Hebrew SeniorLife Secures $200,000 MassDEP Grant for Energy Upgrades in Brookline
The grant will support clean energy and high-performance energy efficiency upgrades at Center Communities of Brookline’s 108 Centre Street building.
Hebrew SeniorLife, New England’s largest nonprofit provider of senior health care and living communities, has been awarded a $200,000 Gap III Grant from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. The MassDEP funding supports the implementation of clean energy and high-performance energy efficiency upgrades at 108 Centre Street, a 100% affordable supportive housing community for older adults in Brookline. 108 Centre Street is the newest addition to Hebrew SeniorLife’s Center Communities of Brookline campus.
The project combines deep energy efficiency investments with rooftop solar energy generation, enhancing resident comfort, reducing environmental impact, and lowering long-term operating costs for the 54-unit building.
Energy efficiency measures
108 Centre Street incorporates a range of energy efficiency measures designed to meet Passive House Institute US standards. These include: high-performance insulation, triple-glazed windows, energy-efficient doors and superior air sealing, and green screen installation to reduce solar heat gain.
These enhancements are projected to reduce building energy consumption by 188,680 kWh annually, representing a 62.94% reduction compared to an IECC Baseline Building. Annual cost savings are estimated at $28,300.
108 Centre Street also features a 37.44 kW rooftop solar PV system expected to generate 40,622 kWh, covering approximately 37% of the building’s annual total electricity usage.
Advancing climate resilience and housing equity
“These investments reflect our commitment to providing healthy, resilient, and sustainable housing for older adults,” said Deb Morse, vice president of real estate at Hebrew SeniorLife. “We’re grateful for MassDEP’s support, which enables us to demonstrate that affordable housing and environmental leadership can go hand in hand.”
About Hebrew SeniorLife
Hebrew SeniorLife, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School, is a national senior services leader uniquely dedicated to rethinking, researching, and redefining the possibilities of aging. Hebrew SeniorLife cares for more than 4,500 seniors a day across seven campuses throughout Greater Boston. Locations include: Hebrew Rehabilitation Center-Boston and Hebrew Rehabilitation Center-NewBridge in Dedham; NewBridge on the Charles, Dedham; Orchard Cove, Canton; Simon C. Fireman Community, Randolph; Center Communities of Brookline, Brookline; Jack Satter House, Revere; and Leyland Community, Dorchester. Founded in 1903, Hebrew SeniorLife also conducts influential research into aging at the Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research, which has a portfolio of more than $98 million, making it one of the largest gerontological research facilities in the U.S. in a clinical setting. It also trains more than 500 geriatric care providers each year. For more information about Hebrew SeniorLife, follow us on our blog, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and LinkedIn.
