July 28, 2021 by Carol Britton Meyer
The Town of Hingham is wrapping up its first round of Green Communities projects.
Hingham was designated a Green Community by the state Department of Energy Resources in 2019. Along with that good news came an Initial Designation Grant of $142,000.
"With [those funds] we were able to do three projects," Asst. Town Administrator Michelle Monsegur reported to the Select Board Tuesday night. Two of them involved installing variable frequency drives (VFDs) and new motors at South Elementary School and the Broad Cove Sewer Pumping Station, which are expected to reduce electricity use and costs at those two locations. VFDs are useful when slower motor speeds can provide energy savings.
The third project enhanced the energy management system at Hingham High School to include demand control ventilation for the building’s common areas, which Monsegur said should allow for more efficient indoor temperature control.
"The state-mandated goal of the Green Communities program is to reduce municipal energy use by at least 20 percent over five years," she said.
The goal is to close out the three projects with the state over the next month, which will allow the town to apply for the next Green Communities Competitive Grant this fall.
"I’d like to thank the School Department, DPW, and the Energy Action Committee for their help in making the Green Communities program successful thus far," Monsegur said.
Select Board Chair Joseph Fisher emphasized that when considering the purchase of new equipment and vehicles in the future, high priority will be given to exploring energy-efficient options.