Multi-Family New Construction (5 or more units)

Design your building with energy efficiency from the start.
Project Managers on Construction Site
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The Sponsors of Mass Save® can help build energy efficiency into your new home from the ground up—lowering future energy and maintenance costs.

We offer financial incentives to promote the construction of high-performing, all-electric residential multi-family buildings within Sponsor service territories. Incentives are available for new construction buildings that meet program eligibility requirements, including qualifying for ENERGY STAR® and Passive House certification.

 

In alignment with the Commonwealth’s climate policy and goals, the Sponsors of Mass Save are discontinuing incentives for buildings that utilize equipment powered by natural gas, oil, and propane. Projects that include natural gas, oil, or propane equipment must be submitted for incentive processing by September 30, 2024, to receive incentives, with the exception of domestic hot water. Beginning July 1, 2024, new project registrations must meet the program’s new electrification requirements to qualify for incentives. See program Terms & Conditions or contact [email protected] for more information.

 




Building construction site and crane.

 

Multi-Family (5+ units)
Tier Base ENERGY STAR Passive House
Overview All-electric heating, cooking,
and clothes drying.
Fossil fuel DHW is allowable		 ENERGY STAR
Multi-Family
New Construction
(MFNC) v1.2		 Passive House

Performance Specification		 Low-rise: ≥15% savings above
baseline or HERS: ≤45
High-rise: Exceed baseline
ENERGY STAR MFNC v1.2		 Passive House certification
(Phius or PHI)

Incentives		 Low-rise: $1,500/Unit
High-rise: $1,000/Unit		 Low-rise: $2,500/Unit
High-rise: $1,750/Unit		 Both: $3,750/Unit
($750 Pre-Cert,
$3,000 Final Cert)
 Passive House adders
$5,000 Feasibility Study Incentive
Up to 75% Energy Modeling Costs ($500/Unit or $20,000/Project max)

Market Transformation adders*
Wi-Fi Connected Thermostat: $100/Unit
Induction Cooktop: $250/Unit
In-Unit Heat Pump Water Heater: $250/Unit
Centralized and Split-System Heat Pump Water Heater: $750/Unit
ENERGY STAR Certified Ground Source Heat Pump: $1,000/Unit
ENERGY STAR NextGen Certification (ENERGY STAR tier only): $250/Unit
DOE Zero Energy Ready Homes Certification (ENERGY STAR tier only): $250/Unit
High-rise Whole Building Infiltration Testing (Base and ENERGY STAR tier only):

ASTM E779 test results - 0.4 CFM/sf @75pa: $300/Unit
ASTM E779 test results - 0.25 CFM/sf @75pa: $400/Unit 

 

*The Market Transformation adders are designed to encourage participants to incorporate emerging equipment technology into their residential projects, to drive higher building performance while offering enhanced occupant experience. Adders are also available for advanced certifications from the Department of Energy and ENERGY STAR, which if achieved could qualify the building for 45L federal tax credits. Consult with a tax professional to determine eligibility. Market Transformation adders for multi-family buildings with 50 or more units are subject to Sponsor pre-approval.

 

 

  1. Confirm Eligibility
    View the Eligibility Tab to confirm the eligibility requirements.
  2. Register your Project

    [a] Low Rise buildings (3 stories or less):

    Contact a certified HERS Rater - contact an approved certified Home Energy Rating System (HERS) Rater to enroll your home for incentives. Your HERS rater can guide you and help ensure that you receive all the eligible incentives.

    [b] High Rise buildings (4 stories or more) or any multi-family building pursuing Passive House certification or with master-metered HVAC:

    Register your new construction multi-family project with this registration form and email it to [email protected]. Within a few days, an account manager dedicated to your project will contact you to proceed. If you have questions, please email us at [email protected].

     



  • Residential multi-family and mixed-use new construction, with 5 or more units, are eligible. They must:
    • Be located within a Sponsor’s service territory in Massachusetts.
    • Utilize all electric for space conditioning, cooking, and clothes drying. Domestic hot water equipment is allowed to utilize fossil fuels.
    • Customers are not eligible for individual equipment rebates through the Mass Save Heating & Cooling programs.
    • See Program Terms & Conditions for full details.
  • If you are interested in pursuing Passive House certification, please visit our Passive House Incentive or Passive House Training pages for more information.
  • If you are interested in whole-building infiltration testing for your project, please visit our list of approved firms to get started.