Transformations of Townsend to Build Model Green Housing in Devens

October 4, 2010

Contacts:
Kelsey Abbruzzese, MassDevelopment, 617-330-2086
R. Carter Scott, Transformations, 978-597-0542

MassDevelopment has announced that Transformations, Inc., a Townsend-based residential development company that specializes in sustainable building and green housing, will build eight single-family, moderately priced zero-net-energy homes – houses that produce as much energy as they use – at Adams Circle in Devens.

“This pilot project will not only demonstrate our capacity to create both green jobs and green housing at a price working families can afford both in Massachusetts,” said Secretary of Housing and Economic Development and MassDevelopment Board Chair Gregory P. Bialecki, “It will serve as a model for housing development statewide and support the Patrick-Murray Administration’s key environmental priorities.”

“Zero net energy represents the ultimate in ‘green’ building, combining energy efficiency with on-site renewable energy to create fully sustainable homes,” said Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Ian Bowles. “I commend MassDevelopment for introducing moderately priced zero net energy homes to Devens, and Transformations for its trailblazing role in bringing zero net energy to the Massachusetts housing market.”

MassDevelopment selected Transformations from a group of four developers competing for the right to purchase residential lots and build energy-efficient homes in Devens. Transformations has won high acclaim in the world of energy efficient development. R. Carter Scott, owner of Transformations, Inc. was featured on the Discovery Channel for its Zero Energy Challenge home in Townsend. That home was one of the residential case studies in Governor Patrick’s Final Report of the Massachusetts Zero Net Energy Task Force, and was pictured on the report’s cover. Scott serves on Governor Patrick’s Zero Net Energy Advisory Council. The project in Devens represents a second generation of zero-net-energy homes for the company.

“Transformations has a solid record for residential design and construction in Massachusetts, and the company’s specialization in developing zero net energy communities made it an ideal choice for this revolutionary project,” said MassDevelopment President and CEO Robert L. Culver. “We’re thrilled to get started on the first phase of green housing in Devens to demonstrate that sustainable homes can be both attractive and affordable.”

“It’s an exciting time to be in this field,” said R. Carter Scott. “We now have an opportunity to build new energy efficient houses that not only produce as much energy as they consume, but also start to solve the greenhouse gas emissions issues of the transportation sector as well. We can do this by putting extra solar electric panels on the roofs to supply energy to future electric and plug in hybrid vehicles.”

The Devens project supports the Patrick Administration’s goals for zero-net-energy development in Massachusetts. By creating both green-energy jobs and attractive green housing at a reasonable price, this project will also fulfill ongoing twin objectives at MassDevelopment – to increase economic development activity and increase the availability of housing options that promote sustainability.

MassDevelopment, the state’s finance and development authority, works with businesses, financial institutions, and communities to stimulate economic growth across the Commonwealth. During FY2009, MassDevelopment financed or managed 229 projects statewide representing the investment of nearly $1.2 billion in the Massachusetts economy.