Client:
Facilities Department of the Town of Bedford, MA
Authors:
Bryndis Woods, PhD and Joshua R. Castigliego
June 2021
On behalf of the Facilities Department of the Town of Bedford, Massachusetts, Senior Researcher Bryndis Woods, PhD and Researcher Joshua R. Castigliego prepared a report outlining the Town’s climate and energy goals and how investments in Net Zero and Net Zero Ready buildings can contribute to these goals and provide additional health, comfort, cost savings, resiliency, and safety benefits. Achieving the Town’s goal of net-zero energy use in all municipal buildings by 2030 will require investments in “Net Zero” buildings—which generate at least as much renewable energy in a year as they consume—and “Net Zero Ready” buildings—which reduce building energy and fossil fuel use to the point that any remaining emissions could be offset with purchases of carbon offset credits. In this report, AEC analyzes proposed Net Zero Ready investments in Bedford High School’s heating and cooling system. We find that Net Zero Ready investments are $2.9 million more expensive than a gas-fired alternative over 20 years; every “extra” thousand dollars invested in Net Zero Ready would provide the Town with a reduction benefit of 2 metric tons of carbon dioxide over the equipment lifetime. A Net Zero Ready Bedford High School would reduce average annual emissions from the High School by 64 percent and the Town’s municipal buildings by 21 percent.