Energize Acton

October Clean Energy Home Tour
2025-10-25 11:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York) | North Acton neighborhood, Address sent upon registration., Acton, Massachusetts, US
Tour the Clean Energy Home of the Month
October Focus: Heat Pumps/Gas/Solar Multi-System House
Register HERE.

Concerned about the fossil fuels that heat your home? But not be sure how to incorporate unfamiliar renewable technologies? This month’s clean energy home is a great example of homeowners who have decided to address change one step at a time. They began by reviewing their home energy efficiency and doing a thorough project of insulation–with immediate results. Then, rather than redo their entire gas system, they decided the first step was a dual fuel combo of air source heat pump and natural gas furnace. Finally, a change in their tree canopy opened up space for their latest project, rooftop solar. Their experience has been so positive that one of the homeowners has become an Acton Clean Energy Coach!
Very few households have the resources to decarbonize their homes in one fell swoop. Come and talk with these Acton neighbors about creating a multi-year plan for transitioning to clean energy. Forward motion is the key. Perhaps year one is the affordable goal of an in-depth home energy audit and using the clothes dryer less in favor on drying racks. Year two might be another affordable goal of home insulation with great rebates from Mass Save. And so on, planning toward significant change. This home tour will give you good ideas about systems big and small, timeframes, and costs.
Register HERE.
The October Clean Energy Home’s Technologies

Mass Save Insulation Program
Ducted Bosch heat- pump and high efficiency gas furnace combo
Solar panels with majority of panels facing west due to trees on south side
Eco power lawn mower and leaf blower

When: Saturday, October 25, 11am and 1pm
Where: North Acton
There will be two 1-hour sessions to see the house at 11am and 1pm.
After registration you will receive an email with the house address and specific information about parking, etc.
Pumpkin give-away to celebrate the season! Along with cider, coffee, and munchies.

EnergizeActon.org is a joint effort of the Acton Climate Coalition and the Town of Acton Sustainability Office.
Interested in lending a skill? Contact us HERE. We meet the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of each month.

Discover STEM
2025-11-07 18:00 - 20:30 | Acton Boxborough Regional High School, 36 Charter Rd, Acton, Massachusetts, US
Energize Acton Demos Energy Efficiency Technology

Join AB STEAM for the DiscoverSTEM 2025 event, exploring science, technology, engineering, and math career options. DiscoverSTEM is set up like a trade show where local STEM companies exhibit the latest technologies for students in grades 7 through 12 and for the community. Exhibitors are representatives from diverse fields who showcase about their products, services, ideas, and inventions and share the real-world usage of STEM.
EnergizeActon.org will be one of the exhibitors, highlighting the tools used to increase home energy efficiency, such as infrared cameras to pinpoint heating/cooling gaps in home/building envelopes.
DiscoverSTEM 2025 is sponsored by AB STEAM (Acton Boxborough Science/Technology/Engineering/Art/Math). AB STEAM is a non-profit community organization dedicated to 1) providing family-oriented math, science and art activities and events; 2) collaborating with parents, students, schools, community leaders and business partners; and 3) promoting resources that enrich Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math (STEAM) education in our community.

RECORDING -- The Trees Are Speaking: Dispatches from the Salmon Forests
2025-12-31 00:05 - 23:55
The Trees Are Speaking: Dispatches from the Salmon Forests
SEE THE RECORDING HERE.

“What we’re really talking about when we talk about forests isn’t only about the trees, and it certainly isn’t only about the lumber; it’s about the relationships.” Lynda V. Mapes

Registration for this event has closed, however we are pleased to provide the recording HERE.
Unfortunately, we have only the author’s slides and audio. Her initial slide is up for quite some time, which might seem like an error, but please presevere! Lynda’s talk is wonderful! And varied slides do come up.

This work focuses on the critical role of forests everywhere, but especially on both coasts of the U.S., and on the role of indigenous voices in advocating for ecosystem integrity.
Do you look at your own yard and see stressed trees? Spruces dying back? Fir trees struggling? The heart-wrenching loss of beautiful beeches to beech leaf disease? What is the connection between our local trees and the health of our forests? Increasingly, we recognize the importance of forests for key ecological functions, such as clean air, clean water, important pollinator/wildlife populations, carbon storage, and a balanced climate. So how are our forests doing? And how can we advocate for trees, near and far?
Lynda V. Mapes, award-winning environmental journalist for the Seattle Times, was inspired to write The Trees Are Speaking after exploring the richness of old growth forests in the Northwest U.S. and Canada. But she also came face to face with the widespread destruction of these forests. Mapes writes, “The book therefore became a witness not only to the incredible ecological and cultural values of these forests but to the connected history of their loss, beginning on the East Coast in Maine and repeated across the United States and continuing over the border into Canada, even today.”
But not all is gloom. Mapes also outlines the resilience of nature, the insights and perseverance of First Nations people who have raised their voices to protect and renew ecosystems, understandings of our inter-relatedness uncovered by scientists, and even new approaches to commercial forestry.
Please join us.

This talk is co-sponsored by the Acton Conservation Trust, the Acton Garden Club Shirley Towle Lecture Fund, the Silver Unicorn Bookstore, and EnergizeActon.org.

EnergizeActon.org is a joint effort of the Acton Climate Coalition and the Town of Acton Sustainability Office. Interested in lending a skill? Contact us HERE. We meet the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of each month.

Biosphere Book Club - Is a River Alive? by Robert Macfarlane
2026-01-30 19:00 - 20:00 | Zoom
The Biosphere Book Group is an experiment!
Join us to read authors who reflect on climate vis-à-vis the health of human and ecological communities.

Our first author is Robert Macfarlane who has received acclaim for his 2025 book, Is a River Alive?
We know that folks have many demands on their time. As much as we would like to read on a regular basis, this goal is often difficult. So, the Biosphere Book Group will be “text-based,” that is, each session leader will read the book, pull out key quotes, and plan questions or reflections that can involve all the participants, whether they have read the book or not. Of course, if you have time to tackle the book, that enriches the experience for you! But reading the book before our meeting session is not required. The session page of quotes and questions, along with the zoom link, will go out to registered participants the Friday before each session.
Our first session will be online, but perhaps we might meet in person at times, depending on our participants. The idea is to explore a different book every 2 months, for 6 sessions per year.
The true goal is to foster discussion about our extraordinary, yet endangered biosphere. What are researchers, scientists, journalists, and authors saying about the natural world? Can clean energy advances, government policy, and life style choices make a difference? What are we ourselves noticing and thinking? What gives us joy? What leaves us deeply concerned? Can we create a sense of community, however humble, that gives us strength? Can that sense of community help us to make a concrete difference? Big questions aside, pour yourself a cup of tea or other beverage, have a good time, and celebrate the written word!

Solar without federal incentives: why it still works and what options exist
2026-02-18 19:00 - 20:00
Thinking about solar but not sure where to start? Join our webinar to learn how solar works, what options are available, and how it can help lower energy costs while supporting a cleaner, healthier community!
Register: www.tinyurl.com/home-solar-webinar

Clean Energy Home Tour -- Focus: SOLAR SHINGLES!
2026-03-01 11:00 - 14:00 | Address shared upon registration, West Acton Village Area, Acton, Massachusetts, US
Clean Energy Home Tour
March 2026 Focus on Solar Shingles
“David Martin was top notch! We will be following up with him.” 2023 Clean Energy Tour
“This went way beyond my expectations!” 2024 Clean Energy Tour
Register HERE.
People know about rooftop solar panels and the great long-term savings on electricity bills. But what about SOLAR SHINGLES? Is this the new way to save? Join the Energize Acton March Clean Energy Home Tour and see a house that has been a model for many clean energy innovations, now including solar shingles! Acton Clean Energy Coach David Martin is delighted to show you this new update to his home and explain how it compares with traditional solar. This house is also unique because it has both a standard mini-split heat pump and a larger heat pump to hot water system. Feel the comfort level for yourself and talk with David Martin about his experience moving the home from fossil fuel heating and cooling to cleaner energy systems. David has experience with a wide variety of clean energy technologies.
When: Sunday, March 1st with an 11:00am tour and a 1:00pm tour.
Where: South Acton (Address sent unpon registration.)
The technologies you will see in this home include:

Solar Shingles
Hydronics whole-house heat pump
Mini-split heat pump
Heat pump dryer
Heat pump water heater
Induction range
EV and Electric car chargers
Battery-electric hard tools (lawn mower, snow blower, chain saw, etc.)

There will be two 1-hour sessions to see the house at 11am and 1pm.
Register HERE.
After registration you will receive an email with the house address and specific information about parking, etc. Coffee and snacks will be provided. Also, there will be handouts about state incentives as well as background material about the technologies you will see..
EnergizeActon.org is co-sponsored by the Acton Climate Coalition and the Town of Acton Sustainability Office.
Do you have ideas or a talent you would like to contribute? Please contact us at EnergizeActon.org@gmail.com. The Energize Acton team meets the 1st Wednesday of each month.

From Gas to Induction: Cleaner Cooking for Your Home and Climate
2026-03-19 19:00 - 20:00 | Zoom
Explore the Wonderful World of Induction Cooktops!
Learn, ask questions, and find out how incentives can help you make the change.
Registration at bit.ly/cleaner-cooking.
You may have heard more people talking about switching from gas to induction cooking—and for good reason. Induction cooktops offer a cleaner, safer, and more efficient way to cook, while helping reduce indoor air pollution and supporting your home electrification journey. Join Andee Krasner, of Greater Boston Physicians for Social Responsibility, to learn more about health impacts of gas cooking and how induction is a comparable alternative.
Here’s why induction cooking is gaining popularity across Massachusetts:
Cleaner and healthier indoor air
Gas stoves release pollutants like nitrogen dioxide and methane into your home. Recent studies in Europe and the United States indicate that gas stoves have serious respiratory risks, including increased asthma rates for children, from the off gassing during cooking and even when the stove is off. (See The Stanford Report, May 4, 2024) Induction cooktops produce no on-site emissions, helping create a healthier indoor environment for you and your family.
Faster, safer, and more efficient cooking
Induction uses magnetic technology to heat your cookware directly, making it faster than gas and traditional electric stoves. The surface stays cooler, reducing burn risks and improving safety.
Save energy and reduce emissions
Induction cooktops are highly efficient, using less energy and supporting Massachusetts’ transition to cleaner electricity. They’re an important step toward an all-electric, climate-friendly home.
Incentives can help lower the cost
Massachusetts and local programs offer rebates and incentives that can make switching to induction more affordable than you might expect.
📣 Curious if induction is right for you?
Join our free webinar to learn how induction works, compare costs, explore available incentives, and hear answers to common questions from local experts.

Registration at bit.ly/cleaner-cooking.
. Sponsored by MassEnergize.org and EnergizeActon.org.

Biosphere Book Club -- Book #2: Abundance
2026-03-25 19:00 - 20:15 | Zoom
We Foster Reflections on Climate and Environment!
Our March 2026 Book is Abundance, by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson.
Please register HERE.
Of all the books that Energize Acton volunteers display at community events, this book–Abundance, by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson–has generated the most enthusiasm and interest.
The blurb that went out with the book calls it a “once-in-a-generation, paradigm-shifting call to renew a politics of plenty, face up to the failures of liberal governance, and abandon the chosen scarcities that have deformed American life.” Katherine Sypher, of NPR, writes, “The woes of the world can be paralyzing. It was refreshing, therefore, to be called to action by Abundance. Well-known journalists and podcast hosts Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson argue that, yes, we really can build and invent our way to the better future that we want and need.”
This title focuses largely on politics and economics, but it has many connections to climate and environment. We suggest that you approach the authors’ work with an open, but critical, mind. As with every Book Club text, it is great if you can read the book, but it is not required. The host will prepare a brief outline of the text with key quotes and discussion points constructed in a way that all can participate. The Biosphere Book Club will meet every other month in 2026–January, March, May, July, September, and November. In May, we hope to try for an in-person or hybrid meeting.
To whet your thoughts for this month, here are a few initial questions.

What does abundance mean to you?
Do you or others in your family experience scarcity? E.g., related to consumer goods, healthcare/health insurance, housing, childcare, etc.?
What are the ecological and human costs of material abundance?
Have you heard of the concept, “Joy in enough”?

Big questions aside, pour yourself a cup of tea or other beverage, have a good time, and celebrate the written word!
Please register HERE.
EnergizeActon.org is sponsored by the Acton Climate Coalition and the Town of Acton Sustainability Office.
Would you like to help EnergizeActon.org? Contact us at EnergizeActon.org@gmail.com. We meet the first Wednesday of each month. However, there are many non-meeting ways to be involved. Thanks for your support!
