Condo Media - April 2014 - 34

VENDOR SPOTLIGHT

National Grid
Multifamily Retrofit Program Reduces Costs and Increases Property Values
by Pamela Schweppe

S

uppose there were a program
designed to help condominium
associations and individual unit
owners increase energy efficiency - and that it cost little or nothing
to implement. What reason could there
possibly be not to take advantage of it?
There is no reason - unless it's that
qualified property owners simply don't
know about it. And that's a situation
National Grid is seeking to correct.

utilities and energy-efficiency service
providers, of which National Grid is a
sponsor.
The process begins with a free onsite assessment by a National Grid
vendor, who then submits a proposal
with suggested "measures," or specific
changes to make the complex more energy efficient. These can include both
the association's common areas and

A Program Specific to
Multifamily Associations

While National Grid offers a host
of energy-efficiency programs for a
variety of dwelling types, including
single-family homes, low-income
housing, and new construction,
the Multifamily Retrofit program was
designed specifically to benefit multifamily facilities, including condominium associations of five units or more.
National Grid provides the service to
any multifamily condominium association whose residents have an active gas
and/or electric account.
Basically, the Multifamily Retrofit
program takes a holistic approach to
evaluating the association's energy
efficiency and offers solutions through
valuable incentives, rebates, and other
services. By helping associations and
unit owners make smart choices about
their energy usage, the program helps
to manage energy costs, enhance the
value and comfort of homes and businesses, and reduce greenhouse gas
emissions. The program is available
throughout Massachusetts through
Mass Save® - an initiative sponsored
by Massachusetts' gas and electric
34

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individual units, which the unit owners must sign up to implement. "After
the assessment, the association is told,
'You can get ABCD,' and they have the
choice of doing all, part, or none," says
Elizabeth Terry, multifamily program
manager in National Grid's office in
Waltham, Mass.
According to Beth Lonergan, Terry's
colleague in the Waltham office and
National Grid's manager of program
execution for New England, specific
measures offered to associations are
interior and exterior lighting services
- either replacement of incandescent
bulbs with a compact fluorescents or
a complete fixture replacement - as
well as weatherization services, such
as insulation and air sealing, programmable thermostats and occupancy sensors, and hot-water-saving devices, such
as low-flow showerheads and faucet
aerators. In addition to common areas,

such as clubhouses and TV rooms, pool
areas and association garages are also
covered by the program. Individual
unit owners who sign up for the program can opt for any of these measures
within their own units.

Too Good to Be True?

For associations and individual unit
owners alike, some measures, such as
cost-effective air sealing, are offered free of charge. For others,
"Usually there's a co-pay, meaning that whatever the cost of that
new lighting is, for example, they
would not pay in full, they would
pay a percentage of it," Terry says.
Another valuable service available to National Grid customers
through Mass Save is the HEAT Loan
Program, which allows customers to
apply for a 0 percent loan from participating lenders to assist with the
installation of qualified energy-efficient
improvements in their homes.
"Obviously, you have to qualify based
on credit, but you can finance the work
through the program," says Bill Footer,
senior program manager for Conservation Services Group, of Westborough,
Mass., one of the vendors who administers the Multifamily Retrofit program on
behalf of National Grid. "If they want to
install an energy-efficient heating system
or cooling system, they can access rebates through the Mass Save program as
well. That's separate from the multifamily program, but it's another offering for
the condo folks. There's a lot of things
they are eligible for."
If you think a program that helps
reduce energy costs is too good to be
Condo Media - April 2014

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