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 | | 波士頓市長吳弭宣佈能源新政策。(臉舒截圖) |
BOSTON
- Thursday, March 16, 2023 - Today, Mayor Michelle Wu visited the Brian
Honan Apartments in Allston-Brighton to announce the City’s intention to
adopt a new, green building code that will strengthen energy efficiency
requirements for new construction in Boston. To achieve this, Mayor Wu will
file an ordinance with the Boston City Council to adopt the State
Department of Energy Resources’ Municipal Opt-in Specialized Stretch Energy
Code, a transformative green update that will further reduce climate-polluting
emissions in buildings in municipalities that have adopted the code across
the state. Additionally, Mayor Wu announced the new Large Building Green
Energy Retrofits Program administered by the Mayor’s Office of Housing, a
grant program supported by $10 million of the American Rescue Plan Act
(ARPA) funding to be used to foster energy performance improvements for
affordable housing developments. This program will significantly reduce the
energy consumption and carbon footprint of Boston’s existing affordable
housing. Together, these efforts will further the City’s work to increase
energy efficiency, reduce greenhouse gas emissions from buildings,
transition away from fossil fuels, and support the City’s carbon neutrality
goals.
"Building
a Green New Deal city means improving on our existing infrastructure as
well as investing in future resilient development," said Mayor
Michelle Wu. "This new green building code will help ensure that
we set the foundation for healthy, resilient growth throughout our
neighborhoods.”
“Our
focus is taking decisive action now to support our climate, advance justice
and bolster livability throughout the City of Boston for all of our
residents. To advance Boston's Green New Deal, we are tackling building
decarbonization from all different angles, using all of the tools at our
disposal,” said Green New Deal Director Oliver Sellers-Garcia. “By
both adapting existing buildings and setting new energy standards for new
buildings, we are taking an all of government approach to reducing
emissions in more buildings to ensure our climate’s health and our city’s
quality of life.”
Municipal Opt-in Specialized Stretch Energy Code
The
Specialized Stretch Code was created along with an updated Stretch Energy
Code in December 2022. The stretch energy code applies to nearly 300 Green
Communities in Massachusetts, including Boston, and sets energy efficiency
requirements for new construction and major renovations. The new, updated
Stretch Energy code requires energy conservation measures to reduce heating
and cooling demand. It creates a strong standard to ensure buildings are
more resilient to power outages while enabling efficiency, electrification,
and affordability.
In
Boston, 70 percent of greenhouse gas emissions come from the building
sector. The impacts of these emissions contribute to global climate change
and local air pollution that disproportionately impacts low-income
residents and communities of color in Boston. The updated energy code will
deliver the long-term benefits of improved air quality, lower energy costs,
reduced carbon emissions, and enhanced thermal comfort to residents.
Research shows there is little-to-no cost increase for building efficient
and fossil fuel-free multifamily housing.
“The
adoption of the state’s Specialized Stretch Energy Code is an important
part of Boston’s work to decarbonize our buildings and reduce our carbon
footprint,” said Reverend Mariama White-Hammond, Chief of Environment,
Energy and Open Space. “I’m grateful to be a part of a Green New Deal
City where we prioritize affordable housing in our decarbonization
work.”
The
specialized code expands upon the current policy by requiring mixed-fuel
buildings, or those using fossil fuels, to add wiring for future conversion
to electrification and to install solar. The specialized code will result
in most new buildings adhering to a highly efficient, all-electric
standard. The specialized code includes three pathways to comply,
including:
·
Zero
Energy: All stretch code efficiency requirements are to be met, and on-site
renewable energy generation is equal to or greater than the building’s
annual energy use. Any fossil fuel use must be pre-wired for
electrification.
·
All-Electric:
This pathway requires all stretch code efficiency requirements to be met
and for the property to utilize no fossil fuels, except for backup
generators, on-site vehicles, or outdoor equipment fueling.
·
Mixed-fuel:
Gas or fossil fuels are allowed if all stretch code efficiency requirements
are met and the building is pre-wired for electrification. On-site solar
must also be added to the property where feasible. New homes over 4,000 sq.
ft. cannot use this option.
·
If
approved by the City Council all multifamily housing over 12,000 sq. ft.
must achieve Passive House certification in addition to meeting one of the
above pathways beginning in January 2024.
“Requiring
new construction and major renovations to maximize energy efficiency will
get us closer to electrifying affordably and make our buildings more
resilient,” said Councilor Kendra Lara, Chair of the Committee on
Environmental Justice, Resiliency, and Parks. “This is a critical step
in meeting our decarbonization goals and protecting our most vulnerable
communities from the impacts of climate change.”
The
specialized code is a critical foundation for other City building
decarbonization policies by requiring new construction and buildings
undergoing major renovations to be as efficient as possible. The City is
already leading by example in its construction initiatives, adopting a
fossil fuel-free standard for new municipal buildings and holding
City-funded affordable housing developments to a zero emissions standard.
The City is also continuing community engagement around regulations
development for the Building Emissions Reduction and Disclosure Ordinance
(BERDO), which requires existing mid- to large-sized buildings to reduce
their emissions gradually to net-zero by 2050. Additionally, last summer
Mayor Wu filed legislation to give Boston the local option to set building
standards eliminating the use of fossil fuels for new developments and
major renovations in Boston with the goal of participating in a
10-municipality pilot program administered by the Massachusetts Department
of Energy Resources.
Affordable housing green retrofits
While
adopting the new greener specialized code creates a strong baseline for new
buildings to be energy efficient, the City of Boston is also being
intentional about supporting existing properties to bolster energy efficiency
through retrofits. To support this work, Mayor Wu announced the Mayor’s
Office of Housing’s new Large Building Green Energy Retrofits Program that
will provide up to $50,000 per unit for deep energy retrofits for
income-restricted buildings with 15 or more units in Boston. In
coordination with the launch of this program, the Mayor’s Office of Housing
is also offering up to $10,000 in technical assistance grants to support
building owners in learning about their building’s energy use, and laying out
a roadmap to achieving a deep energy retrofit of their building and BERDO
compliance. More information about technical assistance grants can be found
here.
Residential
buildings are responsible for approximately 50% of greenhouse gas emissions
from buildings in Boston, and improving their energy efficiency can help to
reduce these emissions and mitigate climate change. Energy-efficient
buildings help to lower energy costs for tenants and affordable housing
operators, improve indoor air quality, and create more comfortable and
healthy living environments for Boston residents.
"The
new Large Building Green Energy Retrofits Program is a comprehensive effort
to improve the energy efficiency and environmental sustainability of
existing affordable housing in the City of Boston,” said Chief of
Housing, Sheila Dillon. “By investing in green energy retrofits in
income-restricted housing, we are creating a more sustainable and resilient
city. The changes this program will fund will reduce greenhouse gas
emissions, contribute to a cleaner, healthier city and will advance
Boston's goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.”
There
are a variety of green energy retrofits possible for income-restricted
housing developments in Boston, accounting for the building's age,
condition, and usage. Standard retrofitting measures include:
·
Installing
energy-efficient lighting and appliances
·
Upgrading
insulation and weatherization to prevent heat loss
·
Replacing
outdated heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems with
more efficient models
·
Installing
solar panels or other renewable energy sources
·
Upgrading
windows and doors to be more energy-efficient
“We
cannot have a green Boston without greening our existing large buildings,
and we especially need healthy, energy-efficient housing for our affordable
housing residents,” said Councilor Kenzie Bok, Chair of the Committee on
Boston’s Covid-19 Recovery. “I am proud that the Council and the Mayor
were able to dedicate this $10 million in federal recovery funds to
improving energy performance in affordable housing specifically. With these
funds, we will put our low-income residents at the front of the green
revolution and create a blueprint for affordable green retrofits that we
then hope to use as a model citywide.”
“I
am delighted that a much needed infusion of cash will protect the infrastructure
and reduce energy consumption in the Brian Honan Apartments,” said Councilor
Liz Breadon. “Residents in my district and throughout Boston are
calling for improved air quality and innovative solutions to climate
change. My thanks to the Wu administration and my Council colleagues who
persistently advocate for healthy affordable housing in our city.”
“Allston
Brighton CDC is pleased to be an early recipient of the Large Building
Green Energy Retrofits Program to help us preserve and enhance the Brian J.
Honan Apartments in Allston. Our team has committed to pursuing green
technologies at our properties to not only reduce the environmental impact
of development but to create healthy and safe housing for our residents,”
said John Woods, Executive Director of the Allston Brighton Community
Development Corporation. “We would like to thank Mayor Wu and The City
Of Boston for making these new and important resources available, which
will ensure that deeply affordable housing can provide high-quality homes
to residents for generations to come.”
“Today’s
announcement marks an important step in demonstrating Boston’s climate
leadership. We need to get Boston’s buildings off of fossil fuels to meet
our climate goals and mitigate the extreme impacts of climate pollution
that disproportionately impact environmental justice communities. Electric
buildings are cost effective to construct, reduce energy costs when paired
with efficiency measures, and provide cleaner indoor and outdoor air,
improving public health and community resilience," said Michele
Brooks, Boston Lead Organizer with the Massachusetts Sierra Club.
"As we move to electrify our buildings, it’s necessary that we provide
resources to support affordable housing developments in making these
efficiency upgrades. We are pleased to celebrate the city in the
announcement of $10 million dedicated towards green energy retrofits."
The
Large Building Green Energy Retrofits Program is part of a larger $20
million initiative to embed deep energy retrofits in Boston’s existing
building stock. Over the coming months, the City will be building upon this
work with a retrofit program for smaller residential buildings as well as a
program specific to retrofitting the Boston Housing Authority. The adoption
of the specialized code, in conjunction with retrofitting affordable
housing to ensure maximized efficiency, supports a Green New Deal approach
to achieve Boston's environmental and economic justice goals. By ensuring
new and existing buildings are built as efficiently as possible, the City
of Boston will be able to mitigate emissions from the building sector,
bolstering housing affordability, and supporting the City's goals to be
carbon neutral by 2050.
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