Full Title: A Marketplace for Equitable Building Retrofits: How Lessons from Massachusetts Can Help Scale Decarbonization to Meet Climate Goals
Author(s): Eva Rosenbloom, Ella Mure, and Lucas Toffoli
Publisher(s): Rocky Mountain Institute
Publication Date: August 9, 2024
Full Text: Download Resource
Description (excerpt):
Decarbonizing existing buildings is challenging but necessary to achieve climate goals. To accelerate progress, we need to make energy retrofits more accessible, affordable, and commonplace. A viable market for decarbonization and a streamlined retrofitting process can help make these efforts more equitable and cost-effective today.
In recent years, RMI has focused on accelerating deep energy retrofits for affordable housing across Massachusetts to catalyze the growth of a viable regional market for building decarbonization by facilitating key “lighthouse projects.” These projects serve as exemplary models for eliminating on-site fossil fuels, maximizing efficiencies, reducing emissions, and enhancing comfort and health for low- and middle-income residents. This report outlines the progress in Massachusetts to date, synthesizing observations of the current market, including enabling factors for decarbonization such as extensive stakeholder engagement and knowledge-sharing platforms. They identify common challenges including difficulties with decarbonization assessments, financial barriers, and administrative burdens.