Decarbonization Pathways

Decarbonization Pathways is a MassCEC pilot that seeks to develop and test a home decarbonization assessment for single-family and low-rise (i.e., three stories or less) residential buildings. The pilot will first develop a new and fully comprehensive residential decarbonization assessment protocol. Next, the pilot will perform the assessment on a diverse cohort of around 100 homes and help those homes create customized decarbonization plans. MassCEC also intends to offer incentives to help participants move forward with some or all of their decarbonization plan.

Program Goals

 The goals of Decarbonization Pathways pilot are:

• Create and test a model for comprehensive consumer engagement and home decarbonization that could be scaled by Mass Save® or another entity in service of achieving the state’s decarbonization targets as mandated by the Global Warming Solutions Act.
• Develop consumer facing resources and showcases to support homeowners and landlords that are ready and able to take action now to decarbonize their buildings.

The home decarbonization assessment will evaluate several areas — Energy Efficiency, Electricial Upgrades, Heating and Cooling, Hot Water, Cooking & Other Appliances, and Personal Transportation — with the goal to eventually eliminate the use of fossil fuels from the home, in addition to promoting efficiency.

Opportunities under the program

• Advisory Panel

  • Review and provide input on the decarbonization assessment protocols, recommendation framework, and customizable planning tool

• Lead Technical Consultant

  • Develop protocols for a decarbonization assessment that builds on the framework and successes of the Mass Save® Home Energy Assessment with an end goal of full decarbonization
  • Create a framework for the recommendations that will come out of the assessment based on the best available practices and technology that balances weatherization, electrification, and operating costs
  • Produce a structure for customizable individual decarbonization plans based on the recommendations from the assessment and the goals of the homeowner
  • Look for collaborators and team members on the Slack channel MassCEC has set up for this RFP

• Coming this fall: Apply to be the Implementation Vendor

  • Conduct decarbonization assessments and recommendations for homeowners
  • Provide support and assistance creating a customizable planning tool for homeowners
  • MassCEC will be releasing a Request for Proposals in August-September 2021 for interested applicants.

Program Development & Launch Timeline

Please note this timeline is subject to change and will be updated regularly as development continues