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MacLean is on the Energy Committee in Milton that is looking at ways to bring in alternative sources of energy to town. He is also a member of Sustainable Milton, which is the grassroots group that is driving home the idea of reducing our “total carbon footprint” by changing some of the ways we carry on our day-to-day activities.
“The interesting thing is that people are starting to understand now that buildings get measured like cars in terms of their efficiency,” said MacLean. “It’s miles-per-gallon in cars. It’s actually BTUs-per-square-foot in buildings.”
Here in Milton, a number of older homes are known as “Crosby-Colonials.” A buzzword in local real estate, a Crosby-built home is often a stamp of quality from the 1950s through ’70s.
One downside to some of these older homes is the fact that they are not necessarily energy-efficient, as codes were different during that era.
“These Crosbys are great. They’re built like old ships,” said MacLean, as he led a tour around his own home. “Concrete and steel, and all this space … I’ve done a lot of renovations on some of them, and they’re all sort of sound. When people say ‘I’ve got a Crosby,’ they feel kind of good about it because they know it’s not going anywhere.”
But what MacLean has found is that many of these older homes, not just the Crosbys, lack adequate insulation and have many air leaks. Part of his business has to do with analyzing clients’ homes to help them conserve as much energy as possible. And in this day and age, every little bit helps.
“One of the things I do is go in and try to see where the energy’s going. Most of these old homes don’t have insulation in the attic, and usually have big, wide open basements that are sort of un-insulated,” explained MacLean. “You can’t be going around in winter in New England without a hat and boots.”
Often, simple adjustments can be made, like the ones MacLean has made in his home. He has replaced some of the old windows in his home, or just added insulation to some that were still sound. The use of storm windows helps to add to the insulating effects. Also, checking doorjambs for air tightness, and adding weather stripping if needed can help conserve energy.
Adding more insulation to the basement walls
and installing carpeting on the concrete floor has
made a big difference in keeping his home
warmer. One of the first things he did was replace the old oil heat system with a new, cleaner burning
gas system.
New England is unique in the number of homes that are warmed by oil heat – 36 percent, as opposed to just 8 percent across the rest of the country. MacLean stressed that oil burns the dirtiest and leaves the biggest carbon footprint, meaning least kind to the environment.
Those homeowners who don’t have access to natural gas heat may be interested in biofuel
alternatives. Biofuel, or biodiesel, is a renewable
form of energy replacing diesel fuel in home heating oil. It is derived from recycled vegetable oil
and is refined before being added to home heating oil. And Massachusetts has been a leader in the call
to convert to this newer source of energy by passing
a mandate requiring all diesel and heating oil to be
2 percent biofuel by 2010, increasing to 5 percent
by 2013.
No adjustment needs to be made to an oil burning system, according to Elizabeth Warren, director of operations for Mass Biofuel, a company that deals with the new energy source in Dedham. It is actually better for your system than traditional oil because it burns cleaner and more efficiently.
“There is less soot and our technicians love to deal with homes that burn biofuel because it’s easier to clean,” she said. “And contrary to what people may think, it doesn’t smell like French fries.”
“Maybe now with this recession and the slowdown, it’s an opportunity for people to see the relationship between economy and ecology,” said MacLean.
MacLean also designs beautiful, efficient new homes in the area utilizing renewable technology, state-of-the-art heating and cooling systems like radiant heat, solar panels and attention to complying with the new Energy Star rating system.
But much of the word he wants to get out has to do with upgrading existing homes.
“We [in the United States] build about 0.2 percent a year in new construction, so the real problem is the existing buildings,” MacLean said. “In the next 30 years, that’s going to mean about 6 percent new, and 94 percent of the buildings that are here now are still going to be here. So unless we address the existing, we are not going to be solving the problem.”
For more information, visit www.timearch.com.