Building Electrification Showcase Grant for Design

Building Electrification Showcase Grant for Design is sponsored by City and County of Denver. This grant provides funding for the engineering design work needed to implement larger, more complex, holistic building electrification projects. It offers incentives for building owners to work with architects and engineering firms to design for electrification.

Building Electrification Showcase Grant for Design - City and County of Denver opens in new tab or window Building Electrification Showcase Grant for Design These links change page section content below Scoring Rubric (100 points total): Kick gas and go all electric!

Our Building Electrification Showcase Grant for Design provides funding for the engineering design work needed to implement larger, more complex, holistic building electrification projects. We’ll provide incentives for building owners to work with architects and engineering firms to design for electrification so you can go into project implementation with confidence.

The program will consider providing incentives for engineering design deliverables, such as: Construction documents (CDs) Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) drawings Technical and financial analysis The primary focus of the Building Electrification Showcase Grant for Design is to support the engineering design work needed so your electrification project is shovel-ready.

If applicable, you can stack Denver's funding with funding from partner organizations, such as: Applications will be open until September 1, 2026. Applications will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, based on the scoring rubric. The program may reopen later in 2026 based on available funds and lessons learned from the first round.

To be eligible for the Building Electrification Showcase Grants for Design, your project must be for a commercial building, multifamily building, campus, or a new development or redevelopment of single family homes planning to use a thermal energy network. The project must be located in the City and County of Denver .

The program focuses on larger, more complex, holistic building electrification projects such as heat pumps for space and/or water heating, but we know some buildings want to design for other clean energy projects at the same time. EV chargers, solar PV, and other clean energy projects could be considered “add-ons” to the electrification project’s engineering design.

Examples of Work the Program is Focused on Funding: Gas boiler replacement with heat pump systems or thermal energy networks Multifamily affordable housing replacing a central gas boiler with air-to-water heat pumps Office buildings replacing a central gas boiler with VRF systems Healthcare buildings replacing gas equipment with Water Source Heat Pumps or Ground Source Heat Pumps Projects that incorporate current technology in innovative ways Projects that use new technology and/or a custom approach to solve the hardest electrification problems buildings face Central system electrification projects (single buildings or multiple building complexes) Buildings on the steam loop converting to use district chilled water or other geothermal Fully electric new construction Examples of Work the Program is Not Focused on Funding: Single pieces of residential-style HVAC/water heating equipment Dual-fuel heat pump rooftop units Electrification feasibility reports ASHRAE Level 2 energy audits Building Electrification Engineering Design Work Funding: Up to $25,000 per building, capped at 75% of the total engineering design cost for standard buildings and 100% of the total engineering design cost for Equity Priority Buildings .

Thermal Energy Network Design Funding: Up to $50,000 for a scoping study to determine the greenhouse gas reduction potential and costs. Up to $250,000 for a Technical Design Study to address key project elements and prepare the applicant for subsequent project implementation. The city reserves the right to fund engineering design work outside of the posted funding ranges to advance catalytic project opportunities.

Catalytic projects are large-scale, high-impact initiatives designed to accelerate innovation or trigger broader development. These projects often attract further investment. Know what to expect as you move through the program.

We encourage building owners to work with their selected engineering firm to fill out the application form. However, the building owner must be the one to submit the application and receive the grant. Before you start your application, gather the required documents to show your eligibility and get preapproved.

Your application will require the following documents to show eligibility and grant you preapproval: Engineering design Scope of Work (please fill out this SOW template (DOCX, 96KB) ) and the proposal from the selected architect or engineering firm, if available.

Contact information and qualifications for the selected engineering firm Equity Priority Building documentation (if applicable) Your IRS Form W-9 (required only if the application receives a high score and is tentatively preapproved) Certificate of Good Standing for the building/business (required only if the application receives a high score and is tentatively preapproved) Certificate of Insurance for both the building/business (required only if the application receives a high score and is tentatively preapproved) Xcel Energy Consent to Disclose Customer Data (PDF, 191KB) form (or other Utility Consent to Disclose Customer Data form) and a copy of recent utility bill(s) for all premises at the building (required only if the application receives a high score and is tentatively preapproved) We recommend that you gather these documents before you begin your application.

This will ensure a smooth and timely review of your application materials. Ensure that the Scope of Work template (DOCX, 96KB) is complete and accurate Double-check that you have gathered all of the required documentation, listed above. Complete the application with all the requested information, and submit it through the application portal 4.

Denver will review your application to verify your eligibility. Please allow up to four weeks for application review. 5.

Once Denver verifies your eligibility, your application will be scored according to the rubric below. Please note: Funding for this program is limited, and we do not expect to fund all applications. 6.

We will evaluate and prioritize applications based on: Equity Priority Building Status 7. If your project receives a high score, Denver will send out a Pre-Approval Letter indicating your grant amount. 8.

Once preapproved, building owners work with their engineering firm to complete the design work needed. Engineering design work must be completed within one year. 9.

Upon completion, you will send the engineering design deliverables for Denver review and approval. Ensure that the engineering deliverables meet the requirements in the Scope of Work 10. Denver will complete a review of the design work and, if there are no questions, approve the design work.

11. Once approved, the architect or engineering firm should provide their final invoice, and Denver will pay out the preapproved incentive to the building owner.

See Terms and Conditions (PDF, 369KB) Scoring Rubric (100 points total): Market Alignment or Market Leadership (40 points): Applicant clearly demonstrates market alignment by pursuing engineering design work for proven technologies that are aligned with available incentives, tax credits, and other financing mechanisms OR Applicant clearly demonstrates design options that will push the market toward innovative technologies and market leadership (30 points) The applicant clearly demonstrates how the project incorporates current technology in innovative ways (10 points).

This includes, but is not limited to: Load management or virtual power plant capability Energy generation and storage Decarbonization Impact (40 points): Applicant clearly demonstrates reduction or elimination of fossil-fuel equipment and/or gas service to the building/campus (30 points) Dual-fuel or partial electrification projects may not be considered, solely at Denver's discretion.

The applicant clearly demonstrates how the design proposal will achieve significant energy use reduction or progress towards their Energize Denver energy efficiency target (10 points) Project Readiness (10 points): Current systems or equipment are at the end of life or aligned with a significant remodel (5 points) The applicant's design team has the required qualifications and expertise.

The team demonstrates prior experience with projects of similar scope and complexity and can address all aspects of the proposed project. Equity Priority Status (10 points): The building is designated as an Equity Priority Building (10 points) And the applicant provides documentation that the project adds cooling for residents or at-risk populations (5 bonus points)