Our expertise · Green Building & Affordable Housing
LIHTC Utility Allowance Studies
A model of the property, not a rule of thumb, behind every allowance.
A utility allowance is the estimate of the utilities residents pay themselves, and because it affects the rent an affordable property may charge, the housing agency decides which calculation methods it will accept. An Energy Consumption Model utility allowance builds that estimate from the property's own unit types, systems, fuels, metering and tariffs; it is a project-specific model, not an energy conservation measure, which describes an improvement. Owners, developers, housing authorities and their accounting advisors use these studies at the proposed and as-built stages, after a retrofit and at periodic updates. Green Summit prepares utility allowance studies and Energy Consumption Model analysis for LIHTC and other affordable-housing projects under the methodology the agency accepts, connecting unit types, systems, metering and utility information to the records owners and reviewers need; the agency decides whether the allowance is accepted.
- RESNET Rating Provider No. 1998-221
- Licensed engineering firm
- Founded 2014
- Audit-ready documentation
Who this is for
Affordable-housing owners, developers and housing authorities with LIHTC or other agency-regulated units, the accounting and advisory firms that support them, and Tribal housing organizations.
What we do
- Establish the method. We identify the agency, the program, the submission format and the utility allowance approach the agency authorizes before any modeling begins.
- Organize unit and system data. We review the unit mix, conditioned areas, equipment, fuels, tenant-paid utilities and available usage records.
- Model and document. We develop the proposed or as-built analysis with its assumptions and supporting calculations, traceable to the property.
- Coordinate review and updates. We respond to technical questions and address material changes or periodic updates as your engagement provides.
Our process
- Review the housing requirements. We establish ownership, agency, units, metering and timing.
- Collect and reconcile the inputs. We identify source records, missing information and the conditions the model must represent.
- Prepare the study. We develop the calculations and exhibits under the selected method.
- Support the handoff. We review the package with you and assist with agency questions.
Benefits
- A traceable allowance analysis tied to the property, unit type by unit type.
- Earlier visibility into the information the agency will need for review.
- Better coordination between design changes, operations and allowance records over the life of the property.
- A study package with calculations, assumptions and exhibits that your owner team and the reviewer can follow line by line.
Why Green Summit
Green Summit connects unit-level modeling with affordable-housing certification and retrofit work. Founded in 2014, we are a licensed engineering firm and RESNET Rating Provider No. 1998-221, and we distinguish Energy Consumption Model utility allowances from energy conservation measures because the two answer different questions. We never assume one modeling method is accepted by every housing agency; we establish the accepted methodology for each project before the study begins.
Agency acceptance, effective dates, resident notices and the owner's other compliance obligations remain subject to the governing rules, and we never present a lower allowance or a higher rent as a guaranteed result. Our job is a study the agency can review and the owner can defend, built to be audit-ready from day one.
Frequently asked questions
What is a LIHTC utility allowance study?
It is the analysis behind the utility allowance for an affordable property: the estimate of the utilities residents pay themselves, prepared under a method the housing agency accepts. Green Summit prepares the study from the property's unit types, systems, metering and utility information, documents the assumptions and calculations, and supports the owner through agency review. The agency decides whether to accept it.
What is an Energy Consumption Model utility allowance?
It is a project-specific, model-based method for estimating the utility costs that apply under the relevant housing requirements. It is distinct from an energy conservation measure, which describes an improvement to the property; one estimates a cost, the other changes it.
Can one allowance be used for every property in a portfolio?
Not automatically. Building characteristics, unit types, fuel, equipment, tariffs and metering can differ from one property to the next, and an allowance borrowed from a different building describes that building, not yours. A portfolio workflow can share methods and records while keeping the calculations property-specific.
Who accepts the utility allowance?
The relevant housing agency or other governing party, under its own rules. We establish the permitted method, the required credentials, the exhibits and the review process before the study begins.
Can an allowance be updated after a retrofit?
Yes, subject to the governing requirements and the scope of your engagement. Updated equipment, envelope, utility rates or other material changes may need to be reflected in the model and its supporting record.
What should we send to begin?
Unit plans, unit types, equipment schedules, utility responsibilities, metering arrangements, tariffs and the agency's instructions. We then identify any additional property evidence the study needs.
Let's put a real model behind your utility allowances.
Tell us the property location, the agency or program involved, the number of units and whether you need a proposed study, an as-built study or an update.
Related solutions
- Affordable Housing Energy & Retrofit Coordination
- HOMES Project Support
- HEEHRA Project Support
- ASHRAE Level I, II & III Energy Audits
- Green Building Consulting & Certification Strategy
Or call 321-273-2200 · inquiry@greensummit.com