Maryland Energy Administration

Nonprofit Buildings

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The nonprofit sector consists of a diverse group of organizations that carry out a wide range of services that we all depend on. Energy costs are the second-highest operational expense for many nonprofits, behind only salaries. Lowering energy use can help nonprofits shift funds towards advancing their core mission and increasing activities geared to the communities they serve.

The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 gives tax-exempt entities, like nonprofits, equal access to clean energy incentives by introducing the direct pay (also known as elective pay) option. This allows qualifying tax-exempt entities to receive a direct payment from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), in lieu of a tax credit.

Incentives​

Maryland’s nonprofits or community-based organizations can tap into a range of state, federal, utility, and local incentives to help defray the costs of energy efficiency, electrification, or onsite renewable energy measures to existing or new buildings. The Maryland Energy Administration is committed to help building owners or operators understand the range of incentives that they may be eligible to receive. Questions may be directed to building.decarbonization@maryland.gov.  

State:
Federal: 
Utility: 
Local: 

Technical Assistance

  • Green & Healthy Homes Initiative (GHHI) Technical Assistance: GHHI provides a variety of technical assistance services to clients, such as community-based organizations; state, county, and city governments; and healthcare providers and payers. Offerings include programmatic capacity building; innovative financing; coordinated delivery of housing, health, and energy services; and healthy housing policy.
  • Maryland Clean Energy Center (MCEC) Procurement & Technical Assistance: MCEC provides procurement and technical assistance services for clean energy and decarbonization projects. 
  • Clean Energy to Communities (C2C Program): The C2C Program provides communities with expertise and tools to achieve their clean energy goals through in-depth partnerships, peer-learning cohorts, and expert matching.
  • Montgomery County Green Bank Technical Assistance Program (Buildings located in Montgomery County ONLY)
  • Montgomery County Benchmarking Ambassadors​ (Buildings located in Montgomery County ONLY): Montgomery County’s Department of Environmental Protection curates this list of stakeholders, volunteers, and energy service companies who have received an orientation to the County’s Benchmarking Law on how to properly benchmark in Portfolio Manager. Please note that inclusion in this list does not confer certification, an official endorsement, or approval from the Montgomery County Government or any of its agencies.​

Resources

  • Benchmarking: Energy benchmarking is the process of tracking a building's annual energy use and using a standard metric to compare the building's performance against past performance and to similar building types. Benchmarking improves understanding of energy consumption patterns; helps identify energy saving opportunities within a portfolio of buildings; and manages business bottom line through consistent data collection and tracking. 
  • Energy Audits: Conducting an energy audit is a recommended first step in a building’s electrification and decarbonization journey. 
  • ENERGY STAR Tax Credit and Rebate Finder Tool​: This tool helps homeowners find financial incentives for efficient appliances, such as heat pumps, heat pump water heaters, insulation, windows, and electric upgrades. 
  • Better Buildings Initiative: The Department of Energy's Better Buildings Initiative helps commercial and industrial buildings identify cost-effective energy and water efficiency solutions by barrier, building type, sector, technology, and more. 
  • Elective Pay Overview
  • Elective Pay & Transferability
Maryland Energy Administration
1800 Washington Blvd.
Suite 755, Baltimore, MD 21230
(410) 537-4000 | 1-800-72-ENERGY