Battery-Powered Lawn Equipment Program

In a first of its kind program, TRC is supporting Mass Save’s initiative to incentivize electric battery-powered lawn equipment – including mowers, chain saws, string trimmer and leaf blowers – to help Massachusetts residents and businesses reduce their carbon footprint.

 

Electric, battery-powered lawn equipment allows for skillful lawn and garden care without trips to the gas station or constraints of plug-in cords. As an added benefit, this equipment is quieter than traditional gas-powered models, and does not emit harmful pollutants. Now, with help from TRC, Massachusetts residents and businesses can earn rebates on the purchase of these energy efficient battery-powered lawn tools.

 

Beginning in March 2022, the Mass Save Program began marketing incentives on battery-powered outdoor equipment, such as mowers, string trimmers, chain saws, and leaf blowers, in collaboration with the Home Depot and other retailers.  TRC supported the design of this program through data analysis quantifying the environmental and economic benefits of transitioning from fossil fuel lawncare equipment to electric battery-powered alternatives.

 

TRC’s analysis measured how electrification of traditional fossil-fuel powered outdoor tools and equipment can reduce GHG emissions and other emissions that are harmful to health and safety.  The analysis showed that battery-powered equipment offers the added benefit of off-peak charging, allowing customers to reduce their operating costs through time of use (TOU) rates, as well as avoiding potential peak coincident system demand.  The combined emissions reduction and off-peak charging from battery-powered outdoor equipment will contribute to Massachusetts’s decarbonization goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

 

“Home Depot was thrilled when the Mass Save Program brought this opportunity to them as they envision batteries as the future power source in outdoor equipment. They look forward to participating in the first large scale program in the U.S.,” said Bill Codner, Director of Energy Efficiency at TRC.”

 

Since 2004, TRC’s Advanced Energy Practice has implemented the Mass Save Program, an upstream and midstream products program for multiple utilities in New England, including Cape Light Compact, Eversource Energy, and National Grid and Unitil in Massachusetts. TRC works with retailers, distributors, and manufacturers to provide customers with incentives on approved products, such as large appliances, water heaters, pool pumps, and other products. Through the Mass Save Program, incentives for battery-powered lawn equipment are now available to customers in local branches of Home Depot, Lowe’s, Walmart, ACE, True Value, and other retailers.

 

For more information, visit:
https://www.masssave.com/lawnequipment