BOSTON, MA – BOSTON, MA – The Boston Housing Authority (BHA) today announced that 100 apartment units at Hassan Apartments have received new high-efficiency window-mounted heat pumps as part of an innovative effort in Hyde Park that could set the stage for significant future decarbonization across Boston’s building sector. Designed by Gradient, manufacturers of smart heating and cooling solutions designed for a decarbonized future, the window heat pumps replace aging electric resistance systems and bring in-unit air conditioning to Hassan residents for the first time.
This project demonstrates the effectiveness of this new tool as a year-round space conditioning solution. Residents will experience improved quality of life year-round while BHA takes another step toward its goal of reducing costs, emissions and energy usage in public housing, and advance the goals of the City of Boston’s Climate Action Plan. Key partners in the project include Action for Boston Community Development, Inc (ABCD), as the project manager and Eversource, a sponsor of Mass Save®. Installation is carried out by RISE Engineering and New Ecology, Inc..
“This project shows how we can deliver meaningful quality-of-life benefits to our residents while advancing Boston’s transition to sustainable housing,” said BHA Administrator Kenzie Bok. “At Hassan Apartments, we’re not only making 100 homes healthier, more comfortable, and more resilient, we are demonstrating a practical model of decarbonization that can be replicated across Boston’s housing landscape.”
Hassan Apartments, a Federal Public Housing community for seniors and adults with disabilities, will be the first BHA development to benefit from this technology, which provides both heating and cooling while dramatically reducing energy use and building sector carbon emissions.
Boston’s most recent greenhouse gas emissions inventory shows that nearly 70 percent of the city’s emissions come from the building sector, including housing. This deployment demonstrates a viable path for Boston’s older housing stock to quickly deliver affordable heating for a low-carbon future, while generating substantial energy cost savings. The Authority is planning similar initiatives in other public housing communities in the years ahead.
“ABCD is proud to collaborate in this effort to bring state of the art energy efficient technology to the residents who call this building home. The equipment makes healthier, more comfortable living possible for our communities,” said ABCD President and CEO Sharon Scott-Chandler, adding, "we will ensure that everyone has access to the responsive, quality services that produce lasting savings with each unit.”
Funding is provided through the Mass Save Income Eligible Multi-Family Retrofit program, allowing BHA to enact these critical upgrades at no additional cost to the Authority. The energy savings generated by the new heat pumps will reduce operating expenses at the federally-assisted property and support ongoing maintenance and quality-of-life improvements at Hassan.
“Eversource is proud to partner with the Boston Housing Authority and ABCD in bringing affordable, energy-efficient heating and cooling to the residents at Hassan Apartments,” said Eversource Director of Energy Efficiency Kate Peters. “Advances in heat pump technology are helping to make clean heating and cooling alternatives more accessible to customers and, combined with the newly approved seasonal heat pump rate from the Department of Public Utilities, we are taking important steps forward to remove the financial barriers to adopting clean energy solutions like this.”
The BHA partnership aligns with Mayor Wu's directive for the housing authority to electrify its portfolio as well as city legislation, BERDO, which mandates emissions reductions. The City of Boston has committed $50 million to support these efforts, with major retrofit projects advancing at properties across the city. The partnership of Mass Save and its administering agencies is critical to accelerate, augment, and directly fund these projects. At Hassan, the project is 100% supported by Mass Save, allowing city investment to finance other public housing improvement projects.
In addition to BHA, Gradient is partnering with two additional Massachusetts housing authorities: Lynn, and Chelsea. The three housing authorities—collectively called the ‘Green Trio’— Have previously joined forces on sustainability efforts and funding grant applications to strengthen their collective impact. All three housing authorities are partnering with Gradient to replace inefficient and outdated heating sources with Gradient All-Weather 120V window heat pumps. Each organization has established itself as a leader in state public housing electrification, and together they represent the most ambitious decarbonization effort in Massachusetts public housing.
"The Boston Housing Authority's commitment to innovation and resident wellbeing makes them an ideal partner as we continue expanding access to clean, efficient climate technology. This partnership demonstrates how our technology can help housing authorities achieve their decarbonization goals while improving the lives of residents," said Dr. Vince Romanin, Gradient Founder and Chief Technology Officer. "Our broader collaboration with Lynn and Chelsea Housing Authorities demonstrates what's possible when innovative technology meets forward-thinking leadership.”
Gradient's All-Weather 120V window heat pumps combine intelligent controls with thoughtful design to overcome installation challenges that have historically slowed electrification in older multifamily buildings. Each unit is designed for easy installation by two people and plugs into a standard 120-volt outlet, eliminating the need for costly electrical upgrades or invasive construction retrofits typical of traditional heat pump installations.
Gradient’s technology optimizes performance and comfort by enabling remote control and integrating with building systems for better energy management. At the core is proven heat pump technology, which provides efficient cooling and heating by moving heat between indoor and outdoor spaces depending on the season. This process can be up to four times more efficient than traditional heating systems, such as boilers, which rely on on-site combustion of fossil fuels to produce heat, and is much more efficient than electric baseboard heating systems such as those at Hassan Apartments.
As the largest public housing authority in New England, BHA provides affordable housing to more than 58,000 residents—approximately 9 percent of Boston’s population—and is positioning itself as a national leader in green, healthy public housing.
About the Boston Housing Authority
Boston Housing Authority provides quality affordable housing for low-income families and individuals through the public housing and Section 8 rental assistance programs. BHA fosters vital communities that are essential to Boston’s economic diversity and way of life. As the largest housing provider in Boston, BHA brings stability, opportunity, and peace of mind not only to the thousands of low-income families it supports, but to the city as a whole. Learn more at www.bostonhousing.org.
About Gradient
Gradient is rethinking HVAC with innovative, sustainable solutions designed for a decarbonized future. Our All-Weather 120V Window Heat Pump delivers year-round performance with high efficiency and easy installation, eliminating the barriers of traditional systems. Backed by a team of industry leaders, including talent from Tesla and Nest, Gradient is committed to redefining heating and cooling for modern buildings while minimizing environmental impact. In addition to venture funding, the company has secured non-dilutive funding from the U.S. Department of Energy, California Energy Commission, California Strategic Growth Council, and others. To learn more, visit gradientcomfort.com.
About Eversource
Eversource (NYSE: ES), celebrated as a national leader for its corporate citizenship, is recognized as the #1 U.S. utility on TIME’s List of World’s Best Companies for 2024. Eversource transmits and delivers electricity and natural gas and supplies water to 2.2 million customers throughout Massachusetts, including approximately 1.58 million electric customers in 159 communities, 647,000 gas customers in 125 communities, and 12,000 water customers in five communities. Eversource harnesses the commitment of more than 10,000 employees across three states to build a single, united company around the mission of safely delivering reliable energy and water with superior customer service. The #1 Energy Efficiency Provider in the Nation, the company is empowering a clean energy future in the Northeast, with nationally recognized energy efficiency solutions and successful programs to integrate new clean energy resources like a first-in-the-nation networked geothermal pilot project, solar, offshore wind, electric vehicles and battery storage, into the electric system. For more information, please visit eversource.com, and follow us on X, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. For more information on our water services, visit aquarionwater.com.
About ABCD
A nonprofit human services community action organization, ABCD provides underserved residents of Boston and the Mystic Valley area, with the tools, support and resources they need to transition from poverty to stability and from stability to success. Each year, the organization serves more than 100,000 individuals, elders and families through a broad range of innovative initiatives as well as long-established, proven programs and services. For more than 60 years, ABCD has been deeply rooted in every neighborhood and community served, empowering individuals and families and supporting them in their quest to live with dignity and achieve their highest potential. For more, please visit bostonabcd.org