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For Minneapolis homeowners, making energy upgrades can feel overwhelming. Home upgrades like insulation, heat pumps, etc can cost thousands of dollars, and it isn’t always easy to know which incentives you qualify for, where to find a trusted contractor, or how much you can expect to save.
That’s where Cooperative Energy Futures’ (CEF) Sustainable Homes Program comes in.
Sustainable Homes is designed to make energy efficiency upgrades more accessible and affordable particularly those who may not be able to take on a traditional loan or wait years for upgrades as part of a different program. Sustainable Homes combines City of Minneapolis incentives with utility rebates to help reduce the cost of home upgrades.
Making Energy Upgrades More Accessible
The Sustainable Homes Program launched in fall 2025 in response to a community desire to make home energy upgrades easier and increase the number of people who can move ahead with upgrades after a home energy assessment is completed. While there are several programs available to homeowners that can help, there remains a significant need for home energy efficiency upgrades in Minneapolis. A primary barrier for many homeowners is the upfront cost. Sustainable Homes addresses that barrier by covering a portion of (and often the majority of) the upgrade cost. CEF applies available incentives and rebates to the project cost, and also enables participants to pay a portion of the remaining cost over time through a monthly service charge. The charge is calculated to be80% of the modeled average monthly energy savings, allowing homeowners to retain savings each month and decrease upfront cost. Due to the
numerous variables that impact cost, many household offers will have some remaining upfront cost. Any such upfront costs are clearly disclosed in the offer, and are significantly lower than the cost of the
project.
A Better Approach
The process begins when a homeowner completes an enrollment form and schedules a comprehensive, no-obligation home energy assessment. Support from the City of Minneapolis Green Cost Share funding offsets the costs of these assessments.
“Formal partnership with Minneapolis has been essential for keeping this program accessible. The City’s Green Cost Share funding means we don’t have to charge households for the energy assessment itself, removing a key barrier that blocks many in the journey towards energy
efficiency and electrification.”
— Bryn Shank, Sustainable Homes Program Specialist
CEF reviews 12 months of household energy data and develops up to three personalized upgrade offers. Each offer outlines the project costs and estimated energy savings, allowing homeowners to choose the improvements that best fit their needs and priorities. There is no obligation to move forward. Once a homeowner selects an offer, CEF coordinates with vetted contractors to complete the work. After installation, the homeowner begins paying the monthly service charge outlined in their agreement. Putting YOU first. The program has already helped several Minneapolis homeowners make upgrades that are lowering energy costs and increasing home comfort. One of the first Sustainable Homes participants has been a CEF member for a long time and has previously benefited from CEF’s Community Solar Garden (CSG) program. Their home is part of the City of Lakes Community Land Trust, which means the home will always be sold to an income-qualified buyer. Because of this, part of their motivation for participating in the program was not only to directly
benefit themselves, but also to help future income-qualified residents.
They had already installed rooftop solar and a ducted air-source heat pump, so wall insulation was the last major upgrade their home needed. The walls had no insulation, which made the home uncomfortably cold and expensive to heat during the winter.
“It was important to me to get insulation. I didn’t want to have my heater go out and be that much closer to my pipes freezing. As somebody that doesn’t really have savings, I wouldn’t be able to afford this. I’m grateful that there are people who have worked tirelessly to support me and help make this happen... They were very much trying to tailor the offer to what my specific need [for my home] was. There’s a dignity to that, you know, instead of saying you can only have this. You’re a human being, and you have unique needs.”
Another homeowner, who is also a CSG subscriber and lives in the Southside Green Zone, recently had their exterior walls insulated and is excited about how the upgrade will reduce their energy costs. Before weatherization work could begin, hazardous knob-and-tube wiring needed to be removed. CEF
connected the homeowner with the City of Minneapolis’ Healthy Homes program, which was able to complete the electrical work at no cost to the homeowner. In addition to wall insulation, the homeowner also had a heat pump water heater installed. The water heater will help dehumidify the basement while improving the health and safety of the home by switching
from gas to electricity for water heating.
“The wall insulation was far and away the most cost-ef ective energy ef iciency measure, according to their data. I’m not paying for it up front, and it is really cool to me that they are using money available to them to help people get the benefits of things like this.”
A third homeowner connected with Sustainable Homes through Good Energy Connections, a free energy program navigation service offered through Community Power for residents of Minneapolis and St. Paul.
Through that process, the homeowner was able to complete several energy-efficiency upgrades, including insulation through Healthy Homes and a new HVAC system through Sustainable Homes.
“Before all of this, my house was really hot, but it is not anymore, which has been a big help for me and my kids. I’m really thankful for Kyla [from Good Energy Connections] who helped me with this process.”
Energy Upgrades That Work for Homeowners Across all three experiences, homeowners highlighted the same benefits: Sustainable Homes helped make
expensive energy upgrades more affordable.Just as importantly, the program allowed homeowners to make decisions based on their goals and priorities rather than being offered a one-size-fits-all solution. These homeowners are already telling others about the program.
“I definitely tell people about my experience... It’s something I’m excited to share, because it has been such a good experience and it’s amazing that it’s something I have access to without having to have money.”
For Minneapolis homeowners interested in learning more about the Sustainable Homes Program, they can visit the program page on CEF’s website or contact Bryn Shank, Sustainable Homes Program Specialist, at sustainablehomes@cooperativeenergyfutures.com or 612-268-1065.