LEXINGTON HEATSMART

The Town of Lexington has partnered with Abode to help residents transition to clean heating technologies.

ABOUT LEXINGTON HEATSMART

Lexington HeatSmart is a town-wide initiative providing educational resources and a marketplace of third-party vetted contractors, empowering residents to adopt clean heating and cooling technologies with confidence.

Air source heat pumps and solar hot water systems are cost-effective, market-ready technologies that transform how homes use energy. These technologies can help save you money on your utility bills and also significantly help Lexington decrease its overall carbon footprint, benefiting the community.

Lexington HeatSmart is working with Abode to connect residents with local, reputable contractors. Through this program you can request, receive, and compare quotes from multiple contractors and discuss the project with an Energy Advisor every step of the way.

Get Started

Explore Clean Heating Technologies

Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHP)

Air source heat pumps (often referred to as ductless mini-splits) are a clean technology you can use to both heat and cool your home. There are a number of economic, environmental and health benefits associated with installing air source heat pumps.

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GROUND SOURCE HEAT PUMPS (GSHP)

Whereas air source heat pumps use the air as their heat reservoir, ground source heat pumps (GSHP) use the ground as their heat reservoir. Whether a ground source heat pump is right for you depends in large part on the site conditions of your home.

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Heat Pump Water Heaters

A heat pump water heater is powered by electricity to heat water for use with faucets, showers, and appliances. The heat pump unit pulls in air from the surrounding space, extracting heat from the air and using the refrigerant cycle to heat the water.

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Solar Thermal Systems

Solar thermal, also known as solar hot water, similarly collects solar energy using roof-mounted panels or tubes, but rather than converting that energy into electricity as with solar PV systems, solar thermal systems store the energy in water, heating it.

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Why Clean Heating & Cooling?

Environmentally Friendly

Clean heating technologies tied to the MA electric grid produce 40-60% less carbon emissions than traditional fossil fuel based systems.

Economic Benefits

Massachusetts leads the nation in energy efficiency, which includes making these systems more cost effective to run and ensuring the installation is comparable to traditional systems.

Health & Wellness

Whether carbon monoxide in our home, or carbon dioxide in our atmosphere, the writing is on the wall– a world without burning fossil fuels is where we must go.

Comfort

Properly sized clean heating technologies can radically improve your home’s temperature and humidity all year long. Keep you cozy and your house healthy.

Incentives for Clean Heating & Cooling

Mass Save HEAT Loan

If you’re installing a heat pump or solar hot water system, you may be eligible for a 0% interest HEAT Loan from Mass Save. You can finance up to $50,000 over the course of 7 years for home energy efficiency upgrades if your project includes a heat pump. Although fuel prices fluctuate, energy savings may help cover the monthly loan payments, especially if you currently heat with oil, propane, or electric resistance. Find out more about Mass Save’s HEAT Loan program.

Rebates & Tax Credits

Massachusetts leads the nation in energy efficiency and has many incentives and rebates available to help make clean heating technologies affordable. Learn more about rebates available from Mass Save, or through the MassCEC. Mass Save heat pump rebates have increased starting in 2022, and eligible air source heat pump equipment could qualify for a rebate of up to $10,000 (or $16,000 if Income Qualified). Learn more about Mass Save heat pump rebates.

CLEAN ENERGY CONSULTATIONS

Lexington HeatSmart is made possible by trained volunteers who are committed to helping their neighbors find effective clean energy solutions. Our HeatSmart Energy Advisors will help guide you through the HeatSmart process and give you the information you need to make the best decision for your home or business. Get started with the steps below.

STEP 1: SIGN UP

Complete the intake form to be connected with an Energy Advisor.

SIGN UP

STEP 2: Energy Advisor Consultation

Meet with your assigned Energy Advisor to discuss your clean energy goals and how to achieve them.

STEP 3: ABODE SUPPORT

If necessary, your Energy Advisor can connect you with an expert at Abode for further support or for quote comparison services.

Meet Our Energy Advisors

Cindy Arens

Derek Gardiner

Russ Herrig

Ken Karnofsky

Janice Litwin

Rich Moffitt

Gail O’Keefe

Matthew Paulson

Mark Sandeen

Gerry Yurkevicz

QUOTE COMPARISON

Have multiple contractor quotes? Abode offers a quote comparison service that helps you decipher the jargon and understand system performance. Connect with an Energy Advisor to access the service. See Clean Energy Consultations above.

For a review of up to 3 quotes

Complete a questionnaire about your home and upload the quotes to our portal.
Receive an easy-to-understand report within five business days.
Understand the performance of the equipment being proposed.
Compare quotes for efficiency, cost, cooling & heating capacity, and greenhouse gas impact.

PARTICIPATING CONTRACTOR LIST

Use the Participating Contractor List to find qualified installers in your area.

VIEW CONTRACTOR LIST

Participating contractors have agreed to follow NEEP’s set of best practices to Size, Design, and Install cold climate air source heat pumps. In addition, Abode verifies:

Certificates of insurance
Trade licenses
EPA 608 certificate
Manufacturer training certificates
Mass Save Heat Pump Installer Network Listing

HOME ENERGY ASSESSMENTS

Before upgrading your heating or cooling system, you want to ensure your home is well insulated so your new system will be as efficient as possible. We encourage you to schedule a Mass Save® no-cost home energy assessment. Your energy specialist will evaluate your home’s insulation levels and provide you with recommendations for incentivized upgrades. These upgrades can have a substantial impact on the selection and performance of your heating and cooling system, reducing your carbon footprint and energy bills. A home energy assessment is also a prerequisite for accessing other Mass Save® incentives.

SCHEDULE NO-COST ASSESSMENT

VIDEO RESOURCES

Here are some helpful videos to get you started.

Support for the Lexington HeatSmart program is provided in part by a grant from the Community Endowment of Lexington, an endowed fund of the Foundation for MetroWest.

Gerry Yurkevicz

Gerry Yurkevicz has worked in the energy industry his entire career. He has been a Lexington resident since 1990. Gerry has 20+ years of experience as an energy management consultant as well as 10+ years of operating experience, having been part of management teams for utilities, energy equipment contractors, energy infrastructure companies, and power, fuel, and renewable energy suppliers. His energy market experience provides a deep understanding into the decision-making of residents with regards to home heating and energy systems. Besides providing energy information, he hopes to help Lexington residents make good choices for their unique situations as they embark on the “customer journey” to support the energy transition.

Rich Moffitt

A resident of Lexington for over 15 years and a parent of two young children in the town school system, Rich studied climate systems while obtaining his degrees in computer science and security at Boston College and Boston University. Professionally, Rich works as a systems engineer. He has long had an interest in what could be called the Internet of Things, including home automation, which led him to integrate ductless heat pump systems with home automation controllers. Owning a 1940s era house in Lexington has taught him a lot about energy efficiency, resources through programs like Mass Save, and along the way, a handful of HVAC installation pitfalls to avoid as a consumer. A lifelong learner, Rich looks forward to sharing what he has learned from his own experience as a homeowner and engineer, as well as learning from others pursuing similar goals in energy efficiency.

Gail O’Keefe

Gail O’Keefe has lived in Lexington for over 30 years and has been an active member of the town over that period. Her long held interest in energy and the environment began in the 70s with the first Earth Day, was bolstered by her undergrad education in environmental sciences, and has developed over the years through involvement in conservation groups.

Having switched her daughter’s mid-century oil-heated house to a net zero home (geothermal/solar) two years ago, and seeing how well it worked, she is in the
midst of a similar project in a much older house (100+ years). Though her home was not conducive to geothermal, she’s enjoyed the payback from solar panels and a new high efficiency heat system. While drawn to all sorts of home improvement projects, the challenge of optimizing energy conservation, economically and practically, is what attracted her to be a HeatSmart Advisor.

Cindy Arens

Cindy began climate advocacy work about 5 years ago, after spending almost 20 years developing software for the Telecom industry. She is Chair of the Sustainable Lexington Committee and also a member of LPS Green Teams, which works in the Lexington schools and community to promote Zero Waste concepts like food waste composting. Cindy has spent the last three years focused on building electrification, with the Clean Heat Lexington Alliance, has passed two Lexington bylaws on electrification, and is in the process of electrifying her own home.

Ken Karnofsky

Ken Karnofsky has lived in Lexington for 30 years and is a long-time advocate for climate and sustainability solutions. He is a member of LexCAN, was a founder and former President of the board at Lexington Community Farm, and worked on the Clean Heat Lexington campaign for all-electric new construction. Currently, he is supporting local nonprofits and the Town in assessing the potential for networked geothermal heating and cooling. Recently retired from a career managing and explaining complex technologies, he is excited to help others navigate the choices they face in making their homes carbon-free.

Janice Litwin

Janice brings to the HeatSmart program the perspective of a consumer who has transitioned her home completely from fossil fuel-based HVAC to electric heat pumps. Her old house presented major installation challenges. After months spent researching equipment and studying proposals from many installers (each of whom suggested a different approach), her family is now the beneficiary of a healthy and comfortable all-electric system. Janice would like to help other Lexingtonians achieve equally happy outcomes while helping build a sustainable future.

Janice is a Board member of the Lexington Climate Action Network (LexCAN), a participant in the Clean Heat for Lexington Alliance, and a member of 350 Massachusetts’ MetroNorth node. She is a long-time Lexington resident who can often be found exploring Lexington’s wonderful conservation areas with her dog.

Mark Sandeen

Mark Sandeen is a Lexington Select Board member, former chair of the Sustainable Lexington Committee, and co-chair of Lexington’s Getting to Net Zero Emissions task force.

He led Lexington’s development of a sustainable building policy, enabling Lexington’s two newest schools to be among the first net zero energy schools in the state. Mark has converted his home to run on whole home air source heat pumps.

Mark is the author of the “All Things Sustainable” column in the Lexington Times Magazine.

Derek Gardiner

Derek Gardiner has lived in Lexington since 1999. His career was as an engineer and technical marketeer working for a selection of computer hardware companies. Concerns about climate change started with reading Al Gore’s book “An Inconvenient Truth” in 2000. Conversion of our homes to all electric makes enormous sense and Derek looks forward to helping Lexington’s residents do this. His own home is partway through the process with a second phase coming in 2024.

Matthew Paulson

Matt has lived with his family in Lexington for over 30 years. As a recently retired tech executive and engineer, he’s made numerous energy efficient upgrades to his home including roof vents, power soffit vents, insulation, a heat pump, solar panels and currently owns an electric car. In addition, he has designed a solid-state bed temperature controller that both heats and cools, further reducing demands on traditional equipment. He has overseen multiple renovation projects on his home and performs many home repairs and improvements himself.

Russ Herrig

Russ is a retired engineer with a career in the research & development of medical devices. He has made Lexington his home for the past decade. Inspired to contribute to the community, Russ wants to help Lexington residents embrace green energy solutions, particularly heat pump systems. He has recent experience investigating air and geothermal heat pumps and hybrid water heaters for his own residence. Russ firmly believes that home use of green energy can provide a triple win of comfort, cost savings, and climate benefits.