MassCEC accelerates the decarbonization of the buildings sector by supporting the most impactful, resilient, and cost-effective electrification technologies and approaches.
Massachusetts’ buildings sector represents the second largest source of the Commonwealth's greenhouse gas emissions.
MassCEC’s vision for the buildings sector is to reduce and ultimately eliminate these emissions from the 2,000,000+ existing buildings in Massachusetts and ensure future buildings have zero emissions.
Massachusetts 2020 Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Sector
To achieve this major transformation, MassCEC programs pursue these strategies:
Retrofit & Electrify Existing Buildings
Consumer Engagement
Innovation in Technology, Materials & Methods
Equity for Underserved Populations
New Business and Financing Models
Expansion of a Skilled Workforce
Current Opportunities
Green School Works Technical Assistance Services
The Green School Works Technical Assistance Services program offers support and resources to public schools in Massachusetts for decarbonization planning and the transition to energy-efficient buildings, aiming to reduce carbon emissions and achieve net-zero goals.
Northampton-Easthampton Electrification
The Northampton-Easthampton Electrification Campaign supports the electrification of small residential buildings (1-4 units) in Northampton and Easthampton, whether owned by moderate-income residents or by rental property owners.
Home Modernization Navigator
The Home Modernization Navigator assists owners and occupants of one- to four-unit residential buildings in reducing their homes’ greenhouse gas emissions through electrification, efficiency, and renewable energy projects. The program is initially being offered in Springfield and Lowell, MA.
Building Electrification & Transformation Accelerator (BETA): Project Planning
The BETA: Project Planning program gives commercial buildings and multifamily properties (15 + units) no‑cost, customized energy assessments and step‑by‑step decarbonization roadmaps—accepting applications on a rolling basis until a ~15‑building cohort is filled.
BETA: Roadmaps
The BETA: Roadmaps pilot program provides non-profit and public-entity building owners with a high-level overview of decarbonization opportunities aligned with building capital needs across their portfolios, with the target of zero-emissions building portfolios by 2050. The pilot provides actionable roadmaps that enable efficient, effective procurement strategies.
2030 Fund
This $50 million evergreen fund makes counter‑cyclical equity or venture‑debt investments—typically ~$500 k, up to $1.5 million—in early‑stage Massachusetts climatetech startups, helping them de‑risk technology, hit first‑customer milestones and crowd in follow‑on capital.
Recent Opportunities
Technical Trades Work and Learning Program for Employers
Support the next generation of clean energy workers by hosting high school interns from vocational and technical programs. MassCEC reimburses wages for eligible employers.
Request for Proposals: ADU Accelerator Demonstration
The ADU Accelerator Demonstration program provides technical assistance and resources to help property owners in Pioneer Valley build at least 20 all-electric accessory dwelling units (ADUs) using modular or panelized construction methods while creating a replicable resource center and support system for statewide expansion.
Request for Proposals: MASFA Solar Quality Assurance Provider
MassCEC seeks a firm with deep residential‑PV expertise to develop technical standards, review designs and inspect installations for the five‑year, $156 million Massachusetts Solar for All program; the contract is worth up to $1.3 million and proposals are due May 12 2025.
Request for Proposals: MASFA Educational Materials Provider
MassCEC will award up to $300,000 to an organization that can produce written and digital content for prospective Massachusetts Solar for All (MASFA) participants, contractors, and installers to increase understanding of MASFA program options and facilitate uptake of MASFA information.
Request for Proposals: MASFA Decision-Support Provider
MassCEC will award up to $2.7 million to an organization that can offer unbiased, one‑on‑one assistance to residents—explaining solar tech, incentives and ownership models—and steer them to the most suitable Solar for All financing pathway; proposals are due May 23 2025.
Green School Works Implementation Grants
Up to $52.5 million is available to help K‑12 public schools that serve a high share of low‑income students electrify and decarbonize their buildings; awards range from $50k to $5 million and may cover both hard costs and up to 15 % for design or project management, with applications due April 30 2025.
Small Residential Buildings
MassCEC is developing and demonstrating best practices for decarbonizing single-family homes and small multi-family buildings. We focus on the integration of weatherization and electrification to provide high-performing alternatives to fossil fuel use in a broad range of housing styles. In the case of the iconic, New England "triple-decker," we challenged architects and engineers to come up with innovative approaches to decarbonization that are now being piloted on actual buildings. Regardless of building style, we are targeting scalable approaches that can be adopted on a widespread basis.
Learn more about our recent activity:
Commercial and Multi-Family Buildings
Commercial buildings include a wide variety of building types, owned by private, public, or non-profit entities. MassCEC has ignited interest in PassiveHouse design techniques for affordable housing and other new construction. We’ve also offered technology-specific incentives that have jump-started markets in solar PV and heat-pumps for commercial buildings and familiarized building owners with their applications. Now we’re tackling the wholistic retrofit and electrification of commercial buildings to ensure that they will be resilient, healthy, and net-zero by 2050. We’re tying technical planning and resources with the development of financial products and structures that can bring these projects to fruition.
Learn more about our recent activity:
Consumer Engagement
Our Clean Energy Lives Here campaign engages homeowners and renters who want to decarbonize, electrify, save money, or just be more energy efficient.
On the Clean Energy Lives Here website, you’ll find information about
- weatherizing a home
- zero-emissions heating and cooling
- electric appliances and electric vehicles
- how to develop your own Clean Energy Home Plan
- finding qualified contractors
Equity & Community-Based Initiatives
MassCEC believes in the power of communities to engage individuals of diverse backgrounds, crowd-source ideas, leverage relationships, and work together on clean energy goals. We built a successful SolarizeMass program that engaged residents in 73 Commonwealth communities to put solar PV on their roofs, followed by HeatSmart and SolarizePlus campaigns that brought clean heating and cooling technologies to 15 more. Now we’re investing in communities and community-based organizations to help them explore, develop, and implement programs and projects that provide access to the benefits of clean energy for previously underserved populations. All Commonwealth residents need and deserve to be part of our collective clean energy future!
Learn more about our recent activity:
Financial Innovation
MassCEC understands that easy access to capital can be an important driver of clean energy adoption. Our Mass Solar Loan program demonstrated the ability of financing to bring solar PV to homeowners at all income and credit levels. Now we’re exploring innovative financing approaches to make electrification accessible to a wide range of building owners – residential, commercial, and non-profit. We’re seeking ways to leverage private capital providers to the greatest extent possible, while using public funds efficiently to expand access and drive forward-looking projects.
For information on all our work in high performance buildings, please check out the following: