Weston sustainability panel pitches Specialized Energy Code ahead of town meeting vote

WESTON — November 15, 2023 — Weston Sustainability Committee makes public case for Specialized Energy Code before Nov. 28 town meeting. Chair Nick Christman, joined by Dylan Patel of the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources, builder Mark Dowdy of ThoughtForms and architect Tom Catalano, told a recorded webinar that the bylaw would apply only to new construction beginning July 1, 2024. Mixed-fuel new homes under 4,000 square feet would need at least 4 kilowatts of rooftop solar and pre-wiring; larger mixed-fuel homes would need roughly 8 kilowatts to hit net zero. Christman said buildings drive 68 percent of Weston's emissions and cited Bedford's 85 percent approval and Lexington's 156-3 vote. Dowdy reported a 1 percent to 3 percent construction premium offset by 60 percent or greater utility savings, calling one high-performance Lincoln home a place with "not a single icicle on the building" through sub-zero cold.