Build in the savings...
Cape Light Compact offers two paths to help you save energy and money. For both paths, you will want to make sure you reach out early on in the planning of your project to make sure you don't miss out on savings opportunities.
The Residential New Construction path offers financial incentives to make newly constructed homes more energy-efficient than typical code-built homes.
- Residential new construction homes are defined as being three stories or less.
- We also offer enhanced incentives for multi-family homes that achieve Passive House accreditation. Please visit our Passive House incentives and training pages for more information.
The Renovations and Additions path provides incentives for incorporating energy efficiency upgrades to the renovations and/or additions of existing homes. Here's what you need to know:
- Renovations consist of 50% or more of the original home undergoing renovation. Additions meet a minimum of 500 square feet total floor area.
- A Sponsor representative or third-party verifier conducts a preliminary site visit at your home prior to the start of construction or demolition.
New homes, renovations, and additions on Cape Cod or Martha’s Vineyard are eligible to apply for incentives. Additional incentives including no-cost light-emitting diodes (LEDs) bulbs, heating and hot water systems, and central air conditioning are also available through this program.
Your home energy project may also be eligible for a 0% Mass Save HEAT Loan.
Find details of how each path works below
Renovations and Additions Path
How to participate:
- Get Started. Fill out the Interest Form. Within a few days, a representative will contact you to proceed. If you have questions, please call us at 1-800-628-8413 or email RenovateAddMA@icf.com.
- Want to work with a third-party verifier or HERS rater? Contact one of our third-party verifiers to get started instead.
- Schedule a preliminary site visit prior to the start of construction or demolition of your home. A Sponsor representative or third-party verifier will schedule a preliminary site visit at your home.
- During the preliminary site visit, A Sponsor representative or third-party verifier will perform a baseline evaluation, review your plans, estimate possible energy savings, and may recommend additional energy efficiency upgrades. This visit takes 1-2 hours.
- Receive a preliminary report. Customers typically receive an estimate of the savings and incentive amount after the preliminary site visit.
- Schedule insulation inspection. If you are installing new insulation, contact a Sponsor representative or third-party verifier to schedule your insulation inspection, or to receive instructions on how to complete a remote inspection. Please ensure you schedule this inspection to take place once the insulation work is complete but before the wallboard has gone up. In lieu of an onsite inspection, you may be eligible for a virtual inspection.
- Schedule a final inspection. As you near completion, set up a final site visit with your Sponsor representative or third-party verifier. They will finalize all the details, and your final inspection typically takes about 30 minutes.
- Receive your incentive. After the final inspection is processed, you’ll receive an incentive completion notification and post-participation survey via email. Within 10–12 weeks of your final inspection, you’ll receive an incentive check in the mail.
Have a question? We're here to help:
Ready to get started? Contact us today:
-
- Give us a call: 800-628-8413
- RenovateAddMA@icf.com for more information.
New Construction Path
How it works:
Participants work with approved HERS (Home Energy Rating System) companies to enroll their homes for our incentives. Your HERS rater can guide you and help ensure that you receive all the eligible incentives.
How we calculate incentives
To be eligible for incentives, the home must meet minimum energy savings requirements. Incentives are determined by the amount of electric savings, fuel savings (natural gas, propane, or oil), and overall performance compared to the average new home in Massachusetts. Read more about how to receive incentives on a Pay for Savings basis.
All-Electric Home Incentive
Single Family 1 - 4 Unit Homes
The Sponsors of Mass Save® have launched a new initiative to drive market transformation in residential new construction toward high-performing, all-electric homes. We are offering incentives up to $40,000, as well as technical assistance to support builders, developers, and homeowners in the construction of new homes that will use substantially less energy than code-built homes, while providing enhanced comfort and long-term resiliency.
What Is an All-Electric Home?
These homes use high-performance heat pump technology for heating, cooling, and water heating. They feature super-insulated building envelopes that minimize heat loss, leaks, and drafts to maximize energy efficiency. All-electric homes are designed to increase comfort and indoor air quality, reduce energy and maintenance costs, and provide sustained home value over time.
What Determines Incentive Eligibility?
To qualify for the All-Electric Home incentive, homes must meet the criteria of either Level 1 or Level 2 performance requirements.
| Component | Level 1 | Level 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Energy savings percentage or HERS Index Score | Savings ≥ 30% or HERS Index Score ≤ 45* | Savings ≥ 50% or HERS Index Score ≤ 35* |
| Heat pump for space heating † | Required | Required |
| Heat pump for water heating | Optional | Required |
| All-electric cookware | Required | Required |
| Infiltration rate (ACH) | ACH50 ≤ 1.5 | ACH50 ≤ 1.0 |
| Balanced ventilation systems (HRVs & ERVs) | Required | Required |
| Continuous envelope insulation ‡ | Optional | Required |
| Electric vehicle-ready checklist | Required | Required |
| *The HERS Index Score is calculated without factoring in on-site generation. †Installed air-source heat pumps must be on the Mass Save Heat Pump Qualified Product List. ‡Level 2 requirement applies to whole home (i.e., slab, slab edge, foundation, exterior walls, and roof assemblies. |
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What Are the Incentives?
The incentives for high-performance, all-electric new construction homes depend on the number of individually metered dwelling units on the premise. For homes with two or more units, all units must meet the same level of eligibility requirements. Incentive amounts are per building.
How Do I Apply for Incentives?
You must work with a HERS (home energy rating system) rating company approved by the Sponsors of Mass Save. Your HERS Rater must enroll the project before construction begins and conduct all the mandatory inspections and verifications of the home to ensure that you have met all eligibility requirements.
| Home Type | Level 1 | Level 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Single-family | $15,000 | $25,000 |
| 2-unit dwelling | $17,500 | $30,000 |
| 3-unit dwelling | $20,000 | $35,000 |
| 4-unit dwelling | $22,500 | $40,000 |
Training
The Sponsors of Mass Save, in partnership with Passive House Massachusetts, have launched a Passive House & All-Electric Homes Training offer to support workforce development and market transformation in the energy efficiency and building construction industries. Our goal is to enhance the skill set of the energy efficiency workforce in Massachusetts. This training offer creates a cost-effective pathway for business partners to invest in workforce training and professional development. A multi-pronged training approach offered by the Sponsors of Mass Save will minimize, and in many cases, eliminate, the cost burden to participants.
Passive House
Multi-Family 5+ Units
The Sponsors of Mass Save® have launched a new way to drive market transformation in the energy efficiency industry to meet and exceed energy-savings targets across Massachusetts. We are offering incentives and assistance to support the construction of multi-family buildings (five units or more) with deep energy savings. Certification and performance incentives are available to assist builders and developers in achieving Passive House certification or similar levels of efficiency.
What is Passive House?
Passive House refers to the ultimate goal in high-efficiency design: buildings that minimize energy consumption and have added comfort and durability features. The Passive House Institute US (PHIUS) and the Passive House Institute (PHI) have established two independent standards and provide certifications for such buildings: the PHIUS+ Passive Building Standard and the international Passive House Standard.
High-efficiency incentives available
The Sponsors of Mass Save support Passive House and related high-efficiency construction in Massachusetts through enhanced incentives. We offer incentives for multi-family buildings that achieve certification through PHIUS or PHI and those that pre-certify and build to high efficiency without obtaining certification.
Design and Performance Incentives
The Sponsors of Mass Save offer incentives for super-efficient shell or building envelope designs and optimized energy systems. We will follow the incentive structure detailed below and offer incentives for pre- and post-construction activities once all requirements are met. If you qualify for the Passive House incentive offering, it will replace the standard incentives.
| Passive House Incentive Structure for Multi-Family (5 units or more) | |||
| Incentive Timing | Activity | Incentive Amount | Max. Incentive |
| Pre-Construction | Feasibility Study | Up to 100% Feasibility costs | $5,000 |
| Energy Modeling | 75% of Energy Modeling costs | $500/Unit, max. $20,000 | |
| Pre-Certification | $500/unit | N/A | |
| Post-Construction | Certification | $2,500/unit | |
| Net Performance Bonus | $0.75/kWh | ||
| $7.50/therm | |||
The Net Performance Bonus is calculated by determining the final pay for savings
incentives and subtracting the pre- and final certification incentives. The result is the
Net Performance Bonus.
Projects that pre-certify but do not achieve certification are eligible for the
pre-certification incentive and Net Performance Bonus.
Projects over 100 units must be pre-approved by the applicable Sponsors of Mass Save.
Passive House Trainings
The Sponsors of Mass Save, in partnership with Passive House Massachusetts, provide Passive House trainings to support workforce development and market transformation in the energy efficiency and building construction industries. Please contact us at multifhr@icf.com for more information.
CLC Enhanced Incentives
Low- and Moderate-Income Projects
Cape Light Compact is now offering enhanced incentives to encourage construction of high-efficiency, all-electric affordable housing projects. Eligible projects must have at least 51% of units deed-restricted to either low-income households (income maximum of 60% of State Median Income) or moderate-income households (income maximum of 80% of State Median Income).
Incentives
- High-efficiency HVAC: Low-income site heating system incentive up to 100% of the cost; moderate-income sites at up to 80% of cost, subject to pre-approval and Enhanced Incentive budget availability.
- Envelope: The Compact will pay 100% for weatherization measures above the baseline of the User Defined Reference Home (UDRH).
- O&M Costs: HVAC maintenance covered up to maximum of 3 years, depending on site specifics, and subject to approval.
- Engineering Study Funds: $2,000 per unit, up to $60,000 based on 3 quotes.
Other Requirements/Stipulations
- Project must participate in the Mass Save Residential New Construction Program.
- Project must be deed-restricted at or below the eligible income levels for a minimum of 25 years.
- Developers must agree to work with CLC evaluation, including possible monitoring.
- Contractor(s) must be certified for multi-family buildings.
- Detailed plans and cost proposal for covered measures must be made available to CLC for independent technical review and approval prior to any commitment from CLC.
- A satisfactory post-installation inspection of HVAC and Envelope must be completed by CLC’s engineering vendor prior to the release of incentive funds.
- The total of program incentives and other grant funds must not exceed 100% of project costs.
- Incentive offering valid for 3 years.
Program Contact: Meredith Miller, Cape Light Compact. mmiller@capelightcompact.org