Maryland Energy Administration

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Historic Buildings

iStock-472028008.jpg A historic building can be an anchor institution and a tangible symbol of a community's interest in honoring its heritage and valuing its character and sense of place. 

  • The preservation of Maryland’s historic buildings and meeting our State’s climate and energy goals do not need to be mutually exclusive. Notably, adapting, preserving, and reusing existing buildings avoids the carbon emissions that occur during new construction.
  • Some evidence suggests that it can take between 10-80 years to offset the carbon emitted when replacing an existing building, even if the new building is highly energy efficient.
The Maryland Clean Buildings Hub (the Hub) is committed to help building owners and operators understand the range of incentives for which they may qualify. Sign-up for the Hub's monthly newsletter here.​ Questions may be directed to [email protected].

​General Funding Resources

The Maryland Clean Buildings Hub is committed to help building owners and operators understand the range of incentives for which they may qualify.  Please note that all rehabilitation projects must meet the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation to qualify for preservation incentives. 

Federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentive: Developers can use the Rehabilitation Tax Credit (often referred to as the historic preservation tax credit or historic tax credit) to rehabilitate income-producing, historic buildings. There is no cap on the amount of the Federal credit.
Historic Preservation Capital Grant Program: The Maryland Historical Trust’s Historic Preservation Capital Grant Program provides grants of up to $100,000 to nonprofits, local governments, businesses, and individuals for capital projects that promote the acquisition, rehabilitation or restoration, or predevelopment of historic properties that provide a public benefit. Energy projects as part of an acquisition or rehabilitation are eligible expenditures.
Maryland Historic Revitalization Tax Credit Program: Owners of certified historic properties in Maryland may be eligible to earn a state income tax credit on qualified rehabilitation expenditures, including energy improvements. Maryland has three different historic revitalization credits. One each for homeowners, owners of small commercial buildings, and one for major rehabilitations.
Historic Preservation Loan Program for Capital Projects: Nonprofits, local governments, businesses, and individuals may be eligible for the Maryland Historical Trust’s Historic Preservation Loan Program, which provides loan assistance for the acquisition, rehabilitation, or predevelopment costs of historic properties that cannot access traditional financing. Energy projects as part of an acquisition or rehabilitation/restoration are eligible expenditures.
African American Heritage Preservation Program: Provides capital grants to nonprofits (state and federal government entities may apply as nonprofits), local governments, businesses and individuals to assist in the preservation of buildings, sites, or communities of historical and cultural importance to the African American experience in Maryland.
Preservation Maryland Heritage Fund: Preservation Maryland’s Heritage Fund, in cooperation with Maryland Historical Trust, provides grants to projects that protect historical and cultural resources and that promote innovative demonstration projects that can be successfully replicated to meet Maryland’s historic preservation needs. Energy efficiency upgrades, as part of a greater project that meets the program’s criteria, may be eligible.

State Funding Resources

The following Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) grant and loan programs help defray the costs of energy efficiency, renewable energy, and electrification improvements to buildings. All grant applications undergo a Historic Preservation Review to ensure projects do not adversely affect historic properties.​

Commercial & Industrial Grant Program: This program provides eligible commercial buildings funding for cost-effective energy efficiency and conservation upgrades for existing, major renovation, and new construction projects that are above minimum code and performance standards and claim at least 20% energy savings.
Jane E. Lawton Conservation Loan Program: This program provides low-interest financing for cost-effective energy efficiency and conservation projects in commercial buildings.
Local Government Energy Modernization (L-GEM) Grant Program: This program provides incentives for local governments to undertake decarbonization planning, energy efficiency, clean energy, and electrification projects.
Commercial & Canopy Solar Grant Program: Grant funding for solar PV systems, and solar PV canopy systems over parking structures with integrated EV charging, that provide multiple uses for land and water installed at Maryland businesses, nonprofits, and other organizations. ​
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​​Building Decarbonization Resources​

The Hub​ invites you to explore the materials below to help guide your next steps. Use these resources to help move your building decarbonization project forward with greater confidence. Suggestions for additional resources can be directed to [email protected].​​​

National Park Service: Energy Efficiency, Sustainability, and Green Building Practices in Historic Buildings: Learn more about how many historic structures were designed with inherent energy-saving qualities including: operable windows; ample natural light sources; clerestory windows and skylights; wide, overhanging eaves; or heavy masonry​ walls and how these factors should be considered when evaluating the energy efficiency of an individual structure.
National Park Service: Weatherization of Historic Buildings: Covers weatherization, and how implementing cost-effective measures can make a building's envelope more energy efficient. Weatherizing a historic building requires undertaking measures in ways that have minimal impact on the historic building's design and materials.
National Park Service: Solar Panels on Historic Properties: Learn more about how to install solar panels on your building while also meeting the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation.
Maryland Historic Trust: Visit the Maryland Historic Trust's webpage for news, resources, funding opportunities, public meeting dates, and more.
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​Case Studies

Case studies offer examples for how property owners and operators can design their own decarbonization projects and serve as sources of inspiration to help motivate a transition to cleaner energy in facilities across Maryland. The Hub​ is dedicated to providing these types of materials in an effort to jumpstart project plans into action.​

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Maryland Energy Administration
1800 Washington Blvd.
Suite 425, Baltimore, MD 21230
(410) 537-4000 | 1-800-72-ENERGY