B2.10 Energy project grants
Secure grant funding for high-profile, innovative energy efficiency and/or technology projects on commercial buildings in the county.
Grants help make innovative energy efficiency or clean energy technology projects economically feasible by offering a direct subsidy that project developers do not need to repay. Most commercial energy efficiency grant programs are offered by utilities to fund clean energy projects. Publicly sponsored grant programs often target research and development of new and innovative energy technology. Most often, it is only State-level agencies that can offer grants because of the scale of funding needed to make a grant program effective, which municipalities can not often support.
New construction commercial and multifamily can qualify for Puget Sound Energy’s (PSE) commercial new construction grants. The incentives are for projects larger than 50,000 square feet are eligible, though smaller projects can seek approval from PSE, and the project must be in the design or construction phase. Grants are awarded projects that exceed energy code by at least 10 percent, and undertake measures such as installing energy-efficient equipment, reducing lighting power density, and conducting post-occupancy commissioning. Existing commercial buildings can apply for PSE’s commercial retrofit grants. The grants target lighting, HVAC, and other non-lighting retrofits, for which PSE will pay up to $0.35 per kWh of annual energy savings.
In 2013, the Department of Commerce (DOC) received $36 million capital dollars to create the Clean Energy Fund (CEF). Through four rounds of funding to date, the CEF received $150 million to invest in clean energy technology development and deployment. To date, the majority of funding has gone to R&D and grid modernization projects, but some funding has gone to revolving loan programs at Craft3, Puget Sound Cooperative Credit Union, and the Washington State Housing Finance Commission, which fund energy efficiency loan funds. The DOC Energy efficiency and solar grant program funds energy projects at public facilities such as school, universities, and state buildings.
In 2016, DOC received $5 million for the Ultra-High Energy Efficiency (UHEE) Affordable Housing Demonstration Project. Four projects with over 150 ultra efficient housing units received $2.5 million in funding.
A 2018 ballot initiative in the City of Portland passed with 65% of the votes and created the Portland Clean Energy Community Benefit Fund (PCEF), which will begin awarding grants in the Fall of 2020. While the PCEF will fund projects such as green workforce development and sustainable agriculture, the majority of grants will fund energy efficiency and renewable energy projects for residential, commercial, and school buildings. The PCEF is funded by a 1 percent surcharge on large businesses, which is expected to provide the fund with $54-$71 million/year.
The Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development High Performance Building Program provides grants and loans to eligible small-businesses and individuals for the construction or renovation of high performance buildings. Projects must meet or exceed Green Globes – 3 Globes or LEED Gold standards. Grants are capped at up to 10 percent of project costs or a maximum of $500,000, whichever is less.
In 2014, the Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority (PEDA) awarded $12.5 million in grants to 28 projects across Pennsylvania. According to the PEDA 2018-2019 annual report, as of 2019, 21 of the projects were successfully deployed and save an estimated 12,221 MWh per year. PEDA funded the grants through several sources of State funding that still have available funds, which PEDA plans to deploy in the coming years.