March 13, 2025 By John Borger, Hingham Net Zero and Energy Action Committee
Hingham has an initiative to attract additional economic development (learn about it at this link:
https://www.hingham-ma.gov/1072/Economic-Development).
We may hear at April Town Meeting that some developers might be less inclined to pursue projects in Hingham due to initial impressions that the all-electric systems and energy efficiency that the Opt-In Specialized Code encourages will entail onerous additional costs. We may be told that Hingham can either have an up to date energy code, or it can have economic development, but not both. Let’s examine why this is a false choice.
All-Electric Buildings
The easiest compliance pathways under the Specialized Code entail all-electric buildings heated and cooled with heat pumps. Will this superimpose excessive costs on developers? No. There is mounting evidence that highly efficient all-electric buildings often entail lower capital cost. Plus, lower operating costs for fuel and maintenance add up to a lower total cost of ownership over the building’s useful life, a compelling advantage for both commercial and municipal facilities. These cost advantages have been demonstrated by Hingham’s recent municipal building projects – the Foster School and the Public Safety Facility (PSF). Both are highly efficient, all-electric buildings. HVAC engineers for both ranked all-electric designs the lowest cost for both initial capital and ongoing operating expense. Foster’s all-electric systems use geothermal energy; the PSF uses air source heat pumps to heat and cool 93% of the building and provide domestic hot water.
Can developers be reassured by the conclusions that Hingham’s building committees have reached regarding capital and operating expenses for all-electric designs? Consider:
- The committees are staffed with dedicated citizens who contribute a formidable array of professional skills and experience.
- They know their ultimate customers – the citizens of Hingham – and ultimate tenants – our children and first responders.
- They hold themselves accountable in a fiduciary relationship to taxpayers for delivering the best functioning buildings at the lowest cost.
- They swear an oath to faithfully and impartially perform their duties.
- They engage outstanding architects and engineers with the most up to date technical expertise and elicit their best designs.
- Committees are guided by a third party “owner’s project manager” (OPM), whose expert staff provide independent oversight. The OPM for the Foster School was PMA Consultants, LLC; Hill International was the OPM for the PSF.
- The committee process is highly transparent, with open meetings, public votes on key decisions, and painstaking due diligence on functionality and cost.
- Each project phase undergoes comprehensive Advisory Committee reviews. Town Meeting votes on each funding installment. Those who disagree with project designs have multiple opportunities to raise concerns.
The development community can thus rely upon Hingham building committees’ rigorously vetted findings with high confidence. If all-electric buildings with heat pump HVAC are the most cost- effective solutions for municipal buildings, why would this not hold true for commercial buildings?
“Mixed Fuel” Buildings
If a developer nonetheless insists on fossil fuel HVAC, will the Specialized Code’s “mixed fuel” compliance pathway burden them with excessive additional costs? No. Here are the facts: For new mixed fuel buildings, the Specialized Code requires “pre-wiring” to enable inexpensive future retrofitting for total electrification, as well as a solar array scaled to the building (site permitting).
Electricians running high amperage cabling to sites where fossil fuel use is planned incur minimal extra labor cost – they are already on site wiring the building. A 250 foot reel of AWG 10, three conductors with ground Romex cable sized for a 50 amp 220 volt circuit was recently advertised for $325 at Home Depot.
The code calls for 1.5 Watts of solar multiplied by the square feet of the three biggest floors. Commercial solar costs $1.83 per watt on average in Massachusetts. For the average sized building in the US (17,200 sq. ft.), that translates to a cost before rebates and tax credits of $47,000.
Developers will pay far less than that after incentives, so let’s ballpark net cost at $30,000 – three quarters of a percentage point for a $4 million building. Totally offsetting this cost is the fact that solar pays for itself within 3-7 years and generates free electricity for decades thereafter, significantly reducing electric utility bills and demand on the grid.
Pre-wiring and solar costs will vary according to building size but will be negligible for multi-million dollar mixed fuel projects. The Specialized Code will not entail onerous additional costs for developers . Vote YES on the Opt-In warrant article!
– John Borger, Hingham Net Zero and Energy Action Committee
