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A Presentation by Ralph T. Muehleisen, Chief Building Scientist at Argonne National Laboratory of the results of the Energy to Communities Expert Match project titled “Multifamily Housing Incentive Program Development.”
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Introduction
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Ralph Muehleisen, Chief Building Scientist at Argonne National Laboratory, will present the results of a study conducted for the Village of Oak Park investigating effective energy efficiency incentive programs for the Village of Oak Park multifamily properties.
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Recommended Action
There is no recommended action for this item.
Prior Board Action
There is no prior Board action associated with this item.
Background
In early 2025, Village Staff applied for a technical assistance grant through the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy to Communities (E2C) expert match program. The Scope of Work approved included review of the scope of work for program design of the Oak Park Energy Navigator program, as well as energy modeling of multifamily buildings in Oak Park for the purpose of informing future incentive programs to support the electrification of multifamily properties.
In October 2025, the Village received the final deliverables for the project, including a slide deck providing an overview of the modeling exercise and an evaluation of various energy efficiency measures.
Village Staff will use this report to help inform potential development of programs to assist multifamily property owners improve the efficiency of their buildings.
Timing Considerations
The Village will be launching the Oak Park Energy Navigator in the first quarter of 2026 which will include assistance to multifamily properties. In addition, Village Staff will be presenting potential multifamily incentive programs.
Budget Impact
There is no budget impact associated with this item.
Operating Impact
The Village utilized free technical assistance from the DOE’s E2C program for this item. Village Staff in the Office of Sustainability assisted during the TA period with access to data and review of deliverables. In total, the Office of Sustainability has spent no more than 25 hours on this project.
DEI Impact
There is no DEI impact associated with this item.
Community Input
There has been no community input given in relation to this item.
Staff Recommendation
Staff recommends the Village Board consider this report when evaluating future proposals related to multifamily building energy efficiency.
Advantages:
• Programs will be developed using the expert input from the Argonne National Laboratory.
Disadvantages:
• There are no disadvantages.
Alternatives
Alternative 1:
The Village Board could decline to consider this information in future proposals.
Advantages:
• There are no advantages to this alternative.
Disadvantages:
• Future programs would not benefit from the expert input from Argonne.
Anticipated Future Actions
Village Staff may bring proposals to the Board for the development of programs to benefit multifamily buildings.
Prepared By: Lindsey Roland Nieratka, Chief Sustainability Officer
Reviewed By: Click here to enter text. [Dept. Director Name, Title]
Approved By: Kevin J. Jackson, Village Manager
Attachment(s):
1. Report_E2C Village of Oak Park
2. IO Memo - E2C Expert Match