CLEAN ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES

A number of clean, efficient technologies can help Massachusetts homeowners save money on their heating, cooling, and electricity bills while protecting the environment and maintaining a high level of comfort.  These technologies include the following:

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• Clean Heating & Cooling: Air-source heat pumps (including cold-climate mini splits) and ground-source heat pumps provide efficient heating and cooling and can save money on heating and cooling costs.  They can also reduce the greenhouse gas emissions associated with heating or cooling, and provide an alternative to electric resistance heat (i.e., electric baseboard), oil, propane, or other fossil-fuel powered heating/cooling technologies.

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• Hot Water: Heat pump water heaters and solar hot water systems can reduce water heating costs and greenhouse gas emissions associated with water heating.  They provide an alternative to electric or fossil fuel (oil, natural gas, or propane) hot water systems.

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• Solar Photovoltaic (PV): Solar PV systems use sunlight to produce electricity and can save money on energy bills through reduced electric costs.  PV systems can be installed and connected to the building’s electrical system to meet on-site electricity demands.  Solar PV can be paired with energy storage to capture “excess” electricity so that it can be used at times when the PV system cannot produce enough to meet the immediate electricity needs for the home (e.g. at night.).

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• Energy Storage: Battery technology stores electricity generated from the grid or from accompanying renewable sources (e.g., solar PV systems).  The stored electricity is then available to be discharged at a later time to meet on-site electricity demands or demands from the grid. Battery storage paired with on-site solar can help ensure that electricity produced by an on-site solar PV system is fully utilized by the home/building at the site.  Battery owners can earn incentives for reducing the load on the grid during peak times by participating in an active demand management program, which allows their electric utility provider to draw energy stored in the battery during times of peak electricity demand to help balance out the electric grid and avoid the use of energy from “peaker plants.”

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• Electric Vehicles (EVs): There are a variety of different electric vehicle technologies on the market. The most common include plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEV), battery electric vehicles (BEVs), and fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV). Plug-in hybrid vehicles use both an electric motor, powered by a battery and an internal combustion engine that runs on gasoline, and can be plugged in to an electrical outlet to recharge. Battery electric vehicles use an electric motor powered by a battery, and fuel cell electric vehicles use a fuel cell, instead of a battery (or in combination with a battery or supercapacitor), to power an electric motor.

There are several programs, including programs through Mass Save, the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources, and the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) that offer incentives to help residents access clean energy technologies. In many cases, incentives from different programs can be combined to help make clean energy technologies more financially feasible.

Note: Rebate, incentive, and financing  programs are not available to all MLP customers. If you are served by an MLP, be sure to verify your eligibility for the program before applying.