Solar Panels

Energy

Energy is a critical resource that we rely on to go about our daily activities. Unfortunately, much of our energy use and energy supply is currently unsustainable and causes climate change and environmental degradation. Innovations that allow us to use energy more efficiently and switch to cleaner, renewable fuel sources that can be stored will drastically improve the sustainability of our energy systems.

This page addresses community energy use from our homes, offices, and travel. It also addresses municipal energy use, which includes City-owned facilities, schools, and streets, as well as activities like water and wastewater pumping and solid waste pick-up. 

Gas Stove

Community Energy Use

Our Data

In 2019, residents and businesses around Cambridge used 1.65 billion kWh of electricity, 73.5 million Therms of natural gas and 3.1 million gallons of fuel oil to power, heat, and cool buildings. 

UNIT
Energy from different sources is measured in different ways – electricity is measured in kWh, natural gas in therms, oil in gallons. We can convert these different measures into a common measure- million British Thermal Units (MMBTU) -to better understand and compare total energy use.MMBTUMillion British Thermal Units
Energy from different sources is measured in different ways – electricity is measured in kWh, natural gas in therms, oil in gallons. We can convert these different measures into a common measure- million British Thermal Units (MMBTU) -to better understand and compare total energy use.MMBTUMillion British Thermal Units
Turbines at Block Island offshore wind farm

Block Island Offshore Wind Farm, Rhode Island
Credit: Ionna22 / CC BY-SA 4.0

Cambridge Community Electricity Program

The Cambridge Community Electricity Program is a City aggregation program that supports the development of local renewable energy projects. Aggregation programs allow local governments to procure power from a utility on behalf of residents and businesses. Our program offers potential for savings compared to Eversource’s Basic Service price, though savings cannot be guaranteed). The CCE is a City-vetted alternative to Eversource’s Basic Service and to other third-party electricity providers in the marketplace. 

In March of 2022, a 243 kW solar array was put on the Graham and Parks School. The system was built with funds collected from Cambridge Community Electricity program participants. Nearly 40,000 Cambridge Eversource customers already participate in the program.  Additionally, you can opt-up to receive 100% renewable electricity.

Cambridge Community Electricity Program

Municipal Energy Use

Decreasing Energy Use & Emissions

Since 2008 the City has reduced its energy use by 23%.

In addition to reducing energy use, we also switched the kind of energy we use, which reduces emissions from energy even more. For example, several municipal buildings were rebuilt to use less energy, which reduced GHG emissions.  But they also had solar installed on the roof, which produces electricity with zero GHG emissions.

Two people working on rooftop solar panels
Heat Pump Ventilation

Municipal Energy Use

How is the City Reducing Energy Use?

The City’s efforts to reduce energy use from all sectors save money and minimize our impact on the environment. Efforts include:

LED streetlight

Did You Know?

The City converted 6,578 streetlights to LED bulbs and introduced a remotely controlled, automatic dimming schedule. This reduces the electricity used in street lighting by 80%.

Learn more about the City's streetlight conversion efforts here!
Solar capacity

Solar Power Capacity

Total kW of Solar

The publicly and privately-owned solar panels throughout Cambridge generate pollution-free electricity using a source that is in endless supply - the sun. Here we are looking at solar electricity generation capacity, which is the maximum amount of electrical power that could be produced by all of the solar panels in Cambridge under perfect conditions. Solar is growing in Cambridge with over 900 individual projects and there is still a lot of untapped potential. Cambridge has established a goal to have 55 megawatts of solar by 2030. 

UNIT
A kilowatt is a measure of power, or how fast something generates or uses energy. The higher a unit’s kW, the faster it uses energy. One kilowatt equals 1,000 watts.kWKilowatt
A kilowatt is a measure of power, or how fast something generates or uses energy. The higher a unit’s kW, the faster it uses energy. One kilowatt equals 1,000 watts.kWKilowatt

Solar Power Capacity

Community-Funded Local Solar

Over 40,000 electricity accounts participate in the Cambridge Community Electricity Program. All the Cambridge Community Electricity Program participants pay a $0.002 charge on each kWh of electricity they use and their collective impact has added over $2 million dollars to our Renewable Energy Fund.  In March 2022, a new 243kW local solar project was installed on Graham and Parks School using Renewable Energy Fund money.  This solar project is collectively “owned” by all the Cambridge Community Electricity Program participants.

 All the RECs from this solar project are retired on behalf of the Community Electricity Program participants, reducing their carbon emissions.  All the solar net metering credits will be sold and the funds re-invested in the Renewable Energy Fund. The result is that each Cambridge Community Electricity Program participant helped to add more renewable electricity to the local electricity grid. The electricity produced by this new solar project will take the place of some fossil fuel-generated electricity.

Graham and Parks School

Graham and Parks School 

Drone image from Tony Akoury 

Municipal GHG

Solar Power Capacity

Solar on City Buildings

Cambridge has installed a total of 2,520 kW in solar energy capacity across 14 different city owned and operated facilities. These solar panels produce enough power to drive an electric car 7.7 million miles each year! The City has several more projects planned to be constructed over the coming years. While these solar panels provide on-site access to renewable energy the city continues to procure 100% of its electricity from renewable sources.

Person working on solar panels on a rooftop

Did You Know?

As of the end of 2022, there were over 900 public and private installations that received permits from the City of Cambridge. All these arrays have close to a combined capacity of 10 MW in electricity.

1 MW of solar energy can power 164 homes!

Check out the solar potential of your home!

Solar Power Capacity

Map

The City of Cambridge tracks the number of permitted solar installations in the city and posts them on the open data portal. These systems include solar photovoltaics and solar hot water systems. If you are interested in getting solar on your roof you can use the Project Sunroof tool developed by Google to get some initial insights, for more detailed information you should contact the Cambridge Energy Alliance. 

How You Can Help

Explore Clean Energy Options

Programs are available for residents and businesses to install solar panels on their homes or offices. If installing solar panels is not an option, you can purchase 100% renewable energy through the Cambridge Community Electricity Program, or invest in community solar!


Purchase 100% renewable energy.
Go solar through Sunny Cambridge.
Support solar without putting panels on your roof!
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How You Can Help

Reduce Energy Use in Your Own Home

There are a lot of opportunities to reduce energy use in your own home, such as switching to LED lights, adding insulation, and buying a heat pump. 


Mass Save has a lot of information on energy efficiency.
The City of Cambridge is partnering with BlocPower on a new, one-year pilot to help multifamily buildings complete upgrades that can improve indoor comfort and energy efficiency, while working towards our climate goals.
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