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Salem receives $245,624 green grant
The city this week was awarded a $245,624 state grant for various projects geared to making for a greener Salem.
Salem is one of 35 “Green Communities” to receive the funding, said Paul Marquis, energy and sustainability manager for the city.
As part of the Green Community designation, communities are eligible for annual funding to be used for energy efficiency projects, said Mark Sylvia, director of the state Green Communities Division.
The money will be used for four projects: replacing street lights with more energy efficient lamps; a home weatherization program for residents; a pilot bike-sharing program with Salem State College; and energy conservation projects, said Marquis.
About $50,000 will be used to replace approximately 225 of the city’s 564 antique, acorn-style street lights with more energy-efficient lamps, said Marquis. Additional funding will be sought through National Grid to retrofit the remaining lights, he said.
The city will partner with a Cambridge-based program to identify 40 homes in need of weatherization, said Marquis. Twenty homes will qualify under income-based guidelines while the others will most likely be chosen through a lottery system, he said. $25,000 is slated for the program.
A new $25,000 bike-sharing pilot program is set to be implemented by the spring of 2011 through a partnership with Salem State College, said Marquis. The city plans to provide bike transportation to alleviate vehicle usage between the school’s campus and downtown Salem and on the school campus, said Marquis. If successful, the bike-sharing program will be expanded to provide transportation for residents within the city and link to tourist spots, he said.
The city will spend about $145,000 to offset the costs of upcoming energy conservation projects, said Marquis.
As part of five criteria Green Communities must meet, the city has adopted a “stretch code,” which is an extension of the state’s building code with tighter standards regarding efficiency, said Marc Breslow, the state director of transportation and buildings policy. The standards for new construction and renovations will be implemented in January 2011 and will require more efficient heating, lighting, and water heating, said Breslow.
The city and Joe Green Home Solutions is sponsoring the North Shore Stretch Code Seminar from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, July 29 in the Salem State College Enterprise Center, 121 Loring Ave. The seminar is geared to builders and homeowners with details on how to comply with the new code. It is free but registration is required at www.joegreenhome.com/events.
Salem is one of 35 “Green Communities” to receive the funding, said Paul Marquis, energy and sustainability manager for the city.
As part of the Green Community designation, communities are eligible for annual funding to be used for energy efficiency projects, said Mark Sylvia, director of the state Green Communities Division.
The money will be used for four projects: replacing street lights with more energy efficient lamps; a home weatherization program for residents; a pilot bike-sharing program with Salem State College; and energy conservation projects, said Marquis.
About $50,000 will be used to replace approximately 225 of the city’s 564 antique, acorn-style street lights with more energy-efficient lamps, said Marquis. Additional funding will be sought through National Grid to retrofit the remaining lights, he said.
The city will partner with a Cambridge-based program to identify 40 homes in need of weatherization, said Marquis. Twenty homes will qualify under income-based guidelines while the others will most likely be chosen through a lottery system, he said. $25,000 is slated for the program.
A new $25,000 bike-sharing pilot program is set to be implemented by the spring of 2011 through a partnership with Salem State College, said Marquis. The city plans to provide bike transportation to alleviate vehicle usage between the school’s campus and downtown Salem and on the school campus, said Marquis. If successful, the bike-sharing program will be expanded to provide transportation for residents within the city and link to tourist spots, he said.
The city will spend about $145,000 to offset the costs of upcoming energy conservation projects, said Marquis.
As part of five criteria Green Communities must meet, the city has adopted a “stretch code,” which is an extension of the state’s building code with tighter standards regarding efficiency, said Marc Breslow, the state director of transportation and buildings policy. The standards for new construction and renovations will be implemented in January 2011 and will require more efficient heating, lighting, and water heating, said Breslow.
The city and Joe Green Home Solutions is sponsoring the North Shore Stretch Code Seminar from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, July 29 in the Salem State College Enterprise Center, 121 Loring Ave. The seminar is geared to builders and homeowners with details on how to comply with the new code. It is free but registration is required at www.joegreenhome.com/events.
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