ICAST Experts Weigh In: Green Upgrades – Customer Satisfaction and Keeping Costs Low

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By Rob Foley | Technical Solutions Specialist  Mr. Foley supports the organization with his expertise in energy auditing, capital need assessments, and energy modeling.   New incentives from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) have elevated high-efficiency heat pump HVAC technology in our news feeds and conversations. ICAST has been promoting and installing these systems for years because we recognized their potential …

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Accessing Federal and Utility Incentives for Green Projects

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By Ravi Malhotra / NH&RA Issue: April 2023 The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) provided the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) $3.2 billion for the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP). This is on top of the ongoing ~$1.6 billion allocation (the standard WAP allocation independent of the BIL money for WAP) over the next five years. The BIL funds allow for some …

ICAST Experts Weigh In: What We Can Learn from Other Countries About Scaling Heat Pump Technology

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Jeff Hargis | ICAST Senior Technical Project Manager  Mr. Hargis supports the organization by leveraging his expertise in energy efficiency, distributed energy resources, and project management to help drive ICAST’s green retrofit projects.   Heat pumps for space and water heating are receiving growing attention in the U.S. as a means of cutting greenhouse gas emissions and reducing utility costs. More …

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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 …

Renewable or clean energy generation prices and costs, financial concept : Green eco-friendly symbols atop coin stacks e.g. energy efficient light bulb, a battery, a solar cell panel, a wind turbine.

Clean Energy Financing Insights – Why Green Retrofits Offer Better Bang for the Buck

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It is understandably challenging for cost-constrained multifamily affordable housing (MFAH) property owners and managers to spend their carefully budgeted dollars on unfamiliar green tech (e.g., heat pump-based HVAC) vs. familiar technologies with lower upfront costs. While “going green” can be expensive, traditional or “business as usual” retrofits have limited benefits. They may solve an immediate problem (e.g., addressing/replacing failed HVAC …

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Leveraging Federal, State, and Utility Incentives to Fund Solar

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By Ravi Malhotra / Tax Credit Advisor May 2023 With the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), the business case for solar-for-multifamily affordable housing is the best it’s ever been. Multifamily properties can leverage Solar Photovoltaic (PV) (and energy storage) to cut utility bills and/or bridge financing gaps.  The IRA increases the baseline Solar Investment Tax Credit …

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Case Study: Energy Retrofits in New Mexico

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Case Study: Energy Retrofits in New Mexico By Mark Fogarty / NH&RA Issue: April 2023 Solar Panels Come with Home Improvements  Residents at three public housing authority properties for Santa Fe County in New Mexico are happy to see solar panels installed on the roofs of their projects, as the arrays also come with 16 additional upgrades for the tenants. The …

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Green Retrofits Signal the Future in Cities’ Push Towards Decarbonization

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Green Retrofits Signal the Future in Cities’ Push Towards Decarbonization By Abram Mamet / NH&RA April 2023 Green Retrofitting in Practice  Well-considered and meaningfully executed retrofits have become increasingly important as communities across the country seek out effective climate resilience strategies. States like Massachusetts, New York, Illinois and Pennsylvania are at the forefront of that movement, having each enacted legislation or …

ICAST Experts Weigh In: Available Federal Tax Credits, Incentives, and Grants for Underserved Communities

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ICAST Experts Weigh In: Available Federal Tax Credits, Incentives, and Grants for Underserved Communities  By Ravi Malhotra: Founder and President| Mr. Malhotra’s focus is finding financially sustainable models to solve the affordable housing crisis while tackling climate change. He manages the design and implementation of all ICAST programs and initiatives. Kristen Cheriegate: Senior Policy Analyst | Ms. Cheriegate navigates ICAST through …

ICAST Secures Contracts to Grow its Clean Energy Efforts in Underserved Communities

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ICAST Secures Contracts to Grow its Clean Energy Efforts in Underserved Communities ICAST has been busy forming new partnerships with federal and state agencies, utility companies, and others to deliver clean energy retrofits in multifamily affordable housing (MFAH). It has also been working with its existing partners to act on new opportunities. A few highlights of ICAST’s recent efforts are …