Boston Housing Authority – Michael Brod – 2014

Goals 

Michael Brod was hired to help the Boston Housing Authority earn new revenue for energy projects and quantify the utility savings in its green buildings.

Solutions

Brod’s first project sought to jump-start BHA’s procurement process for net metering credits. Under Massachusetts Net Metering Credit law, BHA can purchase net metering credits from renewable energy facilities at a discounted price and use them to offset a portion of its monthly electricity bill. Brod drafted a request for proposal (RFP) and made recommendations on how to optimize the net metering agreement BHA will sign. 

Brod also undertook an analysis of utility and work order consumption at BHA’s Old Colony development in South Boston, where he compared building consumption at recently-constructed LEED-certified buildings to that of buildings that were constructed in 1941.

Potential Impact

The net metering agreement could produce more than $350,000 per year for BHA over 20 years. BHA aims to complete the procurement process and agreement by early 2015. 

Brod’s utility and work order analysis found, at LEED-certified buildings, a 56 percent decrease in water consumption, a 77 percent decrease in gas consumption and decreases in several categories of work orders. The results are strong evidence that public housing developments with green design principles can improve the welfare of their tenants and building managers.