A Shared Horizon: BayREN’s 2024 annual report highlights progress toward better Bay Area buildings

BayREN is proud to share its 2024 2024 Annual Report, A Shared Horizon: Better Buildings, Brighter Tomorrow. This year’s report celebrates major strides in energy efficiency and electrification —bringing BayREN’s vision of healthier, more sustainable communities into sharper focus.

To date, BayREN has:

• Avoided over 166 million tons of carbon emissions
• Paid out $88 million in incentives
• Upgraded more than 76,000 homes and businesses

These achievements go beyond energy savings—they’re creating safer, healthier and comfortable spaces for all.

New Programs Launched in 2024

BayREN expanded to 10 programs in 2024, launching four new initiatives:

• Climate Careers: Employed 43 local youth to deliver energy-saving services to over 2,000 households—lowering bills while building a new generation of climate leaders.
• BayREN Refrigerant Replacement (BRRR): Helps food and floral businesses reduce refrigerant leaks and transition to cleaner cooling technology.
• Targeted Decarbonization Services (TDS): Introduced a Decarbonization Showcase to train and support public agencies in transitioning to all-electric, energy-efficient operations, with five model projects to launch in 2025.
• Integrated Energy Services (IES): Provides Energy Concierge and Roadmapping services, including office hours and technical support, to help local governments meet their climate goals.

“Our latest programs strengthen BayREN’s impact and broaden our reach—bringing vital support to those who need it most,” said Jane Elias, BayREN Portfolio Administrator. These efforts fill critical gaps in the energy landscape, offering tailored support to residents, businesses and public agencies alike.

Residential Programs Drive Impact

BayREN’s residential programs remain central to its mission. Highlights include:

• Bay Area Multifamily Building Enhancements (BAMBE) upgraded 38 properties, improving 916 housing units.
• Home+ sunset after issuing $24 million in rebates to single-family homes since 2019.
• Shaped by two years of community input in its design elements, the Efficiency and Sustainable Energy (EASE) Home Program, launching in mid-2025, will provide affordable, healthy retrofits for moderate-income households.
• Green Labeling has helped local homeowners assess their home’s energy use via the U.S. Department of Energy’s Home Energy Score since 2019, setting the stage for a statewide rollout in 2026.
• Water Upgrades Save introduced an Outdoor Offer to support lawn-to-drip irrigation conversions, advancing water efficiency and resilience.

Support for Small Businesses

The BayREN Business program completed 218 energy upgrades—100% serving hard-to-reach businesses—delivering over 1.4 million kWh in annual savings and reducing bills by an average of $3,000 a year per business.

Tools for Local Governments

BayREN’s Codes & Standards team launched the Existing Building Study Dashboard, offering local governments detailed building data to support decarbonization planning.

Read the Report

Whether for residents, small business owners, or local government staff, BayREN remains a leader in providing accessible, impactful and regional solutions. This past year, BayREN made meaningful strides, and we are excited to continue the work to improve buildings that provide increased comfort, health and energy efficiency. 2024 Annual Report.