Electricity usage throughout New England reaches its peak during summer heat waves, causing our electricity bills to spike. During periods of high demand, electric utilities typically call on more expensive “peaking” plants to provide extra power. These costs are passed onto larger, non-residential consumers through demand charges on their monthly electricity bill. Municipal buildings can save a significant sum of money if they shut off portions of their electricity during these peak periods.
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions isn’t just about installing solar panels on your roof or buying an electric car. While some actions to reduce your carbon footprint are too costly for most, saving energy is certainly something that everyone can do. There are many ways to …Continue Reading DOER Staff Picks: What We Do To Save Energy
Massachusetts cities and towns have had remarkable success executing energy projects that range from solar installations large and small to energy management systems in schools to replacing lights in buildings and on streets with efficient LED technology. Still, so many options are available that negotiating …Continue Reading Connecting Cities and Towns with the Right Energy Solutions
Congratulations to Boston Latin School, recipient of a 2014 U.S. Department of Education (USED) Green Ribbon Schools recognition award. The Green Ribbon Schools program, launched by USED in 2011, honors the highest performing schools for sustainability, health and environmental education in the U.S. This year, …Continue Reading Boston Latin School Honored for Sustainability, Health, Environmental Education
In late February I had the opportunity to attend the Toward Zero Net Energy (TZNE) Retrofit Program “Charrette” ‒ a collaborative session in which a group of designers drafts a solution to a design problem ‒ at Holyoke Community College (HCC). The purpose of this charrette …Continue Reading Toward Zero Net Energy
At the 7th Annual Massachusetts Green Schools Summit, students, teachers, legislators and energy officials came together to embrace leadership roles within their communities. DOER Commissioner Mark Sylvia emphasized that clean energy and climate literacy among the current generation of students will be crucial for Massachusetts in the future. “Set the tone, lead the way in the classroom, at home, in the community and for our future.”
Marketers are recognizing “gamification” as a way to motivate and engage people. Can games help engage the public about clean energy through content delivery, education, a sense of community, ways to encourage behaviors?
Would you adopt clean energy and act for climate change if you knew better what it is all about? At DOER, we’re exploring the links between literacy and action with the goal of developing a new program for schools and communities. Passionate about science education …Continue Reading Can Clean Energy Literacy Drive Action?
Some food for thought: “Preparing our children to be good environmental citizens is some of the most important work any of us can do . . . and (can) quite literally sustain our world.” – U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan. From a voice a little closer …Continue Reading Your Turn to Shine: Energy & Environmental Education Awards
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