Action Items:
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Read Below about the New Opt-In Specialized Energy Code
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Attend the Public Hearing on Tues. Oct. 10th
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Contact your Town Meeting Members
This fall, Needham has the opportunity, through a Town Meeting vote, to take a huge step forward in reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the building sector. We can ensure that new construction is built for the net zero energy future, a future in which greenhouse gas emissions are greatly reduced and those that remain are offset by gases removed from the atmosphere.
Currently, 64% of greenhouse gas emissions in Needham come from our buildings. Imagine an all-electric, net zero energy future, where our buildings are powered not by fossil fuels, but by electricity that is 100% renewably sourced. At the Fall Town Meeting, on October 30, members will have the opportunity to adopt additions to our building code to move us toward that future.
Green Needham strongly supports this change to the building code. Read on to learn more about it and how you can help. We are all part of this process! We give you links below to contact your Town Meeting members and urge them to support the change.
The New Building Code Option for Greater Energy Efficiency
Beginning this year, Massachusetts municipalities have three options for the energy efficiency portion of the building code.
- The Base Energy Code, which is the least stringent option, is used by about 15% of the state’s communities.
- The Stretch Energy Code, which mandates more energy efficiency than the Base Code, is used by Needham, along with about 80% of communities in Massachusetts.
- A new code, called the Opt-In Specialized Energy Code (Specialized Code) is now available. So far it has been adopted by 21 communities – including Wellesley, Newton, Boston, Cambridge, Lexington, Concord and Arlington – representing 5% of municipalities but 22% of the state’s population. The Specialized Code adds additional requirements to what is mandated by the Stretch Code.
The New Opt-In Specialized Energy Code Gets Us Closer to Net Zero!
The Specialized Code applies only to new construction. (All renovations, additions, and alterations are covered by the Stretch Energy Code.) Homes and commercial buildings that are built today will be with us for decades, making it especially important that they be energy efficient.
Under the Specialized Code, most new buildings of any size that are all electric will not need to meet any additional requirements. Building all electric is good for the environment, because it eliminates the use of fossil fuels. It’s also good for the people who live or work in the building, because electric buildings have better air quality. Moreover, the state and federal governments are currently offering significant upfront incentives to install electric systems, meaning that all-electric construction is often less expensive than construction that includes fossil fuels. Other factors also keep construction costs competitive. For example, fossil fuel furnaces require gas lines and additional plumbing, and they cannot be used to cool a building, which results in an additional system for air conditioning being installed. All-electric heat pumps both heat and cool, replacing two systems with one.
The Specialized Code introduces new energy efficiency requirements for mixed-fuel residential and commercial buildings – that is, buildings that use fossil fuels for any space or water heating, or to power appliances.
- First, mixed-fuel buildings must pre-wire any fossil fuel systems or appliances for later conversion to electricity. While the homes may last 50 or more years, the heating and cooling systems will typically only last about 15 to 20 years, at which point, in order for the state to meet its Net Zero goals, those systems will have to be replaced with all-electric systems. That is why the Specialized Code mandates that if a new home, for example, has a propane heating system and a gas range, it must be pre-wired for a heat pump and an electric range. This requirement provides consumer protection for owners of residential and commercial buildings by making the future transition to all-electric systems simpler and less costly. Wiring is easy and inexpensive at the time of construction when the walls are not yet closed up, but difficult and expensive later.
- Second, most new mixed-fuel buildings will need to have some onsite solar power generation. The amount of solar required depends on the size of the structure, with adjustments made for shading on the building site.
Ask Your Town Meeting Members to Approve Use of the Specialized Code!
The Select Board and the Town’s Climate Action Plan Committee are strongly in favor of Needham adopting the Specialized Code. At the Fall Special Town Meeting on October 30, they will ask Town Meeting to approve this step.
Green Needham strongly endorses adoption of the Specialized Code. It is a critical step in Needham’s path to net zero emissions. The League of Women Voters of Needham and Mothers Out Front Needham also support adoption of the Specialized Code.
We urge you to ask your Town Meeting members to vote in favor of Article 15, which would adopt the Specialized Code. Needham town government has a contact form to make it easy for residents to communicate with their Town Meeting representatives. To open the contact form, click here and select your precinct from the list. If you’re not sure of your precinct, you can consult precinct maps here.
Support Adoption of the Specialized Code at a Public Hearing on October 10, 2023
The Select Board will hold a public hearing on adoption of the Specialized Code during its meeting at Town Hall on Tuesday, October 10, 2023, at approximately 6:30 p.m. Please plan to attend and show your support for this important change to our building code. If you are unable to attend in person, you can join via the Zoom link below. (If you encounter any problem you can also find the link in the 10-10-2023 Select Board agenda packet.)
Zoom Link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89068374046?pwd=UzBqaWIrNWZrSWdCQkpaZkJyd1RHQT09
Webinar ID: 890 6837 4046
Passcode: 221095
Learn more about the Specialized Code
The Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources has released a Frequently Asked Questions document with lots of information about the new code. You can find it here.
