Arlington Receives $200K in 'Green Grant'

Arlington will receive a grant of more than $200,000 from the Commonwealth's Green Communities Division to be used to fund various energy efficiency projects. 

The grant came after the town was able to secure "green community" status in May following a vote of Town Meeting.

In order to get the designation, Green Communities had to meet five "clean energy benchmarks":

• Adopting local zoning bylaw or ordinance that allows "as-of-right-siting" of renewable energy projects;
•  Adopting an expedited permitting process related to the as-of-right facilities;
•  Establishing a municipal energy use baseline and a program designed to reduce use by 20 percent within five years;
• Purchasing only fuel-efficient vehicles for municipal use, whenever such vehicles are commercially available and practicable; and
• Requiring all new residential construction over 3,000 sq. ft. and all new commercial and industrial real estate construction to reduce lifecycle energy costs (i.e., adoption of an energy-saving building "stretch code")

Town Meeting voted in April to adopt the state's "Stretch Code," the last hurdle Arlington had to cross in order to qualify for this designation. The code requires commercial buildings as well as additions and renovations to existing homes be more energy efficient.

The designation paved the way for grants like this $200,000 one that will fund the following projects:

• LED Streetlight Conversion – The town will begin the conversion of the current high pressure sodium streetlights to LED streetlights, which are more energy efficient and project to reduce energy consumption by up to 50 percent.
• Upgrade of Energy Management System at Hardy School – The town will receive funding to install a new "head end" on the existing energy management system at the Hardy School, which will improve energy efficiency within the building.
• Replacement of Steam Traps at Arlington High School – The town has been awarded funding to replace all faulty steam traps within Arlington High School's heating system thereby increasing the efficiency of the entire system and lowering overall energy consumption.

"I am very pleased that the town's hard work to earn designation as a Green Community has paid off with the awarding of this grant," said Town Manager Brian Sullivan over the weekend. "These funds will leverage previously approved capital funds as we continually work to reduce town energy costs through both efficiency and innovation."