston Marathon to raise money and awareness about climate action in Wellesley. Please consider helping her surpass her fundraising goal by donating today.
Use this QR code to go to our new WhatsApp group where you can donate to our fundraiser and connect with others in the community taking action on climate in a variety of ways. This Sustainable Wellesley community WhatsApp chat will allow you to see the impact of donations made to Sustainable Wellesley. Maybe you have suggestions on where the funds should go and/or have a climate related initiative you would like funded. The money raised from Tatiana's marathon fundraising enhances Sustainable Wellesley's ability to do all that we do, including:
Thanks for the support! As the weather gets warmer, consider turning off your engine while waiting in car line or elsewhere. Idling is especially dangerous around schools because children are highly susceptible to air pollution from car exhaust. Children's developing lungs have a smaller surface area and a higher inhalation rate (can be over 3x that of adults), which means greater exposure and potentially permanent damage to lung function.
Either way, idling is expensive and illegal. Please join your community in saying "Idle No More in 2024!" With lower fees and the upcoming elementary redistricting, now is the perfect time to sign up for the bus! Wellesley Public Schools has reduced fees to $300/student with a $700 family cap for 2024-25, with more cuts planned for future years. Parents, reduce the amount of time you spend in traffic and help the town reach its goals of reducing carbon emissions! Current families MUST register by April 5. Visit wellesleyps.org/ transportation to read the annual letter and pay fees online.
Thank you to Michael M. for sharing his story about converting to electric from oil and the costs savings.
After attending a Town-sponsored webinar on Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHP), we contacted Abode Energy Management to set up a personal Zoom meeting. Abode spoke to us at length about our particular situation: a 100-year-old home with oil heat and radiators, (no ducting or air conditioning), and discussed what solutions might be available to us. We did learn that we would need to upgrade our electrical system from a 100 AMP to a 200 AMP service, and we worked with an excavator, an electrician, and the Town to make that happen. This was less complicated than it sounds. Abode then directed us to the Town's website for a list of approved vendors for ASHPs, and we contacted two of them. Both came to our home and provided a detailed installation proposal and quote. Each vendor proposed unique configurations and different equipment manufacturers. Abode reviewed both proposals to ensure they would be sufficient to heat and cool our home - with no backup system. While Abode deemed both proposals would do the job, they helped us compare them, and even tweaked them, so we felt comfortable moving forward. We chose Endless Energy to install an LG system with two heat pumps. Our first floor has ductless floor units, (as we were sensitive to maintaining the character of our home), the second floor is a ducted system with vents in the ceiling and the air handler in the attic. Our install was completed in December of 2022. We have been very pleased with our conversion to electric from oil. The units are quiet and remote-controllable. Our home maintained a comfortable temperature throughout the past two winters, and it was pure joy to turn on the AC last summer, vs. having to lug heavy, (and noisy and energy-inefficient), window units down from the hot attic. Many people had suggested we keep a "back-up" system for cold days, but with our two heat pumps that has not been necessary. After a severe cold spell two winters ago when the temperature dipped below -10 degrees for two nights in a row and we stayed warm, we removed our furnace, oil tank and radiators. (This required us to replace our oil-powered hot water heater with a heat-pump hot water heater. Abode again assisted us, and we decided on a 55-gallon Bradford White model; we've been very pleased with its performance.) A side benefit of removing the radiators was freeing up lots of floor space in our home. This made a big difference in every room, but especially in our dining room and in a narrow passageway. Finally, the cost savings have been even more dramatic than we had planned. Our energy bills are coming in at less than half of what we have been paying, thanks in part to Wellesley's favorable electric rates, and the high cost of oil. We also realized further savings by discontinuing the insurances on the oil tank, the annual furnace maintenance, and annual chimney cleaning. Abode also assisted us in claiming $10,000 in rebates. Suffice it to say it was a good installation experience all around thanks to the Town, Abode, and Endless Energy, and it's been a great fossil-free solution for heating and hot water, with the added bonus of air conditioning, for our historic home. If you missed the “Clean Heating and Cooling for Your Home” webinar, here are the webinar slides and the webinar recording. If you are considering home weatherization, heat pumps, electric vehicles, watch the recording. If you want some coaching, reach out to a Wellesley Energy Coach at no cost.
During the webinar, they shared information about no-cost home energy audits as well as the financial incentives for electrification. Learn more about residential climate action, why it’s important, and what advisory services and financial support are available to you. SAVE THE DATE(S): May 8 and May 9
Two Lawn Care Events to Inspire a Shift to Cleaner, Greener Landscaping On May 8 from 10-1 p.m., landscape professionals are invited to join Quiet Communities Founder Jamie Banks, an environmental health scientist, and American Green Zone Alliance (AGZA) President Dan Mabe at Cary Memorial Hall, 1605 Massachusetts Ave, in Lexington, for education, a discussion about the economics, and a demo of the latest equipment. Lunch will be served. Look for more details, including an announcement about an equipment giveaway very soon. And on May 9 from 7-8:30 p.m., join residents of Wellesley and Lexington via Zoom for a panel discussion to learn about why transitioning away from harmful landscaping practices that routinely include loud, polluting fossil fuel-powered equipment is urgent. The conversation will include ways communities nationwide are insisting on change and working with landscape contractors to support a shift to electric equipment and a chemical-free approach that is healthier for children, pets, and equipment operators. Hear success stories from other communities, understand the challenges and the benefits from a landscape professional's point of view, learn about the full extent of the impacts of noise and related pollution on public health and the environment, and much more. Stay tuned for more details. Questions? Reach out to rsvp@quietcommunities.org. This beautiful, net zero, Wellesley home will be featured in New England Home magazine as well as discussed at their Discreetly Green Event on April 24th from 5:30 - 8:00pm, North Bennet Street School (150 North Street Boston). This event is free; simply RSVP here.
You are invited to hear from a team of designers about their collaboration on this home that is not only a model of energy efficiency, it's traditional architectural elements blend nicely into the neighborhood. Learn about their building techniques and products which deliver both style and comfort. Speakers include J.B. Clancy of ART Architects, Leslie Fine of Leslie Fine Interiors, and Mathew Roth of Hawthorn Builders and it will be moderated by New England Home's Jenna Talbott. Kudos to Wellesley Town Meeting Members for voting in support of Article 8, the Omnibus Budget & Capital (FY25), which included funding a Transportation Manager.
Town Meeting Members will soon be asked to vote on three motions under Article 40 that will amend the zoning bi-law to adhere to the State's MBTA Communities Act. This State law requires that each town with access to Massachusetts transit create zones near public transportation where multifamily housing can be built by right. Please consider reaching out to your Town Meeting Members to let them know that you would like them to support all motions under Article 40 as it is supports Wellesley’s climate action goals. Not only will this law help combat the housing crisis in Massachusetts, it encourages denser housing, which reduces utility use, preserves open space, and uses fewer resources during construction. In addition, it decreases greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution by promoting the reduction of car use through walking, public transportation, and local shopping. Finally, it will also allow our town's workforce to live closer to town, also helping to lower our emissions. Here is a list of Town Meeting Members. Scroll down to your precinct (find it here). If you want their contact information, please email Town Clerk KC Kato at kckato@wellesleyma.gov. Thank you for reaching out to them to let them know this is important to you and you would like them to vote yes on Article 40. The new Hunnewell Elementary School opened to students on Feb. 26, 2024. Sustainable and high-performance, the school building optimizes the comfort, health, and beauty of the school environment to support students, teachers, and staff. The all-electric, net zero ready school helps meet Wellesley’s town-wide greenhouse gas emissions reduction goal of net zero emissions by 2050. The new Hunnewell School design energy use intensity of 27 KBTU per square foot per year is five times more energy efficient than the previous school building. Plans are underway for Wellesley Municipal Light Plant (WMLP) to install solar panels on the roof to further enhance the new building’s sustainability.
Hunnewell School sustainability features include:
The Hunnewell School is an exemplar for future municipal, commercial, and institutional buildings and for residential climate action. Get a video tour here and come see for yourself on May 18th from 11-2 when they are offering community tours. Commercial and institutional property owners are invited to participate in the Town’s Building Energy Roundtable. Contact ClimateAction@wellesleyma.gov for more information. Are you a Wellesley resident interested in creating a healthier, more comfortable, sustainable home that reduces your greenhouse gas emissions? The Town’s Energy Coaches are here to help you! Read more at this link. As homeowners replace old furnaces and appliances or add air conditioning, they have a great opportunity to improve energy efficiency, electrify their homes, and power with renewable energy. Substantial tax credits and rebates are available. Awareness Campaigns Emphasize Weatherization, Electrification of Home Heating and Cooling, and Sustainable Transportation
The state of Massachusetts and the town of Wellesley have a shared vision for combating climate change. Both recently launched campaigns aimed at empowering individuals through specific actions. The state of Massachusetts’ "Climate Action for All of Us" and the Town of Wellesley’s "Be Part of It!" campaigns recommend these actions:
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