Boston pilot to support green energy retrofit of smaller, owner-occupied multi-family buildings

With a historic amount of climate-related funding available from the federal government  through initiatives like the Inflation Reduction Act, communities across the United States are experimenting with the best ways to drive down carbon emissions. The latest pilot program in Boston, which has notably launched a number of initiatives to reduce building emissions this year, will support owners of two- to four-unit owner-occupied buildings with funding as they retrofit and electrify older systems. The initiative is intended to help constituents modernize the city’s older, smaller housing stock.

“With almost 80 percent of Boston’s buildings requiring deep energy retrofits and decarbonization, our new Healthy & Green Retrofit Pilot Program signifies a pivotal movement toward achieving our city’s carbon neutrality aspirations,” said Boston Mayor Michelle Wu in a statement about the pilot. “By targeting the most common building type and preserving affordability, we are paving the way for a greener, healthier future for all Bostonians.”

The installation of heat pumps to either supplement or replace existing heating and cooling systems will be an important component of the program. Work is expected to include better insulation and sealing, improved ventilation, new appliances, air conditioning, and rooftop solar panels. 

The pilot will provide 10 building owners with an energy assessment from a qualified decarbonization advisor, who will identify specific retrofit opportunities tailored to their building. Then the city will award grants for the work in the form of forgivable loans of up to $50,000 per unit. Awarded buildings will also receive comprehensive energy assessments and construction management services. The pilot is intended to serve as a model for other communities. The lessons learned will be applied to communities elsewhere, and to diverse building types and sizes.

“By focusing on two to four-unit owner-occupied buildings, we are making strides towards reducing the carbon footprint of the city. Together, we are building a more sustainable and equitable city for generations to come,” said Sheila Dillon, chief of housing in Boston.  

The retrofit work and construction management services will be done by pre-qualified private general contractors who are already working with the Boston Home Center, which will oversee the projects.

“With our Green New Deal, Boston is making investments that directly deliver climate and quality of life solutions in an equitable manner,” said Oliver Sellers Garcia, director of Boston’s Green New Deal. “The creation of this new program is pivotal in creating a new model for equity-first multi-family housing electrification.  BHC is scaling up to become a decarbonization department, and this pilot project will provide important lessons and proof of concept for growth in the coming years.”

The pilot follows an announcement in March of another retrofit program, the Large Building Green Energy Retrofits Program, and an ordinance to adopt the Department of Energy Resources’ Municipal Opt-in Specialized Stretch Energy Code, according to a statement about the pilot. The Large Building Green Energy Retrofits Program targets large, aging, affordable housing developments in the City and is supported by $10 million in funding from the American Rescue Plan Act for energy performance improvements. The pilot “is supported with $5 million in ARPA funds and  will significantly improve the health, safety, and comfort for the owners and occupants of small multifamily buildings, while also creating jobs and reinvesting in housing and neighborhoods. The program will lay the groundwork for future, scaled-up efforts to upgrade the city’s housing stock and achieve decarbonization goals,” the statement says.