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Multifamily

Infographic demonstrating energy-efficient electrical machines powering a multi-family home.

Multifamily buildings in Maine can range from two-family homes to multi-story apartment buildings. This page is primarily a resource for larger multifamily buildings with three or more units. Energy-efficient systems and equipment can help landlords and tenants reduce energy costs, enhance comfort and improve safety. Efficiency Maine offers incentives for a wide range of efficiency measures.

If you have a smaller multifamily building, click here to learn about available incentives through Efficiency Maine’s residential programs.

Opportunities

FON-009-2025: Initiative for Electrification in New Affordable Multifamily Housing

Efficiency Maine is seeking applications for qualifying efficient HVAC heat pump systems in new construction of multifamily buildings that will serve low-income residents. Click here for more information. 

Solutions

Weatherization

  • Multifamily homes can take advantage of financial incentives for attic and basement insulation and air sealing. Upgrading a building’s thermal envelope can reduce heating and cooling costs and increase tenant comfort.  

    Basement Insulation

    • Defined as basement, crawlspace or other unconditioned space directly below a conditioned living area.
    • Basement must be air sealed prior to or as part of insulating the basement. This includes all penetrations between the basement and the first floor.
    • Upgraded by insulating:
      1. Basement or crawlspace ceiling (including sill and band joist) with either dense-pack insulation or minimum 2” open or closed-cell spray foam OR
      2. Foundation walls insulated from 2 feet below grade to underside of first floor (including sill and band joist) with minimum 2” rigid or closed-cell spray foam
    • Incentives are available for either basement/crawlspace ceiling insulation OR foundation wall insulation, not both
    • Batt insulation not eligible for incentives
    • Code-approved fire protection was added to foam insulation when applicable

    Attic Insulation

    • Attic must be air sealed prior to or as part of insulating the attic. This includes any penetrations between the attic and the floor below.
    • Attic must be insulated to one of the following levels:
      1. Open attic insulated to at least R49
      2. Enclosed cavities filled to capacity with dense-pack insulation
      3. A minimum of 5” of closed-cell spray foam
      4. Closed-cell spray foam applied to within 1.5” of the surface of cavities that were subsequently enclosed
    • Batt insulation not eligible for incentives
    • All exhaust fans must be ducted outside the building
    • Code-approved fire protection must be added to foam insulation when applicable


    Click here to learn more. 

Heating, Ventilation, and Air-Conditioning (HVAC)

  • There are efficient options for whole-building solutions, such as high-efficiency boilers or HVAC controls, and individual apartment systems, such as ductless heat pumps. Efficiency Maine offers incentives to upgrade to high-efficiency heating, cooling, and ventilation systems including:

    HVAC Solutions

    • Ductless Heat Pumps
    • Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) Systems
    • Heat Pump Rooftop Units (RTUs)
    • Energy Recovery Ventilators (ERVs)
    • And more


    Click here to learn more. 

Lighting

  • Tenants and landlords can reduce electricity costs while improving quality of light and safety by upgrading lighting systems. Efficiency Maine offers incentives on energy-efficient lighting solutions:

    Lighting Solutions

    • LED Retrofit Kits
    • New LED Fixtures
    • Exterior Lighting
    • And more


    Click here to learn more.

Water Heating

  • Multifamily homes can reduce water heating costs by upgrading to high-efficiency water heating systems and choosing a system that meets each building’s needs.
    Click here to learn more. 

      Appliances

      • Appliances, lighting, and electronics account for 30% of the typical household’s energy consumption, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Upgrading to high-efficiency appliances can help reduce apartment energy usage. Find out more about how much you might save by switching to high-efficiency appliances on the ENERGY STAR® webpage. Efficiency Maine offers incentives for clothes washers.
        Click here to learn more. 

      Benefits of Multifamily Upgrades

      How Landlords Benefit

      Landlords can save energy by upgrading heating, cooling and ventilation systems; interior and exterior lighting; water heating; and the building envelope. These efficiency upgrades can result in multiple benefits such as:

      • Lowered operating costs
      • Greater tenant satisfaction
      • Greater equipment reliability
      • Reduced maintenance and replacement costs for lighting
      • Reduced vacancy

      How Tenants Benefit

      Tenants can also reap the benefits of energy efficiency by choosing LED bulbs, high-efficiency appliances and heating systems. Some of the benefits include:

      • Lower energy costs
      • Enhanced comfort

      Other Energy Saving Tips

      For more energy savings tips and resources for landlords and tenants, click here. 

      Get Started

      Find a Qualified PartnerReady to upgrade your facility with high-efficiency equipment and appliances? Work with an Efficiency Maine Qualified Partner in order to be eligible for these incentives. See our Qualified Partner video for more information on this process.

      Click here to find a Qualified Partner working near you. If you work with a contractor that is not yet a Qualified Partner, urge your contractor to find out more information here. As part of the project approval process, you will accept the C&I Prescriptive Program’s Terms and Conditions. If you’re interested in becoming a Qualified Partner, click here to see our Become A Qualified Partner page.

      If you’re interested in getting started with an energy efficiency project in your business but don’t know where to start, you can sign-up for a virtual customer consultation here.

      Additional Information and Resources

      Don’t see your energy solution listed above? Efficiency Maine offers incentives for site-specific energy solutions such as custom HVAC solutions. Click here for more information on the Custom Program.