Belmont Needs School Roof Solar Panels

 March/April 2023, Newsletter, Solar Power  Comments Off on Belmont Needs School Roof Solar Panels
Mar 012023
 
Belmont Needs School Roof Solar Panels

By Brian Iler Photovoltaic solar panels (PVs) have been planned for the new Belmont Middle and High School (BMHS) since early designs for the project were presented in 2017. PV is integral to achieving this building’s Zero Net Energy goal. And to many in Belmont, Zero Net Energy was a big factor when deciding whether to vote for a hefty tax increase to fund this colossal project in 2018.  Since this vote, the funds reserved for PVs have been on the chopping block three times to offset project cost overruns. Public outcry—with advocates crowding into Belmont Middle and High School [READ MORE]

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Could Town Buildings Generate Solar Power?

 Climate Change, Environment, January/February 2023, Newsletter, Solar Power  Comments Off on Could Town Buildings Generate Solar Power?
Jan 032023
 
Could Town Buildings Generate Solar Power?

By Aditya Jain and Vincent Stanton, Jr. Imagine a project that would produce a new recurring revenue stream for Belmont without any upfront cost, utilizing only town-owned land and buildings, while lowering electricity costs and helping the town achieve its green energy goals. That could be the payoff for installing photovoltaic (PV) panels on town properties. Suitable town-owned sites include non-historic buildings with large flat rooftops, parking lots, and open ground including the former incinerator site along Concord Avenue. Adding PV arrays on privately owned rooftops and parking lots could significantly expand the network of arrays and improve the economics. [READ MORE]

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Belmont Goes Electric! Will You?

 November 2022, Solar Power  Comments Off on Belmont Goes Electric! Will You?
Oct 272022
 
Belmont Goes Electric! Will You?

By Claire Hlotyak I had the chance to attend the Belmont Goes Electric Home & Garden Event in September. Presented by Belmont Light, the Belmont Energy Committee, and Sustainable Belmont, this event showcased options including electric vehicles, heat pump systems, and native plant gardens, and the Stihl company presented battery-operated yard equipment.  I spoke with a few members of Healthy Lawns Belmont about the importance of biodiversity in our lawns and gardens. One of the main issues with lawns is that they are a monoculture, meaning there is only one type of plant in a particular area. Healthy Lawns Belmont [READ MORE]

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Could the Community Path Host a Solar Array?

 Bicycles and bike paths, Bike Paths, July-August 2022, Newsletter, Parking, Solar Power  Comments Off on Could the Community Path Host a Solar Array?
Jun 202022
 
Could the Community Path Host a Solar Array?

By Vincent Stanton, Jr. Additional material—including calculations of how much energy could be generated—is available in the full version . Below is the version which appeared in the print newsletter. – Ed. The imminent arrival of the Belmont Community Path prompts the question: what other productive uses might be devised for the Fitchburg Line corridor? One possibility is siting  a south-facing solar photovoltaic (PV) array along the tracks.  Conditions for a PV array Aspects of path layout relevant to design of a PV array include length, orientation to the sun, and the presence of a substrate to which PV panels can [READ MORE]

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Belmont Path Solar Array – Full Version

 July-August 2022, Newsletter, Solar Power  Comments Off on Belmont Path Solar Array – Full Version
Jun 202022
 
Belmont Path Solar Array - Full Version

Electrifying Belmont: Could the Community Path Anchor a PV Solar Array? By Vincent Stanton, Jr. A condensed version of this article appeared in the July//August 2022 BCF Newsletter – Ed. The settlement of Belmont was shaped by the opening of the Fitchburg Railroad in 1843. Today, 179 years later, the Fitchburg Commuter Rail Line, now owned by the MBTA, would be recognizable to a Belmont resident of 1843. Though the 19th-century stations are gone, and at-grade crossings in Belmont Center and Waverley Square were replaced in 1907 and 1952 by a bridge and a trench, respectively, the basic infrastructure (steel [READ MORE]

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Belmont Moves on Decarbonization Roadmap

 Climate Change, May/June 2022, Newsletter, Solar Power, Transit  Comments Off on Belmont Moves on Decarbonization Roadmap
May 052022
 
Belmont Moves on Decarbonization Roadmap

By Marty Bitner and James Booth In 2009, Belmont’s Town Meeting committed to reducing Belmont’s emissions of the greenhouse gasses that drive dangerous climate change. In 2019, the Belmont Energy Committee put forward the Belmont Climate Action Roadmap for achieving our town’s greenhouse gas reduction goal. The general framework laid out a two-part strategy that was strongly endorsed by a vote of Town Meeting in May 2019: Electrify everything! (adopt electric vehicles and transition to heating with electric heat pumps) Move Belmont’s electricity supply to renewable sources How are we doing with moving forward on this strategy? Vehicles We analyzed [READ MORE]

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Clean Energy Policy Needs to be Equitable

 Climate Change, Construction and Housing, Newsletter, November-December 2021, Solar Power  Comments Off on Clean Energy Policy Needs to be Equitable
Oct 292021
 
Clean Energy Policy Needs to be Equitable

By Aditya Jain As a high school intern with State Representative David Rogers’ office in the summer of 2020, I learned about the legislative process through Massachusetts Bill S9, the Climate Roadmap bill, which was signed into law in March 2021. During the summer of 2021, I researched equity in Massachusetts clean energy policies, interviewing experts in Massachusetts policies on clean energy access, technology, and workforce trends.   What is Environmental Justice? The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines environmental justice as the “fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income, [READ MORE]

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The Roadmap Climate and Clean Energy Law

 Air Quality, Climate Change, Environment, May-June 2021, Newsletter, Open Space, Solar Power  Comments Off on The Roadmap Climate and Clean Energy Law
May 042021
 
The Roadmap Climate and Clean Energy Law

   By Representative Dave M. Rogers While policy makers are confronted by a wide variety of pressing policy issues, few if any compare to the complexity and scale presented by our changing climate. Most of us are long since familiar with the worrisome data, but two recent comprehensive reports thoroughly define the challenge. The most recent National Climate Assessment, a quadrennial publication of the US Global Change Research Program, and the October 2018 report of the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) presents a wide array of troubling findings. The IPCC report concluded that limiting global temperature rise to [READ MORE]

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Energy Retrofit Keeps Saving after 10 Years

 Construction and Housing, Newsletter, November 2020, Solar Power  Comments Off on Energy Retrofit Keeps Saving after 10 Years
Nov 062020
 
Energy Retrofit Keeps Saving after 10 Years

By Will Browsberger A little over 10 years ago, my wife and I proposed to my parents that we downsize into a two-family house together and make it as energy efficient as possible. (See “Deep Energy Retrofit Shrinks Utility Bills,” Belmont Citizens Forum Newsletter, September 2010.) This is a story of four experiments. First, the living arrangement has worked out very well for all of us—we can be helpful in little ways to my parents and we feel very fortunate to see them more. Our only wish is that we had made the decision when the kids were younger. Second, [READ MORE]

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March/April 2019 Belmont Citizens Forum Newsletter & PDF

 Arts & Culture, BCF Events, Bicycles and bike paths, Bike Paths, Board of Selectmen, Environment, Historic Preservation, March/April 2019, Newsletter, Solar Power, Stormwater  Comments Off on March/April 2019 Belmont Citizens Forum Newsletter & PDF
Mar 052019
 

View or download the March/April 2019 issue as a color PDF here, or read single articles below.   Articles in this issue: Selectman Candidates Answer BCF Questions Belmont Annual Town Election to be Held Tuesday, April 2 Compiled by Mary Bradley  Each year the Belmont Citizens Forum asks candidates for selectman about issues the town will likely face in the next three years. Below are candidates Jessie Bennett, Roy Epstein, and Timothy Flood’s unedited replies to our questions about traffic, the environment, development, and other topics. Read more.   Eight Projects Recommended for Community Preservation Funds By David Kane, Stephen [READ MORE]

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