IFF is your partner in creating a sustainable future for communities across the Midwest.

About the Program

IFF’s non-appraisal-based, flexible financing tools have always been a good fit for energy efficiency upgrades and decarbonization – everything from geothermal fields to building envelope repair – through its standard loan program. IFF has also increased its focus on supporting nonprofits in understanding and executing energy efficiency projects.

IFF has helped a variety of nonprofits in the Midwest complete green building upgrades by providing financing for construction projects and by offering real estate consulting services to assess the feasibility of such upgrades and estimate costs, among other support. Below we’ve included brief project features with details about how IFF clients have increased the sustainability of their facilities, with links to more information about each project. For more information about how IFF can help nonprofits become more environmentally friendly as part of facilities projects, please contact us through the form below.

Energy Efficiency & Nonprofits

Windows and Doors

Poorly insulated windows and doors increase the amount of energy lost via building emissions, which is both damaging to the environment and organizations’ bottom line when utility bills are due. There are several basic steps nonprofits can take to improve building insulation to curb energy loss, including installing weather stripping on windows and gasketing and sweeps on doors. Both measures help create a better seal to reduce the transmission of unconditioned air, reduce the heating and cooling load, and reduce energy consumption.

HVAC Systems

Geothermal energy is a renewable resource that can be harnessed to heat and cool facilities using pumps that use the earth as a temperature exchange medium. Because the temperature underground is consistently 50 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit, water can be pumped through pipes below ground level to absorb the heat, then compressed in a heat pump and released through building air ducts. The same is true for cooling during summer months, with the process reversed. Heat from the air is drawn from the building and carried off by the water or other coolant in the pipes and deposited back into the ground. The process does not emit greenhouse gases, and once the system is installed, ongoing operating costs are low since no fuel is involved.

Another way nonprofits can increase the sustainability of their facilities through HVAC modifications is to replace gas/oil-fired systems with electric heat pump systems. Electrification works best in buildings that are both well-insulated and airtight, which can be a complex process to achieve in older buildings, but doing so results in a more energy efficient facility that costs less to operate.

Solar Power

Solar power is a renewable source of energy with significant upfront costs for installation, but those upfront costs can result in long-term cost savings for nonprofits while also drastically increasing the environmental sustainability of their facilities. The installation of solar panels is likely to be easier to accomplish for nonprofits building new facilities, since the structure can be optimized in the design phase to support the infrastructure needed, but it’s entirely possible for organizations renovating their facilities to install solar panels to reduce their energy usage and costs – particularly given the availability of government incentives and grant programs that help subsidize the cost of installation.

Insulation

When thinking about replacing a roof, take a look at how much insulation exists and consider adding more. Most buildings lose more heat from their roof (35%) than from walls (25%), windows (10%), or doors (15%), so investing in good insulation, either during a remodel or a new build, can add up to real savings.  

Insulation strength is measured in R-value, with a higher number providing the most protection from heat loss or gain. Buildings with attics usually have insulation installed on the ceiling (the floor of the attic). Check the attic: if the building has loose or blanket (batt) insulation but the ceiling structure (joists) are visible above it, more is needed. Insulation should cover the tops of the joists and be R-40 minimum.   

Buildings with flat roofs will typically have insulation directly under the roof membrane, usually rigid foam boards. If a roof replacement or installation is imminent, consider the opportunity to add more insulation to raise the R-value to R-30 or even more, if possible. Adding a few inches of foam board during a roof replacement is a small cost in terms of the overall project and can significantly save on both heating and cooling costs. It’s also a good idea to install a white or light roof.

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Client Spotlight · Sustainability

City of South Bend, Indiana

Launched in 2022, the Energy Assistance & Solar Savings Initiative (EASSI) is a collaboration between the City of South Bend’s Office of Sustainability, IFF, and CDFI Friendly South Bend that provides access to subsidized energy assessments, city-sponsored grants, and flexible loans to complete energy efficiency and solar projects at facilities located in South Bend, IN. Offered in its first two years only to nonprofits, EASSI is now expanding to provide energy assessments and grant funding to local businesses interested in upgrading their facilities to improve energy efficiency. Doing so will help speed progress on the City of South Bend’s Climate Action Plan, which is designed to guide the city toward carbon neutrality by 2050. 

IFF’s supports EASSI by providing energy assessments at participating organizations’ facilities, compiling a comprehensive report detailing the findings, and offering flexible financing to supplement grants from the city for facility upgrades that increase energy efficiency. Examples of the types of projects facilitated by EASSI include solar panel and geothermal installations, HVAC replacements, ENERGY STAR® appliance upgrades, lighting improvements, insulation/weatherization updates, window replacement, and more.

Twenty-seven organizations have participated in EASSI to date, with many achieving significant cost savings on energy bills as a result of their participation in the program. Read more about this work and view testimonials from participants at the link below.

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Client Spotlight · Sustainability

City of Bloomington, Indiana

IFF’s real estate team has been engaged in a project in Bloomington, IN, to assess the energy efficiency of nonprofit facilities and to provide the organizations operating in the facilities with a roadmap to make their spaces more environmentally friendly. 

The Solar & Energy Efficiency Loan (SEEL) Program, led by IFF’s Indiana-based real estate team, reduces both local carbon emissions and local nonprofits’ costs. CDFI Friendly Bloomington developed the program in partnership with IFF and the City of Bloomington’s Department of Economic & Sustainable Development. By providing local nonprofits and other community institutions (e.g., schools, libraries, grocery stores) with third-party energy audits, the SEEL Program identifies opportunities for building modifications like weatherization, solar panels, and appliance and lighting upgrades; these changes reduce utility costs and save energy.   

Audits are conducted by IFF’s Real Estate Solutions team, who visit the facilities to inspect HVAC systems, lighting, water heaters, air/duct sealing, insulation, windows, and appliances. After the site visit, IFF analyzes 12 to 24 months of the nonprofit’s utility bills to better understand energy usage and prepare a report that identifies site-specific measures that can be taken to reduce energy costs, with projected cost savings by order of magnitude. Recommendations are then shared with the nonprofit and the City of Bloomington.  

Read more about this work at the link below.

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Amandula Anderson

Amandula Anderson

Executive Director - Indiana Region

Contact Us

Interested in learning more about IFF’s energy efficiency and sustainability work? Please fill out this form and a member of the team will be in touch.

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