Project Partners Visit Hano Homes to Learn About Deep Energy Retrofits

On Wednesday November 20, ABCDC gathered a group of project partners, funders, City and State officials to visit Hano Homes to learn more about the exciting Deep Energy Retrofit (DER) at this property.

We were pleased to welcome Dan Lesser (Chief of Staff at Mayor’s Office of Housing), Benjamin Silverman (Residential Program Manager, Energy Efficiency Division at Department of Energy Resources), and Lauren Baumann (Director of Sustainability and Climate Initiatives at Massachusetts Housing Partnership) to speak about these exciting green energy upgrades and the commitment from organizations across the Commonwealth towards decarbonization.

This event also included a tour of the property spread across multiple distinct stations to highlight the exciting green energy upgrades at the site including the Exterior Envelope, Unit Interior, Mechanicals, and Phasing, Process, and Scheduling. These stations offered different insights into the process of DERs to help demystify this type of project, to educate our partners on the importance of this work, and to encourage other housing developers to pursue these types of upgrades.

“The DER at Hano Homes is a testament to the powerful partnerships and forward-thinking leadership driving Boston’s efforts to decarbonize residential buildings,” said Dan Lesser, Chief of Staff for Boston’s Office of Housing. “This project not only transforms Hano Homes into a healthier, more energy-efficient place to live but also sets a strong example for how affordable housing can make significant strides toward sustainability. Together with partners across the city and state, we are working to ensure that Boston’s commitment to decarbonization leaves a lasting positive impact on our neighborhoods and benefits residents for generations to come.”

This DER will fully decarbonize the building through a new, high-performance envelope incorporating carbon storing materials, full electrification of heating, cooling, fresh air, and domestic hot water systems, and on-site solar PV. These upgrades are projected to achieve over a 70% reduction in energy use.

“Allston Brighton CDC is setting an example for affordable housing owners by making building decarbonization central to its mission—eliminating fossil fuels, enhancing climate resilience, and improving living conditions,” said Eva Rosebloom, Manager of Carbon-Free Buildings at RMI.

“With an entirely new building envelope and these all-electric systems, folks should feel comfortable in all seasons,” remarked ABCDC’s Director of Real Estate, Caitlin Robillard. Through this project, ABCDC hopes to act as a model to show how medium-sized affordable housing projects can achieve significant energy and emissions reductions. This is part of our larger effort to decarbonize ABCDC’s entire affordable housing portfolio by 2040.

“Thanks to Allson Brighton CDC, we have been given the unique opportunity to understand what a Deep Energy Retrofit looks like from inside the construction process,” says Massachusetts Housing Partnership (MHP) Director of Sustainability and Climate Initiatives Lauren Baumann. “Our hope is that attendees will leave this event with a deeper appreciation of the importance of retrofitting our existing affordable housing for sustainability and resilience, as well as a more comprehensive understanding of the materials, systems, and resources that are available now to be deployed to achieve those outcomes.”

This project is being made possible by a number of funding sources including Eastern Bank, Massachusetts Housing Partnership (MHP), MassSave, Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC), Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER), Low-Income Energy Affordability Network (LEAN), Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC), City of Boston Mayor’s Office of Housing (MOH), MassHousing, Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) Massachusetts, and Liberty Mutual Foundation.