Man Installing Heat Pump

Green Tech Insights – Why ICAST is Electrified by Heat Pump HVAC

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Heat pumps for space conditioning and water heating are an increasingly important part of ICAST’s efforts to deliver economic, environmental, and social benefits in the multifamily housing market. Heat pump HVAC systems provide heating and cooling, transferring heat from one area to another rather than generating heat. They can be several times more efficient than conventional space heating and cooling …

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ICAST Experts Weigh In: Optimizing Health and Energy Solutions for Affordable Housing

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Max Wilkinson | Healthy Homes Program Manager Mr. Wilkinson helps design and shepherd ICAST’s efforts to improve home health for tenants in multifamily affordable housing. ICAST’s goal with every multifamily retrofit is to increase home health, safety, comfort, and affordability for low- and moderate-income tenants. We have a custom, whole-building approach—in other words, we identify and deliver the best solutions …

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Leveraging Available Incentives for EV Charging Infrastructure on Multifamily Properties

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by Ravi Malhotra NH&RA Tax Credit Advisor, June 2023 As demand for electric vehicles (EVs) intensifies, multifamily (MF) owners and operators are increasingly forced to explore their EV charging options. EV sales have soared, increasing by 67% from 2021 to 2022, and the U.S. Dept. of Energy (DOE) has adopted an International Code Council provision requiring apartment communities to provide EV charging …

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HUD Launches New Program to Pay for Multifamily Green Rehab

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The U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently announced the availability of  landmark funding through the new Green and Resilient Retrofit Program (GRRP) to support retrofits for HUD-assisted multifamily affordable housing (MFAH) properties.    The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) provided HUD with approximately $837M in grant funding and $4B in loan authority for the GRRP. This program simultaneously invests in utility efficiency, renewable …

TBL Fund Experts Weigh In: Driving Energy Retrofits in Multifamily Affordable Housing

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Lee Alexander | Finance Manager Mr. Alexander supports TBL Fund by developing and executing corporate strategic initiatives relating to risk and compliance to facilitate growth and to drive process improvements and operational efficiencies. A blog published through the U.S. Dept. of Energy’s Better Buildings Solution Center discussed the value of leveraging financing and renovation events to drive low-income multifamily housing …

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March 2023 Policy Blog

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Kristen Cheriegate  |  ICAST Policy Analyst ******************* U.S. Department of Energy Launches Community Power Accelerator Prize The Community Power Accelerator Prize is a $10 million prize competition designed to expand the ecosystem of community solar project developers by providing funding, resources, tools, and training to new and established developers. Eligible entities include U.S. community solar developers, including new developers, co-developers …

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Pursuing Green Projects: How Multifamily Affordable Housing Can Benefit from the IRA and BIL

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Pursuing Green Projects: How Multifamily Affordable Housing Can Benefit from the IRA and BIL  by Ravi Malhotra National Housing & Rehabilitation Association, February 2023 The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) dramatically expand opportunities for multifamily affordable housing to pursue green projects via cash rebates, tax credits and other incentives. The IRA is by far the largest investment in …

ICAST Experts Weigh In: What Virtual Power Plants Can Mean for Multifamily

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Nick Grahf | Demand-Side Management Program Manager Mr. Grahf furthers ICAST’s mission to drive economic, environmental, and social change by designing and implementing demand-side management programs. ICAST supported a large-scale virtual power plant (VPP) development at the Soleil Lofts property through its implemented Rocky Mountain Power Wattsmart Multifamily Program. These net-zero apartments utilize clean energy and are equipped with 5.3 …

Very High Efficiency Heat Pumps at an ICAST worksite

Update on ICAST’s Program to Deploy Heat Pumps in Multifamily Housing

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ICAST is nearing the end of its program to catalyze the mass adoption of very high-efficiency (VHE) heat pump HVAC systems and water heaters in multifamily (MF) housing, especially MF affordable housing (MFAH). It installs thousands of VHE heat pumps in MF and MFAH each year. However, with funding from the U.S. Dept. of Energy’s Building Technologies Office, it has …

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February 2023 Policy Blog

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Kristen Cheriegate  |  ICAST Policy Analyst ******************* White House Unveils New and Updated Tenant Protections On January 25, the Biden-Harris Administration announced new actions to increase fairness in the rental market and further principles of fair housing. The announcement includes, but is not limited to, the following items: The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) …