Weston briefs builders on specialized energy code ahead of Town Meeting vote

WESTON — November 1, 2023 — Weston walks local builders through the proposed specialized opt-in energy code ahead of Town Meeting. Sustainability Coordinator Julie, Building Inspector John Field and guest builders Mark Dottie of Thoughtforms and Ryan McCarthy of Auburndale Builders explained that the code applies only to new construction and, if adopted, takes effect July 1, 2024. Mixed-fuel homes 4,000 square feet or larger would need solar PV sized to net zero plus electrification wiring; all-electric homes would match the updated stretch code. Dottie said in-house and third-party studies, including a Wentworth–MIT cost analysis, put the construction premium at "one to 3 percent," with monitored utility-cost reductions of 60 to 100 percent. Weston builder Greg Shea pressed officials on grid-upgrade costs, citing roughly $40,000 in transformer, pole and excavation work on a Wellesley project. Twenty-five Massachusetts communities have already adopted the specialized code.