My Turn: Green Energy Committee introduces “Climate Minute”

By Michael Moodie

(Editor’s note: This is an expanded version of a piece that appeared in a LincolnTalk email on November 15.)

The Lincoln Green Energy Committee (GEC) works to help residents and others reduce their greenhouse gas emissions through energy conservation and the use of appliances and vehicles powered by renewable electricity. Periodically, the GEC will issue a “Climate Minute,” a short message explaining and encouraging efforts to reduce emissions. Below is our first.

Climate Minute #1 – getting to zero

To reduce emissions from our homes (ultimately to zero), we need to conserve energy and move from fossil fuels to electric systems. Current Massachusetts and federal incentives help reduce the up-front cost of this change. Getting your home to zero emissions has three main components: (1) insulate, (2) electrify, and (3) obtain electricity from renewable sources.

1. Insulate — Tighten up the thermal envelope of your home by sealing openings, increasing insulation, and improving windows. See the MassSave site for details on rebates and loans for air sealing and insulation and for windows.

• • 75%–100% rebates on air sealing and approved insulation. A Lincoln resident had cellulose insulation blown into exterior walls at a total cost of about $3,000; after rebates she paid only $750.
  • $75 off each triple-pane window replacing a single-pane one.
  • $25,000 “HEAT” loans at 0% interest for 7 years for approved insulation and for triple-pane windows replacing single panes.

Federal incentives under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) include up to $1,200 in upfront discounts and $1,600 in tax credits for such work, depending on income. Tax credits reset each year for up to ten years. This calculator will estimate the IRA incentives available to you.

2. Electrify — Convert from fossil fuels to electric power for the major systems in your home: heating/cooling, water heating, vehicles, cooking and clothes drying. Significant financial incentives will ease the transition. HEAT loans help cover the cost of heat pumps and heat pump water heaters.

IRA incentives again include significant upfront discounts and 30% tax credits for all of the systems listed above. A family of two with $160,000 in income would qualify for over $34,000 in incentives. Consult the calculator mentioned above for more details.

“Electrify Everything in Your Home” is a free, accessible, and informative guide to thinking about and planning for this transition. This guide helps you preview the process of replacing systems and planning the transition, with an emissions-free home at the end. The authors of this book estimate that moving three systems to renewable electricity would eliminate 85% of your house/vehicle emissions (50% for cars, 25% for heating/cooling, and 10% for water heating).

Here are some links to information about heat pumps and electric vehicles on the GEC’s website:

• • “Heat Pumps 101“
  • Introductory video about heat pumps
  • Video on ground-source heat pumps
  • Electric vehicle video

3. Obtain electricity from renewable sources — Finally, you’ll need to obtain 100% renewable electricity, such as through Lincoln Green Energy Choice.

“My Turn” is a forum for readers to offer their letters to the editor or views on any subject of interest to other Lincolnites. Submissions must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Items will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Submissions containing personal attacks, errors of fact, or other inappropriate material will not be published.