Financial Analysis & Incentives for Insulated Concrete Forms

How a Cozy, Sustainable & Resilient Building Costs Less

Sample Calculation: - Borrower finances 100% of Building Upgrades - 4.25% 30-year mortgage	Traditional Home & Mortgage	Quad-Lock Home & Energy-Efficient Mortgage
Resilience, Energy, IEQ Upgrade Costs	-	$30,000
Home Value	$300,000	$330,000
Down Payment	$66,000	$66,000
Mortgage Amount	$234,000	$264,000
Monthly Mortgage Payment (P & I)	$1,151	$1,299
Monthly Heating & Cooling Cost	$300	$150
Monthly Insurance Cost	$400	$150*
Total Monthly Payments	$1,851	$1,599
MONTHLY SAVINGS	-	$252
A much Better Building for Less with the upgrades paid for!

So even after paying for the additional cost of Quad-Lock and other matching upgrades, you're still saving over thousands/year without considering higher resale values, health, productivity, inflation, nor any incentives. * Insurance Discounts may require proof / certification of loss mitigation.

The traditional construction-industry model has a big flaw: usually construction is very focused on reducing First-Cost of a building without adequately addressing the much higher Operating Costs (nor Indoor Environmental Quality "IEQ") that the owner and occupants will have to bear for the long lifetime of the building.

This conflicts with the goals of the owner/operator and inhabitants, who often aren't even aware that most buildings' Total Lifetime Operating Costs (60-95%) far exceed First-Cost (5-40%). To resolve the conflict, you should understand your Total Cost of Building Ownership using your own assumptions about future prices and values, so you can instruct the building team accordingly.

In addition to the significant energy-savings of Quad-Lock building shells, many insurance companies now recognize that resilient construction greatly reduces the risks and premiums. In coastal and high-wind areas, those insurance savings alone can create enourmous value for building owners.

Summing up the energy + insurance savings and the value of much longer expected life-cycles of reinforced concrete construction, the Total Cost of Building Ownership is usually lower than wood-frame construction, often by astounding amounts.

Get much better indoor living comfort plus health, safety & productivity benefits while increasing your net worth!

Free Comparative Cost Analysis

In addition, local, state, and federal authorities and many electric utility companies provide incentives for highly energy efficient construction. Some of them and good resource sites are listed below for the USA and Canada.

USA Incentives

Insurance Discounts

Many insurance companies now offer discounts for future-proof Resilient Construction because it reduces many of the risks they insure. Owners and builders can use loss mitigation programs, such as FORTIFIED®. In high risk areas, the savings usually add enourmous value to the building with low additional cost.

Energy Efficient Mortgages for Owners

More and more lenders provide so-called "Energy Efficient Mortgages" (EEM). These mortgages recognize the fact that highly energy efficient homes cost less to operate. This in effect increases a borrower's income - money in your pocket or to qualify for higher mortgage amounts/shorter terms. Main Steps:

Pre-qualify with an EEM Lender (see links above)
Evaluation of home's energy efficiency (e.g. inspection by a professional energy rater, see RESnet Rating Providers)

Tax Incentives

Take advantage of new and extended tax incentives included in the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). ICFs can help qualify projects for credits and rebates for new and existing commercial and residential buildings, including multifamily, public and nonprofit buildings, through sections 45L, 25C and 179D of the IRA.

SEC. 45L Homebuilder Tax Credit
Section 45L incentivizes homebuilders and multifamily developers to reduce energy consumption with up to a $5,000 tax credit!

SEC. 25C Home Efficiency Improvement Tax
Homeowners can now claim up to a 30% tax credit (up to $1,200 annually) for making their homes more energy efficient.

SEC. 179D Tax Education for Energy-Efficient Commercial Buildings
This expanded tax deduction can equal up to $5 a square foot for new and existing energy-efficient building projects that achieve specific energy efficiency goals and ASHRAE standards.

By building with ICFs, you can easily achieve a high-performance building envelope that can help you qualify for the new tax credits and incentives. ICFs provide a continuous insulation envelope that minimizes thermal bridging and reduces air infiltration, resulting in significantly lower heating and cooling costs.

State and Local Programs

State and local energy programs provide various rebates, incentives, and credits for energy efficient construction to builders and owners. Since so many programs are available, start by contacting your State Energy Office at the DoE's State Energy Program (SEP) website. Also check the Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy (DSIRE).

Electric Utility Programs

Also contact your local electric utility company to find out about any energy efficiency rebates, incentives and programs the company may offer for builders or owners. They have become extremely generous in many areas because these programs allow them to significantly delay multi-billion dollar infrastructure investments. The Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy (DSIRE) is a good starting point.

Canada Incentives

A multitude of financial and other incentives are available in Canada for energy-efficient new construction and retrofits. A good place to start researching them is the Office of Energy Efficiency. Some of the programs are:

For more info, also refer to the OEE's Directory of Programs or the Incentives Database by Environment Canada, which also include provincial and municipal incentives.

Also contact your local utility company to find out about any energy efficiency rebates, incentives and programs the company may offer for builders or owners. They have become extremely generous in many areas because these programs allow them to significantly delay multi-billion dollar infrastructure investments.