Save the date for a Zoom webinar on Wednesday, March 8 from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. discussing the Municipal Opt-in Specialized Energy Code (Opt-in Code).
The Select Board and Climate Action Committee (CAC) are co-sponsoring an article asking Annual Town Meeting to amend the Town Bylaws to adopt the Opt-in Code. Approval of this article would help meet Wellesley's climate action goals.
Use the advance registration link to take part in the webinar. Hear from building experts and Town leaders about the Opt-in Code, along with:
- Requirements for new residential and commercial construction
- Building energy efficiency, electrification, and solar
- Technical viability
- Cost-effectiveness
- Affordable housing
- Incentives
If approved, the Opt-in Code would become the standard building energy code for new construction in Wellesley. This would benefit Wellesley because it:
- Is a necessary step toward achieving net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050, a goal shared by the State of Massachusetts and federal government.
- Encourages electrification and avoids costly retrofits by requiring new buildings that are not all-electric to prewire for future electrification.
- Offsets GHG emissions by requiring solar installation for some mixed-fuel projects (i.e., buildings with any combustion equipment designed for fossil fuel use).
Questions? Contact Wellesley Sustainability Director Marybeth Martello.