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American-Made Challenges

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Buildings Upgrade Prize

Supports actionable and scalable solutions to advance energy efficiency and efficient electrification upgrades in existing U.S. buildings.
Energy, Environment & Resources Government
stage:
Open for Phase 1 Applications
prize:
$22,000,000+
Energy, Environment & Resources Government
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Summary
Timeline
Updates14
Upcoming Webinars & Recordings
Forum19
Teams1.3K
Entries
Resources
FAQ
Summary
Overview Guidelines

Overview

Upgrading existing buildings to efficiently run on clean energy will help address climate change.  Building upgrades may include transitioning to efficient electric equipment, including heat pumps and heat pump water heaters, and improving building efficiency through measures such as insulation and air sealing. Together, efforts will help reduce carbon emissions and energy costs, while improving indoor air quality and occupant comfort.

Developed by the U.S. Department of Energy Building Technologies Office (BTO), Buildings UP aims to build capacity to rapidly and equitably transform U.S. buildings. Teams will submit innovative concepts to leverage the billions of dollars available through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), utility rebate programs, and many other funding sources, capitalizing on this once-in-a-generation opportunity to equitably transform a wide variety of buildings across diverse geographies. As teams progress through the prize, they will receive cash prizes and technical assistance to help bring their ideas to life. 

Upcoming Webinars

  • 2/21/23: Application Support Informational Webinar 12pm ET - Register Here
  • 3/1/23: Informational Webinar 3pm ET - Register Here
    • Following the main informational webinar, we will be joined by our partners at Elevate to learn more about the Application Support Bonus Prize. 
  • 3/4/23: Application Support Informational Webinar 3 pm ET - Register Here

See full schedule on the Upcoming Webinars Tab. 

Prize Structure 

Phase 1: Concept

Teams may apply to one of two pathways: Equity-Centered Innovation or Open Innovation. 

Equity-Centered Innovation Pathway 

Teams will propose a concept to deliver scalable and replicable upgrades to buildings in disadvantaged communities, low- and moderate-income households, and underserved commercial, nonprofit, and public buildings. Phase 1 Equity-Centered Innovation winners will each receive a $400,000 cash prize.

Open Innovation Pathway

Teams will propose a concept for replicable and scalable solutions that addresses a geographic area or building type. Phase 1 Open Innovation winners will each receive a $200,000 cash prize.

Winners of both pathways will be eligible to advance to Phase 2 and access technical assistance. 

Application Support Prize

Up to 50 winning teams will be awarded $5,000 and up to 10 hours of technical support through the Application Support Prize. Applicants are intended to be those who might not otherwise have the staff capacity, time, or expertise to submit a full Phase 1 submission. The primary competitors for the Application Support Prize are first-time applicants for BTO funding and community-based organizations (CBOs) representing or serving areas with equity-eligible buildings. Application Support Prize submissions will be reviewed and awarded monthly from February through May 2023, until funds are expended.

 

Subsequent phases are planned to offer similar prizes, subject to future funding.

 

Who Is Eligible To Compete? 

The competition is open to community-based organizations, local governments, tribes, building owners, utilities, nonprofit organizations, energy efficiency program implementers, and other organizations. Multi-stakeholder teams are encouraged to apply. Application support is available for new and under-resourced teams. More information can be found in the official rules document (English / Spanish). 

 

Timeline 

(see detailed timeline for exact times and dates)

 

  • January 18, 2023: Prize Announcement
  • January 18, 2023: Application Support Prize Opens
  • February 18, 2023: Phase 1 Opens
  • March–May 2023, Application Support Prize Winners Selected Until Funds Are Expended
  • July 18, 2023: Phase 1 Concludes
  • September 2023: Phase 1 Winner Announcement
  • October 2023: Phase 2 Opens

Guidelines

Please review the official rules document (English / Spanish). for the complete application process and instructions for competing.

If you want to receive updates on the prize or have any questions, please subscribe by using the contact feature on the HeroX platform or message us directly at  . 

 

View legal agreement
Timeline
Updates14

Challenge Updates

Announcing the Final Round of Buildings Upgrade Prize Application Support Prize Winners

May 17, 2023, 12:45 p.m. PDT by Becky Talley

Congratulations to the third and final round of Buildings UP Application Support Prize winners. The 27 teams selected will each receive a $5,000 cash award and up to 10 hours of technical support. 

  • LDF-Chippewa Housing Authority, Wisconsin
  • Sabathani Community Center (Sabathani/SCC), Minnesota
  • Green The Church, California
  • Centennial Parkside Community Development Corporation, Pennsylvania
  • passivhausMAINE, Maine
  • green | spaces, Tennessee
  • Louisiana Homebuyer Education Collaborative, Louisiana
  • New North Caroline Project, North Carolina
  • Cherry Hill Strong, Maryland
  • A.M.E. Sixth District Church Georgia, Georgia
  • Associacion de Residentes de La Margarita Inc., Puerto Rico
  • One Earth Collective, Illinois
  • 2C Mississippi, Mississippi
  • Neighborhood Housing Services of Queens CDC, Inc., New York
  • We Want Green Too, Michigan
  • Rise UP Reach Out Inc., Florida
  • Community Power, Minnesota
  • Blueprint 15, Inc., New York
  • Hope Enterprise Corporation, Mississippi
  • First Alliance Consulting LLC, Virginia 
  • Green Built Alliance, North Carolina
  • She Built This City, North Carolina
  • Sun-I LLC, Mississippi
  • LIFT JAX, Inc., Florida
  • Tampa Bay Community Development Corp d/b/a Suncoast Housing Connections, Florida
  • The Climate + Energy Project, Kansas
  • Renewable Ambassador, Nevada

If you have been named as a winner, the NREL team will be reaching out this week with instructions on how to receive your award and be connected to our partners at Elevate for technical assistance. 

A total of 50 Application Support Prizes of $5,000 and 10 hours of technical assistance were awarded across three rounds to help new and under-resourced teams complete Phase 1 applications. All Application Support Prizes have been awarded at this time. 

All teams preparing for the full Phase 1 submission can visit the Upcoming Webinars & Recordings tab to register for informational and training webinars, office hours, teaming events, and more which provide all the details and resources you need to help you successfully develop your team’s Buildings UP Phase 1 submission. 

Upcoming Teaming Events:

  • Thursday, May 18, 2:30 – 4 p.m. ET: West Region Teams; Register 
  • Friday, May 19, 2:30 – 4 p.m. ET: Midwest Region Teams; Register
  • Monday, May 22 – 3-4:30 p.m. ET: South Region Teams; Register  
  • Tuesday, May 23, 10:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. ET: Northeast Region Teams; Register 

Upcoming Office Hours:

  • Wednesday, May 31, 12:30 –2 p.m. ET: Choosing Your Building Upgrade Zone, Workforce Development, and Economic Inclusion; Register  

Note: Attendance is not required at Buildings UP webinars or related events in order to complete a Phase 1 submission, and attendance will not influence the scoring of your prize submission.

1 comment

Regional Teaming Events this Week: West and Midwest Regions

May 17, 2023, 7 a.m. PDT by NREL Challenge

The Buildings UP team and our partners want you to have all the resources you need to submit a successful Phase 1 application by the July 18 deadline, and that includes making connections that can help you maximize your proposed programs! 

This month, join the Building Prize team for a series of interactive Buildings UP Teaming Events to connect with potential partners who will help you get the most out of your innovative ideas. Come and meet with fellow competitors working in your region to network and create new connections to support for Phase 1 application.

Events are organized by geographic region. This week we will host the following events: 

  • Thursday, May 18, 2:30 - 4PM ET: West Region Teams (AK, HI, WA, MI, OR, ID, WY, CA, NV, UT, CO, AZ, and NM) Register here
  • Friday, May 19, 2:30 - 4PM ET: Midwest Region Teams (ND, SD, NE, KS, MN, IA, MO, WI, IL, MI, IN, and OH) Register here

Join us next week for: 

  • Monday, May 22 - 3-4:30pm ET: South Region Teams (TX, OK, LA, AR, MS, AL GA, FL, TN, KY, WV, NC, SC, VA, DC, MD, and DE) Register here
  • Tuesday, May 23, 10:30AM - 12PM ET: Northeast Region Teams (ME, VT, NH, MA, RI, CT, NY, NJ, and PA) Register here

Sign up today!

The Buildings UP Administration Team

2 comments

Learn More about the American-Made Energizing Rural Communities Prize!

May 11, 2023, 4:44 p.m. PDT by NREL Challenge

Hi Buildings UP community, 

We wanted to send along some information about another American-Made prize challenge which may be of interest to you: The Energizing Rural Communities Prize. Please see below for more information and if interested, please submit an application by May 24th! This is a separate prize from Buildings UP. 

The Energizing Rural Communities Prize is part of the $1 billion Energy Improvements in Rural or Remote Areas (ERA) Program, created by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED). The ERA Program supports projects that improve the resilience, reliability, safety, availability, and environmental performance of energy systems in rural or remote areas of the U.S. with populations of no more than 10,000 people.

 

The Energizing Rural Communities Prize has two tracks:

  • The PARTNER track—with a $10 million cash prize pool—will support plans to connect rural or remote communities to government funding, technical assistance, or a network of partners that can help implement clean energy demonstration projects.
  • The FINANCE track—with a $5 million cash prize pool—will support plans to access capital or to develop community ownership models to help finance clean energy demonstration projects in rural or remote areas.

To apply for this prize:

  • Go to the HeroX website [https://www.herox.com/rural-energy] and select ‘Solve this challenge’.
  • Note: selecting ‘Solve This Challenge’ does not mean you must submit your application at this time.
  • Create a free account and accept the terms of use.
  • Note: it is recommended that you use your legal name when registering your account.
  • Confirm your email.
  • Accept the prize specific agreement/terms.
  • Indicate whether you’ll be competing as a team.
  • This is a great way to identify your collective group or organization.

Be sure to check out the available resources:

• To review the Official Rules Document: https://www.herox.com/rural-energy/resource/1205

• To read the FAQ: https://www.herox.com/rural-energy/faq

• To ask questions on the forum: https://www.herox.com/rural-energy/forum

• To checkout the prize timeline: https://www.herox.com/rural-energy/timeline

• To register for upcoming webinars: https://www.herox.com/rural-energy/233-webinars-recordings

 

Be sure to submit your submission by May 24, 2023.

1 comment

Make a Connection During Our Teaming Event Series

May 3, 2023, 7:15 a.m. PDT by Becky Talley

The Buildings UP team and our partners want you to have all the resources you need to submit a successful Phase 1 application by the July 18 deadline, and that includes making connections that can help you maximize your proposed programs! 

This May, join partner Browning the Green Space for a series of interactive Buildings UP Teaming Events to connect with potential partners who will help you get the most out of your innovative ideas.  

Events are organized by geographic region:  

 In addition, we are also hosting various upcoming webinars and events in May to ensure you have all the information you need to compete in the prize: 

Information Prize Overview Webinar 

U.S. Department of Energy and America-Made prize administrators will present everything you need to know about competing in Buildings UP. The webinar will include timelines, deliverables, and prize rules, as well as a live Q&A.  

Office Hours:  

Bring your questions to the Buildings UP Office Hours! The sessions will include opportunities to ask questions related to previous Buildings UP training webinar topics, the application process, and any other clarifications that would be helpful as applicants work to prepare their application materials.   

  • May 2, 12:30-2 p.m. ET—Buildings UP Office Hours: Community-Driven Planning, Funding, and Energy Efficiency Programs. Register Here 
  • May 15, 2:30-4 p.m. ET—Buildings UP Office Hours: Underserved Commercial and Drivers of Energy Efficiency in Affordable Housing. Register Here  

Training Webinars (past webinar recordings are also available): 

Looking for resources to prepare for the full Phase 1 application? Join the upcoming training webinars hosted by our partners at R2E2. 

  • May 10, 1:30-3 p.m. ET—Choosing your Building Upgrade Zone: Structural Equity Considerations: Register Here 
  • May 11, 12-1:30 p.m. ET—Building Upgrades: An Opportunity for Workforce and Economic Inclusion: Register Here 

 Check out all upcoming events and webinars, learn more, register, and access recordings of previous events on the HeroX Upcoming Webinars & Recordings tab. 

 

1 comment

LAST CALL! Final Application Support Prize Deadline is Tomorrow, April 26 5 p.m. ET!

April 25, 2023, 3:09 p.m. PDT by Becky Talley

Last call to apply for the Application Support Prize! The deadline for our third and final Application Support Prize is April 26 5 p.m. ET! Don’t miss your chance to receive $5,000 and up to 10 hours of technical support toward completing your Phase 1 application. 

For more information, visit HeroX to access previously recorded webinars from our partners at Elevate (available in English and Spanish). 

You can also prepare for the full Phase 1 submission by visiting the Upcoming Webinars & Recordings tab to register for informational and training webinars, office hours, and upcoming teaming events.

Note: Attendance is not required at Buildings UP webinars or related events in order to complete a Phase 1 submission, and attendance will not influence the scoring of your prize submission.

4 comments
Upcoming Webinars & Recordings

Upcoming Webinars & Recordings

Informational Prize Overview Webinars*

Following the main informational webinar, we will be joined by our partners at Elevate to learn more about the Application Support Bonus Prize. 

Office Hours*

During office hours sessions, prize applicants can drop in, learn more about topics related to the scoring criteria in the prize application, and ask any questions as they begin to prepare application materials. The sessions will include opportunities to ask questions related to previous Buildings UP training webinar topics, the application process, and any other clarifications that would be helpful as applicants work to prepare their application materials.

  • 6/15/23, 7:30-9p p.m. ET - Buildings UP Office Hours: General Support/All Webinar Topics. Register Here.
  • 6/26/23, 12:30-2 p.m. ET - Buildings UP Office Hours: Application and Prize Deep Dive. Register Here. 
  • 7/6/23, 3:30-5 p.m. ET - Buildings UP Office Hours: General Support/All Webinar Topics. Register Here.
  • 7/11/23, 7:30-9 p.m. ET - Buildings UP Office Hours: General Support/All Webinar Topics. Register Here.
  • 7/13/23, 12-1:30 p.m. ET - Buildings UP Office Hours: General Support/All Webinar Topics. Register Here.

Training Webinars*

On demand recordings of past training webinars: 

  • 3/13/23, 1:30-3 p.m. ET - Engaging Stakeholders in Building Decarbonization Planning: Introduction to Community, Affordable Housing, Health, Economic Inclusion, and Other Stakeholders: View recording and slides, including Spanish translations, here. 
    • Building retrofits and decarbonization require collaboration across a wide range of stakeholders. In this webinar, our speakers will delve into cross-sectoral collaboration and how it can be leveraged to achieve multiple-benefit retrofit initiatives, while keeping racial and economic equity principles at the center. We will introduce community, affordable housing, health, economic inclusion, and other relevant stakeholders, highlight useful case studies of successful cross-sectoral collaborations, and discuss potential next steps in assembling your building decarbonization team.
  • 3/14/23, 12-1 p.m. ET - Introduction to Comprehensive Retrofits and Decarbonization: View recording and slides, including Spanish translations, here. 
    • Comprehensive retrofits of existing buildings include equipment replacement and envelope improvements and can reduce building energy use by 20-30%, playing a critical role in addressing climate change and improving the quality of our building stock. This webinar will provide an overview of the many benefits delivered by comprehensive retrofits—ranging from GHG reductions to lower energy bills and improved health, comfort, and safety. Speakers will also cover emerging retrofit technologies, approaches to achieving comprehensive savings, and strategies to scale up retrofits in your community. 
  • 3/21/23, 1pm -2 p.m. ET - Buildings Up Tools Webinar: View recording here. 
  • 4/10/23, 1-2:30 p.m. ET - Introduction to Community-Driven Planning: View recording and slides, including Spanish translations, here. 
    • This webinar focuses on how to develop authentic community partnerships and best engage frontline communities in the context of planning for building upgrades. Our speakers will identify ways to build stronger connections between agencies, local governments, community-based organizations, and community members; provide an overview of Community-Driven Climate Resilience Planning's planning principles and frameworks; and familiarize attendees with resources on effective strategies for community engagement. 
  • 4/12/23, 12:30-2 p.m. ET - Accessing Funding Sources for Affordable Housing and Equity-Eligible Commercial Building Retrofits: View recording and slides, including Spanish translations, here. 
    • A common barrier to scaling building retrofits is lack of sufficient funding. This is true of all building types, but most pronounced in affordable housing and underserved commercial buildings. In this webinar, we will discuss funding in detail: where it comes from (federal, state, philanthropic, utility, private lending), how it flows down to communities, and how different funding sources can work together to finance affordable housing and underserved commercial building retrofits. Presenters will speak to common challenges and barriers, exemplary programs, and specific, timely funding mechanisms to look out for, such as the Inflation Reduction Act and Environmental Justice Community Block Grants.
  • 4/14/23, 1-2:30 p.m. ET - Energy Efficiency Programs 101: View recording and slides, including Spanish translations, here. 
    • This webinar will cover the fundamentals of energy efficiency programs. Attendees will learn about the various factors and organizational practices that influence the success of pursuing energy efficiency upgrades in affordable housing and underserved commercial buildings. Speakers will present the landscape of programs that teams might consider to advance energy efficiency and clean heating and cooling technologies in their communities, including their benefits and potential negative impacts. Lastly, we will take a deep dive into one or two select program models (e.g., one-stop-shops) to understand what it takes to stand up and implement these initiatives. 
  • 4/26/23, 1:30-2:30 p.m. ET - Considerations for Underserved Commercial Buildings: View recording and slides, including Spanish translations here. 
    • This webinar will introduce the concept of underserved, or equity-eligible, commercial buildings. Speakers will discuss reasons why certain commercial buildings are underserved, common barriers to pursuing upgrades in underserved commercial buildings, and potential strategies for overcoming or addressing those barriers. A focus of this webinar will be helping you understand how to craft a locally appropriate definition of “underserved commercial” and choosing which segments of your building stock and/or community (e.g., by location, ownership type, business/entity type, building size, etc.) to target to maximize the benefits of energy efficiency in your community. 
  • 4/28/23, 1-2:30 p.m. ET - Drivers of Energy Efficiency in Affordable Housing: View recording and slides here. 
    • Energy efficiency is particularly important in affordable housing; because one of the benefits of energy efficiency interventions is lower utility bills, these upgrades can go a long way in ensuring rents and costs of living remain affordable to households. This webinar will explore energy costs in the context of total operating expenses in different types of affordable housing, introduce the drivers (or lack thereof) of energy efficiency upgrades, and offer suggestions for overcoming challenges. Attendees will learn how to make the business case for energy efficiency upgrades to affordable housing owners and developers. 
  • 5/10/23, 1:30-3 p.m. ET- Choosing your Building Upgrade Zone: Structural Equity Considerations: View recording and slides here. 
    • This webinar introduces the concept of energy equity and gives an overview of how disinvestment in communities has contributed to the problem of inefficient, unhealthy, and expensive-to-operate residential and commercial building stock. Our speakers will offer guiding strategies for choosing your building upgrade zone by prioritizing procedural equity, lived experience considerations, and data availability to decide which buildings or segments of communities to focus on when planning for upgrades. Attendees will also be introduced to several data tools that can assist you in choosing residential and commercial buildings to include in your building upgrade zone. 
  • 5/11/23, 12-1:30 p.m. ET - Building Upgrades: An Opportunity for Workforce and Economic Inclusion: View recording and slides here. 
    • This webinar introduces strategies that will leverage residential and commercial retrofit projects towards realizing workforce diversity and economic inclusion. It will cover why leveraging retrofits for community benefits is important and identify challenges towards employing a diverse workforce and implementing economic inclusion strategies. Speakers will offer guidance on how to develop project requirements that track to workforce diversity and economic inclusion and how to identify partners who can help project teams realize their workforce goals. 

Teaming Events

  • All teaming events have occurred, recordings coming soon. 

Application support overview and Q&A with our partners at Elevate

*Attendance is not required at Buildings UP webinars or related events and will not influence the scoring of your submission.

Forum19
Teams1.3K
Entries
Resources
FAQ