Getting started

Project Readiness

Before starting a decarbonization project, your organization needs to ask one honest question: Are we ready? Not "is this a good idea", it almost certainly is. But are we ready right now, with the staff and systems we have? That honest self-assessment is what separates projects that finish from projects that stall.

Getting Started · Organizational Readiness

  • Goals

    Set clear decarbonization goals

  • Team

    Name a point-person & project team

  • Time

    Plan a realistic staff time commitment

  • Buy-In

    Build board & staff support

Figure S2-F1: Four foundations of organizational readiness

A practical way to answer that question is a SWOT Analysis — Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. Don't overthink it. This is just a structured way to get your team talking honestly about where you're strong, where you need help, and what might trip you up. Appendix S2-A1 - SWOT Analysis Template

ELACC — East Los Angeles Community Corporation — came into this work with no prior decarbonization experience. No sustainability department. No dedicated project manager. But they had a willingness to learn, a strong partnership with a technical assistance provider, and a portfolio of buildings that genuinely needed the work. Three years later they've completed two full retrofits, assisted in creating a replicable financing structure that's being adopted by other nonprofits, and built internal capacity they didn't have before. If they can do it, so can you.

Helpful Questions for Your SWOT Discussion

  • What are we good at?

  • Where might we need help?

  • What chances do we have to grow or save money?

  • What problems might pop up?

ELACC’s Organizational Goals for Decarbonization

ELACC’s original goals when they started this work were simple and practical. They didn’t start with a ‘sustainability strategy’ or a net-zero mandate. They started with three things they already cared about: 

  1. Leverage resources to improve tenants’ homes

  2. Work on strategies that would stabilize their buildings — both systems and operations

  3. Benefit from available technical assistance

If your organization’s goals map onto even two of those three, you’re ready to start. The key to success — in ELACC’s words — is to partner with others: net-zero technology experts like the Association for Energy Affordability or AEA, and peer organizations doing the same work. You don’t have to figure this out alone.

Team Structure

A successful decarbonization project requires a dedicated team. While larger organizations may fill each role separately, smaller organizations often combine roles or use outside partners. The table below provides a summary of the roles and responsibilities you will need people to fulfill. Use this table to identify individuals who would best fit each role and to determine what training, if any, will be needed.

Table S2-T1: Summary of Team Roles & Responsibilities
Role Responsibilities Time Commitment *
Project Manager
  • Reports to executive team and/or board of directors with updates
  • Reviews and signs all project forms
  • Creates construction/rehab bid package and reviews received bids
  • Manages project communication, delegates to coordinator
 10–15 hrs/week

May increase during project planning and bidding stages
Coordinator
  • Communicates with consultants, vendors, and tenants to keep everyone up to date
  • Compiles basic building information and creates a centralized filing system
  • Maintains detailed records of project activities (contracts, budgets, tenant communication, permits, etc.)
  • Manages tenant engagement — creates presentations, flyers, and other materials
 5–10 hrs/week

Consistent throughout; may increase when engaging tenants
Decarbonization Engineer
  • Checks building systems and suggests upgrades
  • Provides guidance on best practices for retrofitting to optimize energy use
  • Conducts an energy audit to identify inefficient systems
  • Assists with benchmarking requirements and performance monitoring
  • Creates a summary of minimum requirements with equipment specifications for contractor bids
  • Reviews bids to identify whether equipment meets the standard
  • Completes site inspections
 5–10 hrs/week
Decarbonization Funding Expert / Grant Writer
  • Specializes in identifying, securing, and managing financial resources for projects
  • Assists with completion and submission of funding applications, ensuring compliance with eligibility criteria and deadlines
  • Assists with progress reporting
 5–8 hrs/week

Peaks during initial grant applications and major funding cycles
Executive Team Member / Final Signatory
  • Ensures strategic alignment
  • Oversees successful implementation of the project
  • Ensures the project aligns with the organization's broader goals
  • Conveys importance of the project to stakeholders and builds interdepartmental cooperation
  • Manages risk; addresses delays, cost overruns, and other issues
  • Allocates budget and approves funding
 2 hrs/week

Likely higher at key decision points such as bid approvals or major funding milestones
* These projections were based on a 12-month period moving two projects through decarbonization. Time commitments would be adjusted based on the number of projects and their complexity and timeline.

Time Commitment

Decarbonization projects take longer than most people expect. From the moment you decide to move forward to the day you close out the last inspection, plan on 15–30 months. The construction itself might be just 6–12 months — it's the planning, funding applications, contractor selection, and permitting that take time. Understanding this upfront helps you set realistic expectations with your team and your tenants.

Designating a Point-Person / Assembling the Project Team

Most affordable housing providers are thinly staffed and don't have a sustainability department — and that's fine. This work doesn't require one. What it does require is a point person: someone who owns the project, keeps it moving, and connects the dots between your teams. 

The point person should understand asset management, property management, and resident engagement. In most organizations, someone on staff already has the right background and is well-positioned to lead this work. They can bring additional support to handle administrative and coordination tasks. To maximize staffing capacity, explore cost-effective partnerships, such as internship programs with organizations like the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI), that can provide additional support.

Case Study

ELACC collaborated with Occidental College to host a full-time, paid summer intern through their UEP & UEPI Summer Internship Program. They also worked with LACI for a part-time, paid 6-month internship. Both interns eventually transitioned into part-time roles at ELACC, underscoring the value of retaining staff throughout the project lifecycle for continuity and efficiency. Budgeting for these roles up front helped to avoid disruption and maintain momentum.

Leveraging External Partners

To strengthen your team's capacity, we recommend collaborating with organizations or agencies that provide decarbonization-related resources.  Projects were successfully moved forward with the help of the Association for Energy Affordability (AEA), who served as the engineering and decarbonization funding expert. AEA is a crucial asset, providing technical assistance throughout planning and implementation of decarbonization.

Listed below are additional entities that may help you build your external capacity:

If you would like to train someone on your team on low- and zero-carbon technology, or simply learn more, we recommend browsing through AEA's Training Courses.

Planning for Action

One of the most important lessons from ELACC's experience: don't wait until you have a fully developed project scope before thinking about financing. Incentives are paid after the work is done, so if you can't fund the upfront costs, a finished scope of work doesn't help you. Start the funding conversation early. An Annual Action Plan (Appendix S2-A2) helps you map the milestones and stay on track.

Quick Breakdown of Mapping Decision Processes:

  1. Build your team (1 – 2 months)

  2. Choose the building(s) (1 – 2 months)

  3. Begin early engagement with tenants (through project and beyond)

  4. Apply for funding (2 – 3 months)

  5. Write the scope of work and pick contractors (2 – 3 months)

Building Organizational Support

Get Everyone on Board

Energy upgrades impact both your organization and the people who live in the building. Everyone, from leaders, staff, and tenants, should understand why the project is happening and what it hopes to achieve. Start by building understanding within your team, then engage tenants early to create shared goals and support. ELACC’s sequence is a useful model: start with the board, then staff, then a small working group to carry the work forward; an intern did much of the early legwork.

Ask your team:

  • What does “decarbonization” mean to us? (Think: “Preservation through decarbonization”)

  • How will it help us and the tenants?

  • What might be hard about doing this work?

  • How do we explain this in a way our community will understand?

Success Metrics

Think about what success means for your project. This could include energy savings, better tenant health, stronger financial stability, or preserving affordable housing for the long term.

One way to plan for success is to create SMART outcomes and process objectives that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound (see table below). These help you stay on track and make sure the project is completed as planned. You can create these goals on your own or with help during technical assistance from a decarbonization engineer or contractor.

Examples of Clear Goals:

  • Extend building system lifespan by at least 10 years through decarbonization upgrades.

  • Lower electricity bills by 15% in 6 months.

  • Cut greenhouse gas pollution by 35% in 2 years.

  • Install 50 induction cooktops within 6 months of construction.

Table S2-T2: SMART Outcome and Process Objectives
Outcome Objectives Process Objectives
Purpose Describe the specific results or changes you aim to achieve. Describe the activities/steps that are needed to achieve the outcome objectives.
Examples
  • Six months after construction is completed, the building’s common area electricity costs will decrease by 15%.
  • Two years after construction is completed, the decarbonized building will emit 35% less greenhouse gas emissions.
  • Six months after construction tenants will use 56% less gas.
  • Install LED lights in two community rooms six months after initiation of project.
  • Six months before construction begins, install a device in the building being decarbonized to record monthly greenhouse gas emissions.
  • Install half of the induction cooktops (30 out of 60) in tenant units by the sixth month of construction.

Scenario Analysis

Planning for “What-If” Situations: Cost, Delays, and Incentive Changes

Sometimes things don’t go exactly as planned. Prices go up, projects get delayed, or incentive programs change. That’s why it’s a good idea to run a “what-if” analysis before you start your retrofit project. This helps you see how changes in budget or timeline could affect the total cost and savings.

Here are a few examples of what you might want to plan for:

  • What if equipment or labor costs go up by 10-20%?

  • What if the project is delayed by 3-6 months?

  • What if an incentive program ends before you apply? (ex: GGRF)

  • What if the project saves more or less energy than expected?

See the Scenario Analysis Template to help you plan for Baseline, Pessimistic, and Optimistic scenarios (Appendix S2-A3).

This will help you understand where you might need extra money, more time, or a backup plan. You can also share this with your funders or lenders so they know you’re planning ahead.

Key Considerations

Organizations should move forward only when they have enough staff capacity, clear objectives, and strategies to manage identified risks. The project scope and timeline can be adjusted based on available resources and organizational strengths. Below is a list of factors that influence project success, keep these in mind as you progress through the decarbonization process.

  • Capital Recovery: Develop a clear strategy for recovering investment costs through energy savings or incentives, mapping the timing of returns against initial investments.

  • Utility Allowances: Account for how utility savings will affect tenant utility allowances and potential rent adjustments to maintain compliance with affordable housing requirements.

  • Benchmarking Requirements: Confirm whether existing incentive programs require Energy Star Portfolio Manager (ESPM) setup (free tool provided by the US EPA), and ensure your property has the necessary systems in place for ongoing monitoring.

  • Hold Period on Investment: Factor in how your intended property ownership period aligns with the project's return on investment (ROI) timeline to ensure financial viability.

  • Funding Strategy: Evaluate your property's current cash flow, reserves, and financing capacity to determine the most appropriate funding approach for your project.

  • Technical Capacity: Assess your team's ability to manage the technical aspects of the project and identify where external expertise may be needed.

  • Tenant Impact: Plan for disruptions and develop strategies to maintain tenant satisfaction throughout the project.

  • Implementation Timeline: Consider how project phasing might affect funding availability, disrupt tenants, and overall costs.

  • Market Conditions: Account for equipment availability, contractor capacity, and potential cost escalation in your project timeline and budget.

  • Equipment Availability and Household Size: Heat-pump supply chains remain tight in 2026, and equipment must be sized to how units are occupied, not simply matched to the gas equipment being replaced.

AT ELACC (East Los Angeles Community Corporation) an affordable housing organization, they started with no decarbonization knowledge and successfully completed one project. You can do this too! Set a clear vision. Understanding where you are now is key to mapping an effective path forward in your retrofit journey.

With readiness assessed, a point person identified, and goals on paper, the next question is money. Section 3 maps the funding landscape.

Any questions? Contact us for more information.

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