Sustainability

Heritage Museums & Gardens recognizes the scientific fact that the climate crisis is real and urgent. Climate change requires us to boldly and urgently act to protect and preserve the natural environment comprising the landscapes of our region that are also home to wildlife and the people we love.

In response, Heritage Museums & Gardens has committed to achieving a carbon neutral future by 2040. We are achieving this through our Beacon Sustainability Project. Carbon neutrality, or net-zero emissions, means that we do not emit any greenhouse gasses that we cannot absorb back up out of the atmosphere. To do so entails protecting and conserving natural climate fighting tools such as trees and shrubs, reducing and eliminating our greenhouse gas emissions and developing operational processes that preserve and protect the environment.

Heritage Museums & Gardens (Heritage) aims

• to be a model of sustainability,
• to reduce the use of fossil fuels to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, and
• to provide public engagement in these issues through education.
• to be a beacon of sustainability and best practices in achieving carbon net zero for other organizations and individuals

To curb climate change, we need to stop emitting carbon dioxide. Toward this end, Heritage is currently conducting an in-depth planning program to identify the key issues with carbon dioxide emissions, sequestration and how to move forward to reduce emissions. This includes

• The current state of land, buildings, and systems in use, including the conservation work that (See Site Summary)
  • has been done to date
  • needs to be completed for optimal efficiency, and (See Planning Summary)
• The sequestration of carbon dioxide on site, (See Sequestration Project)
• Immediate steps that can be taken such as the installation of electric vehicle chargers and replacing gas tools,
• Analysis of energy use for the past decade to identify trends and opportunities, (See Energy Use Analysis)
• The deployment of photovoltaic energy or purchasing renewable energy from the grid, and
• Develop a strategic plan to reach goals identified in this analysis.

Just as we are doing at Heritage, you too can do a lot in your home, apartment, and workplace to move toward net-zero. How many things can you check off as done on the list below?

Check List

◊ Get a Home Energy Assessment 

The Cape Light Compact (the Compact) offers many programs to help you move to net-zero at low and no cost. Mass Save is sponsored by Cape Light Compact and offers the same programs. One essential program is a home energy assessment. The Compact offers an on-site analysis of your home; they pay for 75-100%* off the cost of recommended insulation upgrades and give you access to 0% financing for eligible improvements. This program is for renters or owners, are seasonal or year-round, single- or multi-family homes.

◊ Electrify Your Home Heating  
The Compact offers significant rebates to help residents reduce their reliance on oil and propane for home heating. Cold Climate Heat Pumps are an efficient and cost-effective alternative to existing fossil fuel heating systems.

◊ Electrify Your Water Heating 
If you currently heat your water with oil, propane, or a standard electric tank, you may be eligible for rebates to upgrade to a Heat Pump Hot Water Heater. These systems transfer heat from the surrounding air to heat the water, making them very efficient.

◊ Upgrade to Smart Thermostats
A Smart Thermostat can help you schedule temperature changes, adjust to indoor or outdoor temperatures, and can be controlled by an app on your phone. The Compact offers a $100 rebate when you make the upgrade.

◊ Purchase 100% Renewable Power from The Compact
The Compact offers residents 100% renewable energy at competitive rates. Check your next electric bill to see if the Compact is your Supplier. Want to take another step? Call the Compact at 800-381-9192 and sign-up for CLC Local Green and support New England renewable energy projects.

◊ Look for the ENERGY STAR® Appliances
Appliances receiving ENERGY STAR certification will help save you money in the long run as they require less energy to operate. Rebates are available on certified dehumidifiers, window air conditioners, electric dryers, and room air purifiers. 

◊ Install solar panels for electricity
Energy Sage is a program to assist you in purchasing solar for your home or business. They are a matchmaker of pre-screened vendors and will aggregate the vendors’ responses into a valuable document to compare one proposal to the next. They make buying solar comprehensible.

◊ Make your next car an electric vehicle
Drive Green is a program in Massachusetts that pre-negotiated pricing with vendors of EVs and help you through the purchasing process. Transportation is the largest sector of carbon dioxide emissions, and you can fix this by making your next car an electric vehicle.  Please make sure your new vehicle’s manufacturer uses ethically obtained materials.

Cape Light Compact:  www.CapeLightCompact.org – 800-797-6699

Energy Sage: www.energysage.com – 888-838-4638

Drive Green: www.greenenergyconsumers.org/drivegreen – 617-524-0776

 Information brought to you by Heritage Museums and Gardens and a Cape Light Compact partnership.