Energy & Conservation Initiatives

Milton is seeking ways to encourage renewable energy development in our community!

Renewable energy sources provide many benefits for individuals and the community. It improves environmental quality by reducing carbon emissions and air pollution, supports local solar companies in Massachusetts, saves money on energy costs as the price continues to drop from technological developments, and improves electric grid resilience during peak demand and other stresses to the system.

Resources:

• Helpful Homeowner Energy Efficiency Guide - check out this article for how to get started on making your own home more energy efficient! 
• Clean Energy Consumer Bill of Rights - ensure a positive consumer experience by addressing important issues from IREC, the Interstate Renewable Energy Council.
• Planning for home renewable energy systems - what to think about before deciding to use renewable energy to power your home.
• State Renewable Energy Resources - state policies and EPA programs that support renewable energy.
• Getting to Zero - resources for a zero energy home.

Solar

Milton is a SolSmart Bronze community for implementing best practices to make it easier for residents and businesses to install and access solar energy. Our community's solar goals can be found in its Solar Statement, attached at the bottom of this page. For more information about the basics of solar energy, your solar options, and questions to ask solar professionals, read the Residential Consumer Guide to Solar Power and visit the Department of Energy's Homeowner's Guide to Going Solar.

Milton has a permitting checklist to streamline solar permitting and inspection processes. For more information, please contact Inspectional Services.

In all zoning districts including Residence AA, A, B, C, and D districts, solar energy systems are excluded from the measurement of a building's height. However, solar energy systems shall not exceed the height of a building by more than eight feet.

Investigate your property's solar potential by Project Sunroof website. You can also estimate the performance of potential PV projects using the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's PVWatts Calculator.

Find a solar contractor (or two) to assess your home for solar energy and provide a quote.

• Certified practitioners can be found through NABCEP.
• Visit EnergySage to learn about solar energy and submit for solar quotes from a network of pre-screened, local solar installers
• Consumer Solar Checklist - a checklist for residential consumers considering solar energy from IREC, the Interstate Renewable Energy Council.
• Solar Customer Resource Portal - various resources from SEIA, the Solar Energy Industries Association.
• Solar Owner's Manual - information for current solar homeowners to ensure they are getting the most out of their system from Solar United Neighbors.

Typically solar installations are paid for through loans or cash, with Federal and State incentives available.

Homeowner's Guide to the Federal Tax Credit for Solar Photovoltaics - learn about the federal tax credit, eligibility, and other common questions and answers from the U.S. Department of Energy.

A Homeowner's Guide to Solar Financing - learn about different financing options from CESA, the Clean Energy States Alliance.

Wind

The Town of Milton has specialty zoning that regulates the installation of wind turbines within the Town limits. Wind power is regulated under Section IV D of Milton's Zoning Bylaws (PDF). See if wind works for you.

Milton Community Electricity Aggregation

Milton Community Electricity Aggregation (CEA) is a program offered by the Town of Milton to provide new electricity supply options and more renewable energy to Milton residents and businesses.

Competitive, Stable Price

Using strategic purchasing and the purchasing power of thousands of households and businesses in the program, Milton CEA will look to provide competitive, stable rates, although savings compared to Eversource cannot be guaranteed.

Support Renewable Energy Sources

Milton Green and Milton Green 100% products include more renewable electricity (in the form of MA Class I Renewable Energy Certificates) than required by the Commonwealth. This means you can support the growth of renewable energy generation in our region.

Increased Choice and Easy Participation

The program offers three different options for electricity supply so that everyone in Milton can find an option that fits their budget and climate goals.

Milton Community Microgrid

Milton’s Planning & Engineering Staff are working to study the feasibility of developing a community microgrid in Milton that would enable us to generate and store renewable energy, transition from the main grid during peak times, and maintain power in the case of grid outages. A microgrid is defined as a group of interconnected loads and distributed energy resources within clearly defined electrical boundaries that acts as a single controllable entity with respect to the grid. Microgrids can connect and disconnect from the grid to enable them to operate in both grid-connected or in island mode. The Town of Milton’s Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Workshops identified a local microgrid system as a top priority for the Town to pursue to increase our energy resilience. The Town was awarded a grant from MAPC’s Accelerating Climate Resilience Program to study three initial project sites for a potential microgrid system: Milton Town Hall, Milton Police Headquarters, and the Winter Valley residences. By connecting critical emergency services, municipal operations, and senior affordable housing, we home to maximize the effectiveness and usefulness of this pilot program. 

You can learn more or get involved by contacting Josh Eckart-Lee, Assistant Town Planner, or Jack Turner, Environmental Coordinator.