HopGreen
Hopkinton Sustainable Green Committee
In the News
06-19-12 Solarize Hopkinton Announces Panel Installer - Hopkinton Patch
06-19-12 State solar program takes next step in Hopkinton - MetroWest Daily News
06-15-12 Solarize Hopkinton to Announce Installer Soon - Hopkinton Patch
06-10-12 Buy solar panels through town - Boston Globe
06-05-12 Go Green with Solarize Hopkinton - Hopkinton Patch
05-28-12 Solar panel program will help homeowners save money - MetroWest Daily News
05-18-12 Solar panel meeting slated in Hopkinton - MetroWest Daily News
05-03-12 Green Volunteers - Thank You! - Hopkinton Patch
03-20-12 Charge your electric car in Hopkinton - MetroWest Daily News
10-25-11 Student's storm runoff ideas among new Hopkinton zoning proposals - MetroWest Daily News
07-27-11 Hopkinton to be among first in state to host car charging station - MetroWest Daily News
07-25-11 Salem to receive electric vehicle charging stations from state - Boston Globe
07-22-11 Hopkinton, Newton to get electric vehicle charging stations - MetroWest Daily News
06-21-11 5 Things You Need to Known Today: June 21 - Hopkinton Patch
05-15-11 PHOTOS: Hopkinton Green-Up Day, May 7 - Hopkinton Patch
04-21-11 Take Part in Hopkinton Spring Green Up Day May 7 - Hopkinton Patch
04-19-11 Hopkinton Runners Shine Among Marathon Record-Makers - Hopkinton Patch
01-18-11 5 Things About Hopkinton - Think Green Edition - Hopkinton Patch
12-30-10 Hopkinton sets example in green program - Boston Globe
12-13-10 Towns look to grants to build electric car charging stations - MetroWest Daily News
10-18-10 Solar power assists trash compacting - coolerplanet.com
10-15-10 'Big Belly" solar trash compactors installed - Hopkinton Crier
06-07-10 7 Central Mass. Towns Go 'Green' - Worcester Business Journal
05-15-10 Hopkinton going green for the green - MetroWest Daily News
05-05-10 Hopkinton Town Meeting OKs green building requirement - MetroWest Daily News
05-02-10 Hopkinton TM to look at green building regulation - MetroWest Daily News
03-12-10 Group wants to put community farm on Hopkinton Development - MetroWest Daily News
03-11-10 Group sows plan to add organic farm to Legacy project - Boston Globe
02-22-10 Home weatherization program on Wednesday - MetroWest Daily News
11-03-09 Hopkinton shows off new solar panels - MetroWest Daily News
10-29-09 Hopkinton gets "green" grant - Hopkinton Crier
09-08-09 Towns get state help to go green - Hopkinton Crier
09-04-09 State helping region go green - Milford Daily News
07-17-09 HOPGREEN committee hopes to make town beautiful - Milford Daily News
05-02-09 Looking for a few cleanup volunteers in Hopkinton - MetroWest Daily News
05-01-09 Green group needs help cleaning Hopkinton Saturday - MetroWest Daily News
Hopkinton Receives $137,502 in Green Communities Grants - July 14, 2010
The Town of Hopkinton identified 12 energy efficiency projects in school and Town buildings and was successful in obtaining $137,502 in funding, the maximum grants available to the Town.
The grants will help the communities “go further, saving energy costs for their residents, reducing the environmental impact of municipal operations, and validating the Commonwealth’s reputation as a national clean energy leader,’’ said Ian Bowles, the state’s Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs.
The identified projects will be implemented over the next several quarters and will help to reduce capital and operating expenses in Hopkinton municipal buildings.
The Hopkinton Sustainable Green Committee, working with other Town departments, is in the process of identifying additional energy savings projects as part of the 2011 Green Communities grant program.
Hopkinton Achieves Green Communities Designation - May 26, 2010
Getting cities and towns to shift toward clean energy was such a cornerstone of the state’s 2008 energy legislation that the law is named the Green Communities Act.
Municipalities that met five clean energy goals became eligible for millions in local aid under the law. State officials had not expected many communities to qualify right away, because the rules are tough.
“These pioneers are notable not only for their commitment to a cleaner, greener Massachusetts, but also for their diversity,’’ Patrick said in a statement.
Towns and cities had to adopt local zoning bylaws to encourage and speed up permitting for renewable energy projects. They had to agree to purchase only fuel-efficient vehicles for their municipal fleet whenever possible and establish a benchmark for energy use and develop a plan to reduce baseline by 20 percent within 5 years.
And the communities had to require all new residential construction over 3,000 square feet, as well as all new commercial and industrial real estate construction, to save energy by adopting new building codes.
As a tangible symbol of obtaining Green Community Designation, Hopkinton received four Big Belly solar waste compactors, delivered in time for the summer parks and beaches season.
Hopkinton Deemed "Green Community"
Click here for more information about the Green Communities Act!
Stretch Code
April 29, 2010
“Size Up The Stretch Code”
Hopkinton- This Monday residents of Hopkinton have the opportunity to vote in an important Article at town meeting. A YES vote on Article 38 will allow the town to meet one of the five criteria to become a Green Community and therefore be eligible for a portion of the annual $10 million state grant to energy conscious communities in the state. The Board of Selectman and the Planning Board have already shown their support for the Stretch Code.
“The stretch code enhances the current building code by focusing on energy efficiencies in materials and design” said John Mosher of the Hopkinton Sustainable Green Committee (HOPGREEN). “The state will reward the town’s energy efforts by presenting grant monies that would otherwise not be available if we didn’t apply and vote this Article 38 in” said Mosher. “Grants of up to $1,000,000 will be available in the initial round of funding” he said.
The Stretch Code will provide for a 20% reduction in energy costs resulting in a 2-3 year payback. Initial costs over the 2006 code are significantly offset by rebates and initiatives.
The Stretch Code must pass at town meeting for the Green Communities Designation. This code will be MA state building code standard in 2012. If Hopkinton adopts the Stretch Code now, we can access the grant money. By acquiring the Green Communities Designation, we can apply for up to $1,000,000 annually from a $10,000,000 fund that is replenished annually from the Regional Gas Initiative.
In the designation application process Hopkinton was assigned an energy coordinator by the state MA DOER to help with the lengthy application process. “Through communication with the Green Communities Division it was learned that the state will likely adopt the stretch code as the new mandatory building code in the near future” said Mosher. “We are lucky to be able to have this opportunity to get monies for energy efficiency or renewable energy initiatives from the state during tough economic times” he said. Mosher was instrumental in the designation application process, beating the deadline on behalf of Hopkinton as the chair of the Sustainable Green Committee.
Planning for the future is especially important for Hopkinton which has relied on
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