Useful Links

Town of Becket Related Information and Resources

General Resources and Incentive Programs

  • Mass Clean Energy Center – MassCEC acts as a connector between established and startup clean energy companies, investors, strategic corporate partners and large energy users in Massachusetts and supports local incubators, business accelerator competitions, job training, networking events and provides seed investments for technology companies. This link takes you to their “Clean Energy for Residential” site.
  • Center for EcoTechnology – The Center for EcoTechnology (CET) helps people carry out their daily activities with less environmental impact by providing practical solutions that save energy, materials and money and have a positive impact on our environment and community. The company serves residents, business and communities in the areas of energy efficiency and green building, green homes and businesses, and through its retail store – EcoBuilding Bargains. CET is a 35-year-old non-profit organization with offices in Pittsfield, Northampton and Springfield, Massachusetts.
  • Energy and Environmental Affairs – Frequently asked questions for residents regarding ability to choose an alternative supplier to WMECO.
  • Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources – state agency focused on funding and development of improved energy efficiency and clean energy resources.
  • Eversource EnergyWise – local utility website focused on energy saving tips and renewable energy information.
  • Mass Save Incentive Programs – The sponsors of Mass Save work closely with the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources to provide a wide range of services, incentives, trainings, and information promoting energy efficiency that help residents and businesses manage energy use and related costs.
  • Solar II Rebate Program – state program that involves the distribution of rebates for solar PV systems connected to the grid. The program provides rebates on a “first-come, first-serve” basis for any residential and commercial projects up to 15kW in capacity.
  • Net Metering – Eversource description of state net metering program with access to tariff  information and an application.
  • DOE Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency – Federal database describing all state renewable energy and energy efficiency incentives.

Energy Efficiency

  • Eversource Residential Program – local utility website focused on their residential energy efficiency programs.
  • Western Mass Saves – free tool to monitor monthly energy use and a rewards program for those who reduce their energy use.
  • HomeMPG – energy saving initiative within the Mass Save® Home Energy Services Program. This community-based initiative uses one simple number, called an “Energy Performance Score” (EPS), to define a home’s energy performance level.
  • Energy Saver – Federal government sponsored website that provides resources to understanding energy usage and ways to improve efficiencies and overall cost.

Renewable Energy Resources

Solar Electric (PV):

  • MassCEC Solar Electric Site – resource for solar electric in general and solar PV energy in Massachusetts.
  • MassCEC Solar Installer Resource – resource providing guidance in the selection of a solar installer as well a list of solar projects that have been built as part of the MassCEC rebate programs.
  • EnergySage – provides quotes from multiple qualified solar installers, calculates the financial metrics and provides ability to compare quotes free of charge.

Solar Hot Water:

Wind:

  • US DOE Small Scale Wind – Wind Powering America, as part of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), produced Small Wind Electric Systems Consumer's Guides to help homeowners, ranchers, and small businesses decide if wind energy will work for them.
  • US DOE Market Report on Wind Technologies in Distributed Applications – Federal government sponsored report focused on a review of the overall market for small, medium-scale and utility-scale applications of wind energy systems in the context of distributed systems - systems connected on the customer side of the meter or directly to a local grid to support grid operations or offset large loads.
  • National Renewable Energy Laboratory Small Wind Testing – in order to assist the small wind industry and provide consumers with more certified small wind turbine systems, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and the U.S. Department of Energy (NREL/DOE) launched this independent testing project in 2007.

Geothermal:

  • US DOE Geothermal Program – Geothermal Technologies Office (GTO) that works in partnership with industry, academia, and DOE's national laboratories to establish geothermal energy as an economically competitive contributor to the U.S. energy supply.
  • New England Geothermal Professional Association – regional non-profit association advocating for the development of geothermal systems as a dependable, cost-effective, renewable resource for New England. It is a group of individuals and companies representing all disciplines involved in the geothermal value chain.

Small Scale Hydro:

Green Communities

  • Green Communities Act – state Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs review of the objectives of the Green Communities Act.
  • MassCEC Community Energy Strategies Program – represents one of the best sites for those interested in installing solar electric or solar thermal in the home or business. The CESP provides local residents and businesses an opportunity to work with municipal leaders to identify and enable new energy efficiency, renewable energy and renewable heating cooling projects and programs. Through this process, the expectation is that participating Green Community Act communities can create clean energy road maps that outline the mix of projects best suited to address local interests, needs and opportunities for clean energy development.

Municipalization and Microgrids

  • Municipalization – American Public Power Association review of the process, pros and cons of creating a municipal power utility.
  • Microgrid Institute – Microgrid Institute is a collaborative organization that focuses on key issues affecting microgrids and distributed energy resources (DER) around the world. Its efforts address market development and analysis, regulatory and financial models, and project feasibility and structuring.