Multifamily Buildings Low-Carbon Pathways Program
Take a step-by-step approach toward implementing a low-carbon retrofit of your multifamily buildings and receive valuable financial incentives along the way. The Multifamily Buildings Low-Carbon Pathways Program offers four packages of incentivized energy upgrades that bring deep energy savings to major building systems. This guided path of building upgrades can help you achieve your sustainability goals.
How NYS is Helping Building Owners Go Electric
Access resources to incorporate low carbon upgrades into your building plans.
The Low-Carbon Pathways program is right for you if:
- You have any upcoming planned or potential building improvements and are interested in learning about available high-performance solutions
- You want to reduce operating costs and improve resident health and comfort
- You are considering electrification of your multifamily property
How it Works
Each of the four packages includes detailed guidance for each building system and a set of required upgrades, along with additional recommended upgrades to achieve even deeper energy savings and incentives to major building systems:
- Envelope – Install building envelope upgrades to meet specified area weighted U-value target based on climate zone and building typology and provide code-compliant ventilation for each bathroom and kitchen
- Ventilation – Provide balanced ventilation with heat/energy recovery to each apartment
- Heating & Cooling – Install heat pump technology for in-unit heating and cooling
- Domestic Hot Water (DHW) – Install heat pumps to provide 30-100% of DHW load, dependent on the existing systems
Building owners can install one or more of the four upgrade packages but are not required to install all packages to receive incentives. However, implementing all packages in a building will achieve higher levels of performance, at near-EnerPHit (Passive House Certificate for retrofits) levels, greatly improving resident comfort and achieving substantial savings on energy costs.
Implement each package one-by-one to make improvements over time, leveraging existing capital improvement points, such as equipment end of life and tenant turnover. This approach enables you to make upgrades on your timeline and build a path toward compliance with Local Law 97 and other building regulations.
Don't Have a Capital Improvement Plan? Not Sure Where to Start?
To help develop a capital plan that incorporates low-carbon improvements over time, NYSERDA offers Low-Carbon Capital Planning Support through cost-share incentives for an energy study conducted through the Flexible Technical Assistance (FlexTech) program.
Looking for a low-carbon retrofit strategy resource? The Low-Carbon Retrofit Playbooks 
map out low-carbon retrofit strategies for five common multifamily building typologies - garden style (1-3 stories), pre-war (4-7 stories), post-war (4-7 stories), post-war (8+ stories). Created by NYSERDA, Steven Winter Associates, and the Building Energy Exchange, these low-carbon solutions offer opportunities to maximize occupant comfort and energy savings through a transition from fuel to electricity-based heating, cooling, and hot water systems.
Available Incentives
Available Incentives
|
Measure Package |
Required Upgrade Incentives* |
Add-On Incentives** |
|---|---|---|
|
Envelope |
$3,750 per dwelling unit Bonus $1,250/dwelling unit if this is first package implemented and none of the other required measure packages described in this table have been implemented |
Air sealing: $50 per dwelling unit Steam upgrades: $250 per dwelling unit |
|
Ventilation |
$750 per dwelling unit |
Air sealing: $50 per dwelling unit |
|
Heating & Cooling |
$750 per dwelling unit In addition to any applicable NY Clean Heat incentives |
Air sealing: $50 per dwelling unit Induction stoves: $100 per dwelling unit |
|
Domestic Hot Water |
$700-750 per dwelling unit In addition to any applicable NY Clean Heat incentives |
|
*All required upgrades within a package must be implemented and adhere to measurement & verification and quality control protocols to receive the required upgrade incentives for that package.
**Add-on incentives are available when implementing recommended upgrades along with all required upgrades.
Eligibility Requirements
Eligibility Requirements
Eligible Buildings
- Existing multifamily buildings – open to both affordable and market-rate
- New multifamily buildings or those that have undergone substantial renovations must be in operation for at least one year prior to applying to this program
- Buildings with 5+ units where at least 50 percent of the building’s gross heated footage is residential space
- Must pay into System Benefits Charge (SBC) / NYSERDA Clean Energy Fund on their electric utility bill
Eligible Multifamily Owners and Property Management Firms
Must meet at least one of the following criteria:
- Own or manage at least 10 existing multifamily buildings
- Are a current member in at least one building owner or property management organization that meets semi-regularly or shares information among members, including but not limited to:
- Citizens Housing and Planning Council (CHPC)
- Council of New York Cooperatives & Condominiums (CNYC)
- New York State Association for Affordable Housing (NYSAFAH)
- Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY)
- Rent Stabilization Association (RSA)
- Urban Homesteading Assistance Board (UHAB)
Get Started
- Talk to a Provider. Before applying, talk to your provider about the program to see if your building is the right fit. If you don’t have a provider you are already working with, you can access NYSERDA’s network of qualified Multifamily Building Solutions Providers or FlexTech Consultants
- Review Program Documentation. Visit the Low Carbon Pathways Project Opportunity Notice (PON) 4701to review detailed information about the program with your provider, including requirements to participate and receive incentives.
- Contact Us. If you still have questions about a project, your eligibility, or the application process, email us at [email protected]