Financing Green Home Energy Adoption

Real estate generates 40% of global carbon emissions – 11% from new construction and 29% from the energy usage of existing buildings (International Energy Agency 2023). To help achieve decarbonization of the real estate sector, over 30 states have authorized private lenders to originate government-backed loans for investments in energy-efficient retrofitting of commercial or residential properties. A key innovation of these lending programs is that they help democratize access to financing to close the green home investment gap by allowing homeowners to obtain loans without requiring that they attain a minimum credit score.

This project will evaluate publicly-backed specialized loan programs and compare them to alternative methods to encourage property owners to make upgrades such as solar panel installs or energy efficient HVAC systems. Which borrowers and types of properties are more likely to benefit from these loan programs, and do these policies have the potential to amplify existing inequalities through spillovers to home values in the surrounding neighborhoods?

I am seeking a team or RAs to work towards the creation of a nationwide database of loans granted for investment in green home improvements. The bulk of the RA work involves web scraping, submitting written data requests to governmental offices, and formatting property addresses across different databases to track homeowners and building upgrades over time.