DOE Grant Program to Make Energy Efficiency Accessible to All

On September 14, the Department of Energy (DOE) announced a $450 million grant program for projects that create sustainable and replicable business models for retrofitting residential and commercial buildings. “Retrofit Ramp-Up” is intended to discover the most cost effective way to make hundreds of thousands of buildings and communities energy efficient across the country. “By encouraging partnerships between local governments and effective private enterprises, we hope tune-ups for buildings will become as accepted as tune-ups for cars,” said Energy Secretary Steven Chu. “These efforts will save Americans millions of dollars, reduce carbon pollution, and create new green jobs.”

Retrofit Ramp-Up will distribute grants in two ways. Innovative projects that create whole-neighborhood building energy retrofits will be eligible for up to $390 million. An additional $64 million will be available for local governments and state-recognized Indian tribes that were not eligible for earlier population-based grants under the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Program . Public comments are being accepted on the Retrofit Ramp-Up program until September 28 and the Funding Opportunity Announcement will be released in early October.

In the United States, buildings are responsible for 40 percent of the carbon dioxide emissions that contribute to climate change . Energy efficient buildings reduce emissions and utility bills. The upgrades to be developed through Retrofit Ramp-Up are estimated to save $100 million annually on energy bills for home and business owners.