Portland Building Energy Efficiency Grant
Portland Building Energy Efficiency Grant
Prosper Portland
ABOUT THE GRANT
The Building Energy Efficiency (BEE) Grant Program provides Portland small businesses and small commercial building owners with grants of up to $200,000 to fund energy efficient upgrades that reduce energy usage and cost, create health benefits, and increase business resilience. Administered by Prosper Portland and funded through a five-year partnership with the Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund (PCEF), the program serves both commercial property owners and small business tenants whose buildings or leased spaces are located within Portland city limits and are 40,000 square feet or smaller.
Commercial property owners can receive up to $200,000 (with a 25 percent owner match) to fund building-wide improvements such as insulation and building envelope upgrades, lighting, HVAC equipment, building-wide controls, and solar electric systems with battery storage. Small business tenants can receive up to $100,000 with no required match to fund energy efficient appliance and equipment upgrades such as refrigeration equipment, washers and dryers, manufacturing equipment, and food service equipment like stoves, ranges, and hoods. All funded projects must generate at least 20 percent energy savings, and the program prioritizes investment in high energy use sectors with strong savings opportunities, including food service, food sales, small manufacturing, lodging, and laundromats.
To qualify, small business applicants must have a current City of Portland and Oregon State business registration, employ 50 or fewer employees, and meet at least one social vulnerability or sector-based criterion (such as displacement by urban renewal, limited access to capital, being a first-generation college graduate, location in a low income census tract, or operating in one of the high-energy-use sectors above). Nonprofits, home-based businesses, mobile businesses (including food carts and trucks), and any building or leased space larger than 40,000 square feet are not eligible.
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NOTES
We haven't added commentary on this grant yet. In the meantime, the fundor's website (linkeded above) is the best source for application details and eligibility specifics.
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