Financial Pathways

While building performance upgrades can help reduce costs in the long term, the upfront costs can often present a financial challenge for many buildings. Therefore, applying for financial support including rebates, incentives, tax credits, and grants is an important step in reducing the cost of building performance upgrades.

Two Massachusetts organizations ready to support your projects:

Mass Save

Commercial Building Electrification

Mass Save® is a collaborative of Massachusetts’ electric and natural gas utilities and energy efficiency service providers. The Sponsors of Mass Save are helping Massachusetts large existing buildings improve efficiency, increase comfort, and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.

Mass Save: Start Here

Get Started: For Business Customers | Starting point for most customer engagements

Get Started: For Residential Customers | Starting point for residential customer engagements

Sponsor Directory: For Building Professionals | Find the appropriate Mass Save Program Administrator contact to receive guidance on your customers’ energy efficiency and decarbonization projects.

MassCEC

High-Performance Building Resources

The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center accelerates building decarbonization with proven electrification technologies, financing solutions, and workforce programs that deliver immediate economic and environmental benefits to every Massachusetts community.

MassCEC: Funding

BETA: Project Planning (Rolling Applications) | MassCEC works with participants to explore and disseminate approaches to commercial building electrification and decarbonization.

BETA: Roadmaps (Rolling Applications) | This pilot provides non-profit and public-entity building owners with a high-level overview of decarbonization opportunities aligned with building capital needs across their portfolios. It provides actionable roadmaps intended to enable efficient, effective procurement strategies meeting their unique needs.

Building Decarbonization Planning Value Proposition

A building decarbonization assessment outlines a strategic and cost-effective implementation plan of improvement efforts to meet these goals.

Planning ahead will allow owner and operators to be prepared for system updates and take full advantage of the long-term benefits and risk mitigation associated with retrofitting.

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Financial Resources:

Existing Directories

U.S. Department of Energy Better Buildings: Financing Navigator

Boston Retrofit Resource Hub | See financial resource sections such as Tax Incentives and Finacing Options.

Building Electrification Accelerator’s Funding and Technical Assistance Directory | Current and upcoming federal, local, and state funding / technical assistance opportunities to support electrification, improve energy efficiency, and renewable energy in existing buildings.

For Various Building Types

PACE Massachusetts | Mass Development offers loans to finance building upgrades, paid back over time through energy savings.

Boston Only:

Building Decarbonization Advisor Program | Funds decarbonization planning services and technical assistance for eligible building owners in Boston.

Cambridge Only:

City of Cambridge Solar Assistance Program | Provides no-cost support to Cambridge businesses, non-profits, and owners of commercial and large residential buildings.

For Multi-family & Affordable

LEAN Multi-family | Provides funding for affordable multi-family building owners to implement energy efficiency upgrades, both gas and electric.

Affordable Housing Decarbonization Grant | DOER funds deep energy retrofits and decarbonization projects in affordable multi-family buildings.

LISC Climate Ready Housing | Funds deep energy retrofits and zero over time planning in affordable multi-family buildings. Massachusetts Housing Partnership, MHP, EOHLC

Green and Healthy Housing Programs | Massachusetts Housing Partnership offers first mortgage financing for affordable multi-family buildings.

Cambridge Only:

Electrify Cambridge | Funds building energy consultations for small to large residential buildings in Cambridge.

For Non-profits

Solar Upgrading Non-profits | Resonant Energy provides solar feasibility studies, financial analysis, and grant writing assistance for non-profit organizations.

Low Income Services Solar Program | Provides grants for non-profit organizations that serve low-income residents and environmental justice communities to install solar energy systems.

Boston Only:

Equitable Emissions Investment Fund | City of Boston grant program to fund building decarbonization for non-profit organizations, with a priority focus on environmental justice neighborhoods.

For Municipalities

Green Communities Grants | Provides funding for guidance, technical assistance, and local support to reduce energy use and costs through clean energy projects in municipal buildings, facilities, and schools.

For Food Sales & Service

MassDEP Commercial Refrigeration Grant | Financial incentives for retail food businesses, food banks, and non-profits to install climate-friendly commercial refrigeration equipment.

The Building Peformance Exchange is funded by MassCEC

Check out MassCEC’s High-Performance Building Resources