North Adams Public Library gets grant to install solar and geothermal devices when library is renova

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The North Adams Public Library has received a Green Building Grant of more than $175,000 to incorporate environmentally friendly solar and geothermal components in the $4.3 million renovation and expansion of the facility. The Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MTC) awarded the grant. “We’re very pleased,” said Library Director Marcia Gross. “It’s going to make the building energy efficient and environmentally friendly, because a bigger building is going to cost more money to heat and etc.” “With the energy-saving features it may not cost any more. It may cost less,” she added. “So that’s something to look at — not just the cost of the expansion project, but the cost of maintaining this building afterwards.” The solar component would generate part of the facility’s electricity need, and the geothermal component would be used for heating and cooling. “I’d say we’re tremendously excited to receive this grant notification, because a lot of hard work’s gone into it,” said Library Trustee Richard Markham. “We’ve had a lot of help from the people in the area who are interested in renewable energy, and this will help North Adams Public Library become a showplace for this new technology.” This might be called part of the one-piece-at-a-time acquisition of funding for the library renovation and expansion. “I’d say this is a very significant piece,” said Markham, “because we’re trying to patch together all of these grants and commitments from the state...and private donations. And this was key to getting the project underway.” Gross said it would take no more than 10 years, perhaps as few as eight, for the solar (photovoltaic) and geothermal components to pay for themselves in savings, depending on the cost of electricity. Consultants have concluded that “two wells, each 1,500 feet deep, would be adequate to heat and cool the building. Photovoltaic panels installed on the flat roof of the addition, will generate at least 12 [kilowatts] of electricity.” Other environmentally friendly features of the facility would be flow-restrictor faucets, low-consumption toilets, time clock lighting controls, and lights controlled by motion sensors. "Energy efficient buildings help reduce the strain on resources while providing healthier environments for workers and lowering building operation costs,” wrote Mitchell Adams, MTC executive director, to state Sen. Andrea F. Nuciforo Jr., who announced the grant last Friday. An attempt to reach an MTC spokesman for further comment Monday was unsuccessful. The Massachusetts Green Buildings Initiative, launched in March 2002, provides competitive awards to fund the planning and construction of renewable technologies in all types of green buildings. The initiative selects awards from two separate categories of applicants: public and tax-exempt non-profit organizations, and private and other non-profit organizations. Library officials may find out soon if funding will be provided for the major state grant the city has received to pay for the library project. “November 7th is the next meeting where they’ll be deciding how to parcel out the $75 million that’s been set aside for library construction,” Markham said. “So we’re still hopeful that they’ll release those funds, because...the grant was approved. Now we need the funds to fund the grant.”
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North Adams Lifts Boil Water Order for Most of City

Staff Reports
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The city has lifted a boil water order — with several exceptions — that was issued late Monday morning following several water line breaks over the weekend. 
 
As of 2:20 p.m., repairs have been completed, and water tests have shown no presence of total coliform or E. coli bacteria, according to the mayor's office. 
 
However, the state Department of Environmental Protection has continued the boil water requirement for buildings affected by the breaks: 40 Main Street, 10 to 36 American Legion Drive, and 40 American Legion Drive; and 74 to 264 State Road, and 15 to 57 Biltmore Ave.
 
Those areas were directly affected by a water line break on American Legion Drive and one on State Road. 
 
These properties remain under an order to boil water or use bottled water for drinking, making ice, food preparation, brushing teeth, and washing dishes.
 
"Since the initial public notification, we have made repairs and utilized an interconnect between our High and Low Service Areas, increasing pressures throughout the system. Bacteria samples were collected on December 15, 2025, at areas affected by low pressure," a statement from the Water Department reads. 
 
"Repairs are underway to restore water to the remaining affected areas. Bacteria samples will be collected once water is restored. We will notify these affected areas when it is no longer necessary to use boiled or bottled water."
 
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