Ania Camargo is a board member of HEET, one of the founders and coordinators of the Gas Leaks Allies, and key leader in Mothers Out Front. Q: Why do gas leaks matter? A: There are two major reasons to pay attention to gas leaks. From an environmental perspective,…
Claire Gambrill is HEET’s Summer Energy & Environment intern In the middle of the day, the room is packed with 25 environmentalists, academics, activists, and other experts wanting to reduce methane emissions from gas leaks. The energy is excited; this group has helped pass two laws in three years. Before attending the Gas Leaks Allies…
We knew the leak was a big one. National Grid told us they thought it was a high volume gas leak. When we surveyed it using combustible gas indicators—a tool the utilities commonly use—we were amazed at how vast this leak was. The average leak saturates the surface area above it (whether it’s soil, sidewalk,…
My job involves a lot of time on the phone with solar contractors around the country, guiding them through the ins and outs of solar financing. I reckon I’ve talked with nearly 200 solar contractors over the last year and a half. Our conversations almost inevitably drift in other directions. A common tangent? American politics. Last week,…
At 8 a.m., Marsden Street in Springfield was already a sea of yellow vests and hard hats. Trouble? Not at all. The three largest utilities in Massachusetts were out in force to test the FluxBar, an innovative new tool for measuring gas leaks that Audrey Schulman and Zeyneb Magavi of HEET helped to develop. Steve…
The natural gas we use to heat our homes and businesses is sent to our buildings through pipes under the streets. These ancient pipes begin to leak over time, releasing natural gas into the atmosphere. Natural gas is primarily methane (a remarkably potent greenhouse gas). A new Harvard/Boston University study sampled the air over Boston…
Last week I attended a sales conference for nearly 50 residential solar contractors in Northern California. For three days we discussed the future of the residential solar industry, touching on subjects like the solar federal Income Tax Credit (ITC), utility price escalations, and proposed changes to Net Metering pricing schemes. Walking into the conference on…
Many nonprofits have ancient heating systems, inefficient lighting, and little insulation in the attic. These critical community centers pay high energy bills while their emissions hurt the planet. They often don’t have the time, financing, or expertise to upgrade their buildings. Enter: HEET’s Help for Energy Hogs program Starting in September of 2014, HEET performed…
HEET has three new faces on our team! Our interns are working hard at spreading the word about the Help for Hogs Small Business program in Quincy and Salem. Marc is a senior at Tufts studying International Relations and Environmental Economics. Justin is a senior at Suffolk University studying Political Science and Applied Legal Studies.…
Energy Upgrade Party at Westfield Child Center Help the Westfield Child Center lower its energy bill and become more environmentally sustainable. Meanwhile we will teach you the skills necessary to lower your energy bill and energy use at home. Make new friends while you learn the skills. Please RSVP to this exciting event!Food and drinks…