Meister Consultants Group: Helping Employees Go Green At Home

It is increasingly common for businesses to strive to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency, on-site renewable energy, carbon offsets, and renewable energy credits (RECs). Less common, however, is providing these options to employees to reduce the impact of their personal energy use outside of the workplace—a measure that A Better City member and international consulting firm Meister Consultants Group (MCG) has been putting into practice for the past two years.


Since 2015, the Boston office of MCG has partnered with the Mass Energy Consumers Alliance for their Work Green, Live Green program: a green power initiative that allows employees to offset their home electricity use. Through this program, MCG matches 50% of employees’ home electricity use with RECs from Massachusetts-based wind power in Mass Energy’s portfolio. The process is as simple as having their employees fill out an enrollment form and granting Mass Energy access to their’ usage information. Mass Energy then calculates wind and solar power purchases based on the established percent by the organization, and employees become part of the green power community receiving green power usage receipts.


 In 2015, MCG’s program offset approximately 54,000 kWh of electricity. Using the typical fuel mix in New England, that equates to 18.3 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions avoided[1]—the equivalent carbon emissions of driving nearly 44,000 miles[2].


 On a larger scale, the Work Green, Live Green program helps grow the clean energy economy in Massachusetts and encourages consumer awareness of clean energy options.  For a consulting firm focused on sustainability, the Work Green, Live Green program is an opportunity to bring MCG’s sustainability efforts home to the organization and demonstrate commitment to their values.


 

 Authored by Laura LoSciuto, Sustainability Programs Coordinator

 

 





[1] Conversion factor (kWh to MTCO2) from: ISO New England. 2015 ISO New England Electric Generator Air Emissions Report. January 2017. Pg. 31.




[2] Environmental Protection Agency. Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator.




 

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