A new free rebate-mapping tool developed by smart building-tech firm Runwise for The Real Deal helps building owners and operators see exactly how much cash local utilities will put toward energy efficiency upgrades.
The free “Rebate Finder,” live today on The Real Deal’s site, asks for just four data points: building type, size, utility provider and ZIP code. Within two business days, owners receive a customized report that lays out every dollar currently available from utility incentive programs, plus federal and state add-ons where they apply.
“What shocked us wasn’t that buildings were leaving money on the table—it was the scale,” said Mike Cook, Runwise co-founder. “After mapping more than 1,300 incentive programs we found that almost every large property could cover 50 to 100 percent of a controls or other energy efficiency project with utility funds alone.”
Why it matters
Utilities like Con Edison, National Grid, ComEd, Eversource and a dozen others have quietly quadrupled their efficiency budgets since 2020. The utilities now pay up to $10,000 per apartment for deep retrofits and as much as 100 percent of the cost for controls upgrades. But finding what incentives are available means navigating dozens of utility websites and documents that owners rarely have time to decode.
Runwise’s internal analysis of 9,000 buildings shows less than 2 percent have claimed the full incentives for which they qualify. The new tool scrapes the same filings and program manuals consultants use, then cross-references them with a building’s age, systems and usage profiles.
Early findings
- A 400 unit Upper West Side rental property uncovered $24,800 in Con Edison incentives for smart building controls.
- A town in Massachusetts received $98,000 in National Grid incentives to modernize the heating controls in 10 Elementary, Middle, and High Schools.
- A complex of several buildings on the east side of Manhattan qualified for $54,750 in Con Edison rebates—enough to cover the majority of the first year project costs.
- Even smaller properties benefit: a 42-unit building in Bushwick pulled down $7,500 to swap legacy thermostats for networked units from National Grid through AMEEP..
Timing is tight
Utility incentive pots are replenished annually and awarded on a first-come basis. Many utility programs are also in the process of reducing their rebates in the face of coming carbon fines like Local Law 97, BERDO and BEPS “If an owner waits until carbon penalty letters arrive, most money could already be gone,” Cook warned.
What you get
Owners who complete the short form receive:
- A line-item estimate of every utility rebate now open to their building.
- Documentation links and contacts for the correct program manager.
- A financing summary showing remaining out-of-pocket cost after incentives.
The tool is free and designed to “simply make owners and operators aware of free money they should have claimed for energy saving measures like Runwise”
How to try it
Enter an address in the form below (it takes about 2 minutes, and is free) or visit this link. The utilities’ money is real—and the clock to claim it is already ticking.