The City of Newton has been selected to participate in the 2020 HeatSmart Mass program. HeatSmart Mass is a community-based education and group purchasing program that accelerates the adoption of clean energy technologies. The programs is operated by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) in partnership with the Department of Energy Resources (DOER) and powered by local volunteers and municipal officials. In Newton, the campaign is being coordinated by a team of volunteers from Green Newton, Newton Mothers Out Front, and the Newton Node of 350 Mass, and by Ann Berwick, the City’s Co-Director of Sustainability. The City of Newton will promote air-source heat pumps for space heating and cooling, as well as heat pump water heaters.
HeatSmart Mass was launched in 2018, modeled after Solarize Mass, with a focus on promoting residential and small scale commercial clean heating and cooling. Energy used for heating contributes to over a quarter of the Commonwealth’s greenhouse gas emissions. In the average Massachusetts home, 75% of the energy used is for space and water heating. Since its launch in 2018, 13 cities and towns have participated in HeatSmart Mass resulting in 425 clean heating and cooling systems to date.