Springfield, Belchertown, Hampden, Wilbraham, Longmeadow, East Longmeadow and Palmer are all part of the pilot program.
An infrared image of a commercial building provided by Sagewell Inc. Thermal imaging technology will be used to evaluate the energy efficiency of 45,000 homes in the greater Springfield area through a pilot program launched by the state Department of Energy Resources.PALMER – A federally-funded pilot program that will use thermal imaging to analyze the energy efficiency of 45,000 homes in the greater Springfield area sparked debate at the Town Council meeting on Tuesday, as some councilors had concerns about privacy being invaded.
Seven communities are included in the state Department of Energy Resources initiative – Palmer, Springfield, Belchertown, Hampden, Wilbraham, Longmeadow and East Longmeadow.
The state agency is using $325,000 out of a three-year, $2.6 million federal grant for the program, which includes taking thermal images of homes between the hours of 8 p.m. and 6 a.m., when temperature differences are the greatest.
Thermal imaging will be conducted by Sagewell Inc. of Woburn, and temperature differences between the inside and outside of buildings will be measured. Areas where additional insulation and air sealing could prevent heat loss will be identified. A hybrid sport utility vehicle outfitted with thermal imaging equipment inside it will patrol neighborhoods.
Thermal imaging is expected to begin next week in Springfield; the schedule for the rest of the communities has not been released. The council voted to delay the process in Palmer for three weeks until information about how residents could opt out could be obtained.
Thermal imaging results will be shared with homeowners who request free energy assessments through the Mass Save program. The information will not be made public, and only will be available to the homeowner.
Not all councilors were on board with the pilot program; At-large Councilor Michael R. Magiera and Council President Eric A. Duda voted against it.
“I don’t want to be involved with another database that could possibly be used against you . . . I’m just trying to protect everybody’s privacy,” Magiera said.
“I felt we were making a decision with very little information,” Magiera added.
Duda said he is hoping that the “opt-out” provision will be easy for people to do, as he also has concerns about privacy because the thermal images can see beyond the exterior of the home. People and belongings cannot be seen, but the rafters and insulation can.
Updates about the pilot program will be posted on www.mass.gov/doer, as well as information on how to opt out. An e-mail address for Sagewell will be provided, as well as an 800 number. Those contacts are expected to be made available next week, a state spokeswoman said.
According to information from the state, Mass Save customers in the target municipalities, starting in early summer, will receive a home energy rating, similar to MPG ratings for vehicles, which can be featured in real estate listings to add value to upgraded homes. Customers will also have access to an online system that provides “one-stop shopping” for efficiency upgrades, including recommended upgrades, information about contractors who can perform upgrade work, and incentive and financing information.
Mass Save energy assessments (energy audits) are free to customers of the state’s four investor-owned utilities: NSTAR, Western Massachusetts Electric Co., National Grid, and Unitil.
“Through this pilot project and the additional efforts it will inspire, we’ll go a step further, helping to create a national model for rating home energy use and creating jobs for local contractors,” Richard K. Sullivan Jr., the state Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs, said in a statement.