The multifamily housing sector offers unique opportunities for decarbonization. Uptake of energy efficiency measures in multifamily housing has lagged other types of housing, leaving significant unrealized energy savings on the table. Those savings can be captured with deep energy retrofits and renewable energy upgrades, which increases affordability for residents while in the long term helping preserve affordable housing by lowering operating expenses. Moreover, many multifamily buildings may be subject to
Maryland’s Building Energy Performance Standards (BEPS), which covers buildings 35,000 square feet and larger. Owners of covered buildings under the regulation are required to annually report their energy use and emissions.
Maryland’s multifamily building owners and operators 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 Clean Buildings Hub is committed to help building owners and operators understand the range of incentives for which they may qualify.
State:
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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.
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Residential Energy Equity Grant Program: This program combines the former Energy Efficiency Equity Program and Solar Energy Equity Program for the convenience of organizations serving residential buildings and is open to non-profit organizations and local government entities. It offers funding to support energy efficiency and renewable energy projects that benefit Maryland residents with low-to-moderate incomes.
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Open Energy Grant Program: This program provides grants for clean energy projects that do not fit the criteria of MEA's other grant programs.
Federal:
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Sec. 45L Zero Energy Ready Homes Tax Credit: Provides eligible contractors with a business tax credit for eligible new or substantially reconstructed homes that meet applicable ENERGY STAR home program or DOE Efficient New Homes program requirements. The amended 45L tax credit applies to qualified new energy efficient homes acquired after December 31, 2022, and before July 1, 2026
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Fannie Mae Multifamily Green Financing: Provides mortgage financing to apartment buildings and cooperatives to increase efficiency and reduce utility costs for multifamily owners and renters.
Local:
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Baltimore County Energy Conservation Devices Tax Credit: Offers assistance to single and multi-family residential property owners who utilize solar or geothermal devices that meet national safety and performance standards to heat, cool and supply electricity and to provide hot water for use in the structure. This credit applies only to the Baltimore County Real Property Tax obligation. Any other charges listed on your bill are not included as part of the calculation.
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Montgomery County Green Bank C-PACE Program: Authorizes private capital providers to provide commercial property owners with financing for qualifying projects and to collect the repayment through annual or semi-annual surcharges on the property’s tax bill.
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Montgomery County Electrify MC: A pilot project created to help residents transition from fossil fuels (oil, gas, and propane) in their homes. Electrify MC will provide residents with a one-stop option to help them electrify their homes.
Utility:
Looking for technical assistance for your multifamily building upgrades?
The Hub offers guidance and support to help Marylanders take the next step toward cleaner, more efficient energy solutions.
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Montgomery County Green Bank Technical Assistance Program Supports studies for commercial sector owners to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, including ASHRAE Level I, Level II, Level III/ Investment Grade audits and/or targeted analyses into benchmarking, energy efficiency, renewable energy (e.g., solar PV), electrification, EV charging infrastructure, and resiliency measures. Eligible property types include multifamily rental (market rate and affordable) buildings.
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Montgomery County Benchmarking Ambassadors Curated 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.
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.
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Benchmarking: 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.
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Energy Audits: Conducting an energy audit is a recommended first step in a building’s electrification and decarbonization journey.
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High-Efficiency Heat Pumps For Multifamily Resource Guide: This resource guide helps stakeholders overcome barriers to deploying high-efficiency technologies - such as heat pump HVAC and water heaters - in multifamily buildings.
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Condominium & Coops BEPS Toolkit: This resource provides condo and co-op owners, managers, and boards with actionable steps to help buildings meet BEPS requirements.While the resource was created with the Washington, DC BEPS in mind, many lessons are transferable to Maryland.
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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.
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Webinar: Combination Heat Pump Washer Dryers in Multifamily Buildings: This webinar, hosted by the New Buildings Institute, explores combination clothes washers and heat pump dryers, and their space- and energy- savings in multifamily design and building.
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Retrofit Playbook for Large Buildings: A living library of case studies, technical resources, and best practices to support high quality, low carbon retrofits. By using the solutions and strategic planning tools presented here, building owners and their teams can develop decarbonization roadmaps that create asset value, reduce emissions, and enhance the resilience of their assets.
