MILWAUKEE, WIS.—PACE Equity, a leader in PACE financing for development projects, along with decarbonization nonprofit Phius, jointly announced a new compliance path for PACE Equity’s CIRRUS Low Carbon program at PhiusCon 2023. Through the new partnership, commercial real estate projects that are certified as Phius CORE or Phius ZERO passive buildings are automatically eligible for the CIRRUS Low Carbon financing rate when approved for PACE Equity funding.
CIRRUS Low Carbon is the only private financial product that provides a lower cost of capital for buildings that are developed or renovated to a lower carbon design. The standards set by Phius CORE and Phius ZERO are locally tailored and globally applicable, aligning significantly with PACE Equity’s CIRRUS Low Carbon design goals. Projects that apply for PACE Equity financing with the Phius certification will qualify to receive CIRRUS Low Carbon’s reduced financing rate, helping the project developers fill a gap in a capital stack, replace more expensive funding options, and improve project returns.
“The path to lower carbon commercial real estate development is forged through symbiotic industry partnerships that offer developers and building owners unique financial, environmental, and brand advantages,” said Beau Engman, President and founder at PACE Equity. “The convergence of Phius passive building standards and PACE Equity’s lower rate financing for lower carbon buildings equips developers with the tools and financial incentive to design more energy-efficient buildings with a better return.”
“With the most effective and widely applicable passive building standard, Phius shares PACE Equity’s vision for a lower carbon future,” said Katrin Klingenberg, co-founder and Executive Director at Phius. “Partnering with PACE Equity to offer automatic CIRRUS Low Carbon qualification for Phius CORE and Phius ZERO projects helps make decarbonization of the built environment even more achievable.”
For more information on lower rates for lower carbon buildings with CIRRUS Low Carbon visit: pace-equity.com/lowcarbon.
For more information on Phius ZERO and Phius Core building standards visit: https://www.phius.org/standards.
