Multifamily buildings play an important role in our clean energy future. In California, these properties house millions of residents, yet many still rely on technologies powered by fossil fuels for heating, cooking, and cooling.
Transitioning these buildings to clean energy can address these challenges while offering significant advantages. Electrification, in particular, provides a range of benefits, including:
- Lowering utility costs
- Increasing building performance
- Attracting and retaining tenants
- Improving tenant comfort and safety
- Reducing reliance on fossil fuels
Multifamily Energy Savings Program
MCE’s Multifamily Energy Savings (MFES) program is designed to accelerate the electrification and energy efficiency of multifamily homes. Electrification involves replacing technologies powered by fossil fuels, such as natural gas and oil, with cleaner, electric alternatives. By using clean energy, electrification reduces carbon dioxide emissions and helps combat climate change.
The MFES program tackles the social and economic challenges that often hinder energy upgrades in multifamily buildings, including both shared spaces and individual units. Common obstacles include high costs, the complexity of coordinating multiple stakeholders, and limited access to the expertise needed to evaluate and implement energy solutions.
Real Life Upgrades for Healthy Living
To close out 2024, MCE successfully implemented energy-efficient upgrades at a 32-unit multifamily property in our service area through the MFES program. This project was made possible through our partnership with Eden Housing and the Association for Energy Affordability (AEA). Eden Housing contributed their expertise in creating safe, sustainable, and affordable homes, ensuring the upgrades aligned with resident needs. AEA provided technical knowledge to assess the property’s energy requirements, and together we designed solutions to electrify this residence.
Each unit received brand-new induction cooktops and ovens just in time for hosting family and friends at the holidays. Induction cooktops represent the future of cooking because they’re safer, more energy-efficient, and faster than traditional gas ranges. A unique feature of these stovetops and ovens used in this project is their ability to plug into a standard 120-volt outlet, eliminating the need for electrical upgrades. The cooktops are also paired with battery storage, allowing residents to continue using them during power outages—a crucial feature for resilience and safety.
These innovations were key to making the project feasible. Conventional induction stoves would have required costly electrical upgrades, putting the project out of reach. To ensure residents could start using their new appliances right away, each household also received induction-friendly cookware as a bonus.
Additional energy-efficient upgrades included replacing outdated gas heaters in each unit with modern mini-split systems. These appliances provide both heating and cooling capabilities in a single device, helping residents stay comfortable year-round while reducing their carbon footprint.
The success of this project shows how the MFES program is making a real difference for residents and communities in MCE’s service area. By teaming up with partners like Eden Housing and AEA, we’re proving that sustainable, equitable energy solutions aren’t just ideas—they’re achievable. We’re excited to build on this progress and bring more projects like this to life across our service area and beyond.
