The Environmental Stewardship Plan

24 Questions: This sheet provides 6 questions in each of 4 key energy usage areas to help you begin to understand where you can get the biggest energy reductions for the least effort.

Monitor energy use, cost, and impact. Download and complete MassIPL’s Utility Use & Cost Excel spreadsheet. You can find instructions here. Use it to identify and prioritize your biggest carbon reduction and energy-saving opportunities.

NEW -- Establish An Efficiency Budget Line. This brief describes how to create a self-funding budget line for investments in actions that will reduce energy and water use and costs, then use those savings to fund future investments.

Energy Actions

Five Fast Fixes: Easy, low-cost steps you can take without hiring a professional that will cumulatively make a noticeable impact on your energy usage.

25 Steps under $25 to Save Energy: 25 Easy do-it-yourself actions to lower your energy use and carbon pollution at home.

Financing Solar Panels: This brief provides an introduction to installing solar photovoltaic panels via the most common finance options available: purchase, lease, or power purchase agreement. The article provides guidelines around the payback for each option and describes incentives available.

Green Electricity: A consumers guide to comparing "green" electricity offerings. Which has more renewables?  Why funding new sources works to your advantage and more.

Home Energy Audit: How to prepare for – and use the information from – an energy audit at your home.

Technical Briefs

LED Lighting: LED lighting is ready for prime time. Learn how to choose LED's and their advantages compared to incandescent and halogen bulbs. Download the Light Bulb Inventory Calculation worksheet to see how much you can save.

Programmable Thermostats: A simple, effective way to reduce heating costs.

CFL Recycling: Guidance on how to dispose those CFL bulbs in an environmentally safe way when they (eventually) wear out.

Appliances: Tips on how and when to replace old, inefficient appliances to save energy and money.

Boilers and Furnaces: A comprehensive overview of different types of heating equipment with guidance on making the right choice for you.

On-Demand Hot Water Heaters: Learn about these systems long-used in Europe to reduce the energy used in heating water by up to 40%.

Heat Pumps: Recent efficiency improvements make air source heat pumps an excellent choice when it comes time to replace a boiler or furnace. Learn what heat pumps are and how their cost and carbon footprint compare to heating with oil or gas.

Interior Storm Windows: Step-by-step instructions on adding storm windows where replacing a window is impossible, impractical or expensive.

Passive Solar Heating: A primer on the concept of using the free energy of the sun through simple building design and planning.

Vending Miser: If you have vending machines dispensing drinks or snacks, learn about this gadget to reduce their energy consumption and how to get a utility company rebate.

Biodiesel: Learn about this environmentally-friendly substitute for petroleum-based heating oil.

Solar: Learn the key characteristics of solar photovoltaic systems.

Wind Power: Learn the key characteristics of wind turbines.

Issue Briefings

Carbon Offsetting: What are they and how do they contribute to reducing climate change?

Other Environmental Stewardship choices

Recycling: One of the mainstays of reducing your environmental impact! Learn the many materials and programs.

Green Trash Bags: This overview of new biodegradable plastic bags shows how they help reduce litter and gives tips on choosing the best bags.

Carpet: Tips on how to buy and recycle carpets, conserving resources by keeping carpets out of landfills and reducing the amount of carpets produced every year. Includes health tips.

Paint: Learn how to get the most benefits with the least environmental impact from your painting projects.

Wood Fencing: Learn how to get a fence that is as environmentally friendly as it is attractive and functional.

Special thanks to our prolific, inspiring and super-industrious former interns Andrew Siliski and Russell Foxworthy for their contribution to these reports!