Buildings UP Phase 2 Winners

This blog was co-authored by Andy Winslow and Kelly O’Connell

Just over a year ago, NEEP kicked off the second phase of an extensive Prize “Coop-etition” called the Buildings Upgrade Prize (Buildings UP). The project is a collaboration of the Regional Energy Efficiency Organizations (REEOs), the Department of Energy (DOE), the National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL), a slew of technical experts, and 45 community-based teams. These 45 teams, which won the first of four possible sources of funding, all share one thing in common – a compelling, innovative, and actionable idea to launch a community-focused building retrofit initiative. Each phase of the Buildings UP Prize awards teams with money and technical expertise for moving their project closer to full scale implementation (Figure 1 shows the intention and timeline of each phase). Teams are encouraged to work together and share resources along their journeys, hence the term “coop-etition” instead of “competition.”

NEEP and the other REEOs serve as Regional Navigators (RN) for their respective regions of the country, providing teams with expertise and support in developing their initiatives and completing their applications. To see a description of each of NEEP’s nine teams, check out this blog. 

Over the past year, we worked extensively with our Northeast teams to apply for Phase 2 funding – the Planning Phase – and set them on good footing to apply for Phase 3 – the Pilot Phase. The conditions for Phase 2 were extensive, requiring teams to put together a capital stack (detailing where upgrade funding will come from), a building stock analysis, a workforce and supply chain analysis, a community engagement plan, and proof that the proposed efficiency and electrification measures are adequate for the community’s climate zone, to name a few. Teams also seized the opportunity to apply for more funding with the completion of an optional Innovation Bonus Prize, showcasing the unique elements of their initiatives.

Congratulations Phase 2 Winners!
We are excited to share that two Northeast teams were awarded the Phase 2 prize and three more are currently working towards resubmission. Congratulations to the City of Everett, Massachusetts and to the Urban Green Council on all their hard work! Here’s a look into their respective projects.

The City of Everett is collaborating with six local Community Based Organizations (CBOs) to develop their Electrify Everett initiative, which is leveraging Massachusetts state incentives and overcoming linguistic and cultural barriers to electrification. In partnership with La Comunidad Inc., the team is working on garnering utility support, hosting educational opportunities, and developing energy saving products to create healthy and decarbonized homes for frontline communities. 

The Urban Green Council’s Equitable, Carbon-Free Hot Water in NYC initiative is designed to jumpstart electrification in New York City’s large and aging low-rise multifamily building stock with a focus on heat pump water heaters. These upgrades will lower residents' energy bills and increase grid stability in the city’s Justice40 census tracts.

In addition to these two projects that advanced to Phase 2, three other teams are resubmitting applications and four more submitted applications for the first time on December 16. For more information on the teams and nationwide progress, explore DOE’s Buildings UP: Meet the Teams site and map.

NEEP’s Experience
NEEP has collaborated with the nine Northeast teams over the last year. to support their initiatives and we have fostered strong relationships with each of the teams. Through monthly check-ins, spur-of-the-moment technical assistance meetings, and quarterly regional calls, we have witnessed the hard work and collaboration that these teams put into their projects.

Our most recent Regional Quarterly Meeting in December was one excellent example of the “co-op-etition” nature of the prize. Each team shared enthusiastic support of the other initiatives through actively sharing solutions, resources, and learnings with each other. 

Relationship building is at the core of what we do at NEEP. The connections we are building in the Northeast through Buildings UP will not only strengthen our collaborative efforts regionally, but also nationwide. In the coming months, we look forward to continuing to support our teams to advance innovative approaches to retrofit programs. Teams will be awarded Phase 2 funding on a rolling basis through next summer as they meet requirements and are approved. If you would like to learn more about Buildings UP prize requirements, visit this website.  To hear more about NEEP’s engagement, please email Andy Winslow or Kelly O’Connell.