Sustainability at Home

_{Rooftop solar on a Winchester home. Credit: Laura Turenne}

As a homeowner or renter, you can play an important role in making Winchester a sustainable community. As an overwhelmingly residential community, a large percentage - 38 percent - of Winchester's carbon pollution comes from residential homes, primarily for space heating. On top of that, 35 percent of Winchester's carbon pollution comes from burning gasoline in passenger vehicles. Combining residential buildings and passenger vehicles, fully 73 percent of Winchester's carbon pollution comes from the residential sector.

The good news is there are greener alternatives to heat your home and for transportation. In fact, the most important step you can take to reduce your contribution to climate change is to go all-electric: switch to electric space heating, cooking and hot water, and to electric vehicles. By going all-electric and choosing 100% renewable electricity (see "Green your Electricity" at left), residents can play an important role in Winchester's efforts to solve the climate crisis. 

By also conserving water, using sustainable landscaping practices, and recycling and composting, you can help make Winchester a truly sustainable community. For tips and tools, click on the menu items at left and keep reading!