The Multifamily Energy Savings Project

The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) is engaged in a multi-year project to create or expand comprehensive building upgrade programs for market-rate and affordable multifamily housing through partnerships between utilities and the multifamily housing community. We provide program administrators with research on best practices for program design and implementation, direct no-cost technical assistance to improve their existing offerings, and a peer-to-peer working group to learn from one another’s experiences.

The Savings Potential in Multifamily Buildings

Multifamily properties, those with apartment or condominium buildings, present a tremendous opportunity for energy savings. Comprehensive, cost-effective energy efficiency upgrades can improve the energy efficiency of these properties by 15-30% and save $3.4 billion in multifamily utility costs across the United States.

With building owners and other multifamily stakeholders, utilities can shape their programs to better address the needs of this sector.

Note: This map shows the potential for energy savings from multifamily buildings by state. The darker shades indicate states where the potential savings from multifamily buildings represent a larger share of current residential energy consumption.

While multifamily properties hold the potential for substantial savings, policies and programs focused on improving their energy efficiency face numerous challenges. ACEEE is helping program administrators overcome these obstacles through research that highlights program best practices and strategies.