Understand the economics of Fossil Fuel Free construction.
It’s healthier, cheaper, and safer.
The most common objection to FFF construction is the (mistaken!) belief, amplified by some real estate and fossil fuel interests, that there is a cost burden to homeowners and developers. The opposite is true, but we still hear this concern even from allies who are new to the topic. With the updated Stretch code, DOER’s own data shows that all-electric construction is less expensive to build and to operate than gas construction, not to mention significantly better for health and carbon emissions. In addition, there are significant state MassSave and federal IRA (Inflation Reduction Act) incentives., making the economics for all-electric construction even more favorable. This paper from RMI is an excellent resource, demonstrating that “The new all-electric, single-family home has a lower net present cost than the new mixed-fuel home in every city we studied.” The MIT/Wentworth Institute of Technology report commissioned by the HBRAMA also showed that all-electric buildings are less expensive to build than mixed fuel. Link to the ZeroCarbonMA analysis of this report here.
In commercial construction, Built Environment Plus (BE+) has documented that for net-zero construction, 81% of surveyed projects reported less than a 1% construction cost premium to achieve Net Zero Ready. The Net Zero and Net Zero Ready building stock in Massachusetts exceeds 32.8 million square feet and is growing at an exponential rate. Multi-family and affordable housing’s combined 11 Million GSF are leading the way for Net Zero development in MA, comprising 44% of all residential Net Zero and Net Zero Ready square footage. The Lab/Tech/Science building sector grew substantially in 2023 to 9.3 Million GSF, making up the majority of the found Net Zero Ready space.
Passive House MA also has a report documenting the significantly lower total life cycle costs and minimal additional construction costs - see this new “Safe at Home” report.
Also see this excellent workshop sponsored by ZeroCarbonMA and BE+ on the updated incentives from Mass Save and IRA tax credits for net-zero construction, and what the utilities are doing to prepare for the increase in demand.