Some “essential questions” to open the conversation
- What are the obstacles that business and private citizens have in reducing energy use in buildings?
- Perceptions that it costs too much upfront
- Perception that “what I do does not matter”
- Social norms have been shown to be very powerful in changing behavior. How might we create a social norm in Needham around energy efficiency?
- Ideas for reducing the upfront costs have included leveraging private and public resources.
- Could financial institutions be encouraged/incented to invest more in this area?
- Might we consider public approaches such as enabling residents to pay for improvements through their property tax bill or providing a revolving loan fund at the municipal level?
Facilitators
- Elsa Cutler, Olin College
- Harrison Smith, Needham High School
Resources
- Charles (Chip) J. Laffey – Director of Facility Operations, Town of Needham
- (781) 455-0442
- Eleanor Rosellini – Green Needham and Needham LWV
- Joanne Bissetta – Green Communities Division, Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources
- (978) 694-3315
Topical Resources
- Energy Efficiency in Massachusetts: Our First Fuel – A booklet published by Mass DoER describing the accomplishments and goals of Massachusetts’ energy efficiency policies
Breakout Group Basics