Analyze Conditions, Identify Deficiencies, and Plan Your Municipal Buildings' Future
An industry standard analysis, accessible even for communities with limited bandwidth to find and apply for grants. The MERP Energy Resilience Assessments are designed to provide insight into municipal buildings' energy system conditions and consumption trajectories, and to help communities understand how they can lessen fossil fuel dependence in their municipal infrastructure to prepare for a climate resilient future.
Offered at two levels, municipalities can decide their own capacity for engagement in the assessment process based on available building information and prospective plans for operation. The MERP Level 1 and Level 2 assessments are based on industry standards from the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Level I and II building energy audits; but differ where there are unique requirements for the assessment from Act 172 §2(d). See our flyer to compare the two MERP assessment types.
Once a Level 1 or Level 2 Energy Resilience Assessment has been completed, the municipality will receive a report detailing all of the recommended building energy improvements—and be eligible to apply for a MERP Implementation Grant (coming soon!) to begin a building energy project.
BGS is committed to helping Vermont's municipalities envision an energy resilient future for their entire building stock, and secure funding for energy improvement projects through the MERP Implementation Grant and beyond.
"We heard about the MERP assessment grants through our RPC and BDA. Being in an economically distressed area, we are always looking for ways not to burden the taxpayers – to cut our budget and use other money. This was one of the easiest and most straightforward grant applications I've filled out. And once we submitted it, the support was great – we were able to understand exactly what was needed. It took a month to get approved, if not less than that. The assessment itself was straightforward – I didn’t have to do much – and it was an eye opener to see where the gaps were. We're definitely going to apply for an implementation grant to cover any upgrades we need for energy efficiency." - Zach Brown, Town Clerk/Treasurer, Canaan