The following announcement was provided by Catalyze:
Catalyze, a fully integrated developer and Independent Power Producer (IPP) of distributed renewable energy assets, announced that its 66 Galen project has been named a Top Project of the Year in the Environmental Impact category by the 2025 Environment + Energy (E+E) Leader Awards Program.
Catalyze has received recognition from the E+E Leader Awards for three consecutive years. The company previously won a Top Project of the Year award for its Amherst Community Solar Farm in 2024 and a Top Product of the Year award in 2023 for its integrated platform, REenergyze®.
66 Galen is a state-of-the-art life science facility in Watertown, MA, jointly owned by Davis and Boston Development Group (BDG), featuring modern, purpose-built offices and laboratories. Catalyze enhanced the facility by installing 252 kWdc of rooftop-mounted solar panels, a 125 kW energy storage system, and 15 EV charging ports on-site. These clean energy installations support the building’s LEED Gold certification and reflect a long-term commitment to sustainability. The building’s features also help support the local Watertown community and address the growing demand for renewable energy in commercial real estate.
“66 Galen demonstrates how commercial real estate can lead in sustainability by integrating renewable energy solutions,” said Jared Haines, CEO of Catalyze. “This project sets a new benchmark for sustainable development, showing how clean energy infrastructure attracts forward-thinking businesses while driving decarbonization.”
The project stands out for its innovative integration of solar energy, battery storage, and EV charging infrastructure. By co-locating these technologies, the building optimizes energy generation and storage while meeting the evolving needs of commercial tenants with strong Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) commitments. 66 Galen reinforces Watertown’s reputation as a leader in sustainable real estate, benefiting both local businesses and residents.
“The 66 Galen project exemplifies the future of sustainable real estate, seamlessly integrating renewable energy solutions with cutting-edge life science infrastructure,” shared one of the award judges. “By prioritizing solar power, battery storage, and EV charging, Catalyze has met ambitious climate goals and set a new standard for environmentally conscious development.”
And all that still won’t be enough to attract new start ups and other life science enterprises.
OTOH, it could be a good selling point when the developers try to unload that eyesore on potential buyer’s.
66 Galen Street demonstrates how commercial real estate can be so out of scale with its adjacent residential neighborhood that it gives the lie to its claims of environmentally conscious development.
Nothing against 66 Galen Street itself or Catalyze, but both are cautionary tales as well as success stories. The building is indeed an engineering marvel, and an improvement on the auto dealership that previously occupied the site—but it’s till only half occupied (according to its own website). Its construction is part of the glut of commercial real estate committed to biotech. Catalyze’s technology seems ideally suited for this project, but when I looked up their previous award-winning projects, I learned of their 22-acre solar farm in Amherst, NY. Little dispirits me more than a landscape paved with solar panels or littered with wind turbines. If we’re giving awards for that, I think we’ve lost the plot.