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Building Decarbonization Advisor Program

The Building Decarbonization Advisor Program (BDAP) is a City of Boston initiative that helps BERDO building owners set a clear pathway to reduce a building carbon emissions over time.

Improving buildings to comply with Boston’s Building Emissions Reduction and Disclosure Ordinance (BERDO) can be a long and complicated process, especially for owners and operators with limited resources. The City of Boston is here to help. 

BDAP connects eligible building owners with engineering experts to develop a Zero-Over-Time Plan, a long-term roadmap to reduce a building's carbon emissions.

applications for cohort 5 will open on october 15, 2026.

WHAT IS A ZERO-OVER-TIME PLAN?

Through BDAP, awardees are paired with vetted building science professionals to develop Zero-Over-Time (ZOT) plans. These are long-term decarbonization plans that set a clear and cost-effective pathway to progressively reduce a building’s energy use and reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.  ZOT plans include recommendations for energy efficiency upgrades, weatherization improvements, electrification opportunities, and renewable energy projects.

Developing a ZOT plan encourages you to think strategically about your capital budget, your building’s conditions, and the age of your equipment so that you can make sequential improvements that lower energy use, save money, and increase your property's value over time. This will help you meet BERDO emissions standards in a cost-effective way. 

learn more about zot PLANS  

explore sample ZOT Plans       

Program Eligibility

eligibility CRITERIA

BDAP is available to under-resourced and equity priority buildings who meet the following eligibility criteria:

 

  1. Building is subject to BERDO and included in the latest ↗ Covered Buildings List.
  2. Building is in compliance with latest reporting and third-party verification requirements.
  3. Building meets any of the following:
         

▸ Deed Restricted Affordable Housing.

▸ Residential Condominium or Cooperative buildings that have a median assessed value of $877,111 or less per unit. 

▸ Residential Condominium or Cooperative building with at least 50% of residents with an income at or below 120% AMI  (You can check IDP Area Median Incomes here).

▸ Rental buildings with 50% or more Section 8 tenants or with 50% or more residents with incomes at 120% AMI or below (You can check IDP Area Median Incomes here).

▸ Rental buildings with 50% or more units with rents at or below the maximum affordable rates for 120% AMI  (You can check 120% AMI rental caps here - IDP limits will be used).

▸ Owned by a small business with fewer than 50 employees or less than $5,000,000 in annual gross revenue.

▸ Owned by a non-profit with fewer than 50 employees or less than $5,000,000 in annual gross revenue.

▸ Other small businesses and non-profits that provide critical services to  environmental justice communities.

PRIORITIZATION CRITERIA

Funding is limited and not all eligible applicants may be accepted into the program. The City of Boston will prioritize applications according to this criteria:

 

  1.  Buildings that are projected to exceed their emissions standards in the 2025-2029 or 2030-2034 compliance periods.
  2.  Buildings with any the following technical circumstances:

    ▸Building has a fuel oil heating system.

    ▸Building has an electric resistance heating system

    ▸Building has barriers to receiving services from Mass Save (e.g. the presence of knob and tube wiring, mold, or vermiculite)
  3. Building owners who have not already participated in BDAP.

Application Process

  • Submit the application form by Monday, November 16, 2026. If you're applying for multiple buildings with the same owner, please submit separate applications for each building. 
  • The City of Boston will review applications on a rolling basis and may request more information to evaluate eligibility.
  • Applicants will be notified about the result of their application between late November and early December.

The application form will open on October 15, 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

FAQs

The program has $1,659,990 in total funding that comes from 3 sources:

  • $659,990 - federal government’s Energy Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) 
  • $500,000 - BERDO’s Equitable Emissions Investment Fund (EEIF) 
  • $500,000 - American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)

The EECBG and EEIF funding have been used to support Zero Over Time plans. ARPA funding supported detailed engineering studies or equipment purchases for eligible participants from Cohorts 1 - 4.

Due to funding and legal restrictions, funding cannot be used for construction.

The City has procured the services of the following 4 engineering firms from January 2025 through December 2027:

  • New Ecology
  • GreenerU
  • Jaros, Baum & Bolles
  • Thornton Tomasetti 

Who's Involved:

Environment
617-635-3850
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