MILWAUKEE, Wisc., August 7, 2025 – PACE Equity, the leader in Commercial PACE (Property Assessed Clean Energy) financing, expanded its groundbreaking financial product, CIRRUS® Low Carbon, with the introduction of the first whole-building ECI target-based initiative in the U.S., CIRRUS Zero Carbon.
CIRRUS Zero Carbon is part of the CIRRUS C-PACE product set, which financially rewards building owners with a reduced financing rate when they build, renovate, or refinance with a higher efficiency design. The goal of CIRRUS Zero Carbon is to neutralize carbon emissions by optimizing energy- consuming systems and generating renewable energy to offset any remaining energy use.
CIRRUS Low Carbon has been in the market for over 3 years and has funded over $160 million for projects across the U.S. and in a variety of asset classes. With the CIRRUS Low Carbon program, total financial benefits — interest savings, energy savings, and property value — outweigh any incremental costs by a factor of 18 to 1 over a 10-year period.
With the introduction of CIRRUS Zero Carbon, PACE Equity wants to encourage more sustainable building practices. They’ve adopted, for the first time in the U.S., a whole-building performance-based Embodied Carbon Intensity (ECI) approach. This ambitious, sector-leading approach will help shape the C-PACE industry as it drives sustainable building practices.
“The CIRRUS Zero Carbon program offers a significantly reduced capital cost when your building reaches net carbon emissions,” said Beau Engman, president and founder of PACE Equity. “PACE Equity has partnered with the leading green building certifications, like LEED®, GBI Green Globes, RESNET HERS, and Passive House, to make qualifying for CIRRUS Zero Carbon even easier.”
Buildings that are going to be certified or have already achieved a green building certification are automatically eligible for low-cost CIRRUS financing.
PACE Equity’s CIRRUS Low Carbon and Zero Carbon programs help developers realize higher returns when they create efficient and marketable green buildings.
For more information on C-PACE financing and capitalizing on lower rates for lower carbon buildings with the CIRRUS C-PACE program visit: www.pace-equity.com.
