About three-fourths of Boston's greenhouse gas emissions come from heating, cooling, and providing electricity to buildings - homes, schools, stores, offices, hospitals. We are cutting energy use in Boston's buildings by:

• Requiring that all new municipal buildings and City-funded housing meet higher standards of energy use and conservation



• Renovating existing municipal buildings and improving operations



• Establishing green building zoning requirements for large private developments



• Creating the Boston Energy Alliance and Solar Boston, two initiatives to increase energy efficiency and renewable energy citywide



• Compiling energy-saving tips and other resources for residents

The City will obtain LEED Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council for new construction and major renovations; planning for the first new municipal buildings under this requirement is underway. In addition, the City is aggressively examining its existing buildings to capture opportunities to improve their efficiency and to determine the feasibility of installing solar, wind, bio-energy, combined heat and power, and green roof installations.

Linking sustainability and affordable housing, the Boston Department of Neighborhood Development is using a $2,000,000 grant from the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative to incorporate renewable energy, energy efficiency, green design, and healthy homes construction practices into affordable housing projects, with a particular focus of providing solar power for 200 residential units. The Boston Housing Authority is incorporating LEED standards and Energy Star products into its projects.