November 17, 2008
Seven months after kicking off the Marshfield Energy Challenge, NSTAR is halfway toward its goal of conducting 1,200 residential energy audits in the town. Rolled out in April of this year and scheduled to conclude in August, 2009, the Marshfield Energy Challenge is a first-of-its-kind program designed to meet growing energy demand by combining targeted energy efficiency efforts with small renewable generation and demand response systems.
“The enthusiastic support of our customers in Marshfield has helped us to reach the milestone of completing 600 energy audits in a very short time,” said Penni Conner, NSTAR’s Vice President of Customer Care. “It’s clear that our neighbors throughout the town understand the environmental and financial benefits of participating in the Marshfield Energy Challenge.”
Through the Marshfield Energy Challenge, NSTAR is using a holistic approach to provide enhanced energy efficiency services with the goal of reducing overall energy usage in the town. Taking part in a comprehensive energy audit is the first step in receiving energy-saving upgrades through the program. The Challenge is also supporting the installation of solar panels at a reduced cost and the use of direct-load-control thermostats to help manage the peak demand for electricity on hot summer days. The $4 million initiative is co-sponsored by the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative and aims to achieve zero electrical load growth in the town.
NSTAR is the largest
Massachusetts-based, investor-owned electric and gas
utility. The company transmits and delivers electricity
and natural gas to 1.4 million customers in Eastern and
Central Massachusetts, including more than one million
electric customers in 81 communities and 300,000 gas
customers in 51 communities.
