Medium-Size Commercial Retrofits

This report by RMI analyzes the economic and technical feasibility of electrifying mid-sized office buildings (approximately 50,000 square feet) that utilize packaged rooftop units (RTUs). The study demonstrates that cost-effective electrification retrofits exist across diverse US cities when tailored to regional climate conditions and gas utility rates, often requiring a combination of heat pumps, efficiency upgrades, and on-site solar.

• Commercial buildings in the United States produce approximately 16 percent of energy-related CO2 emissions, with direct fossil fuel combustion for space and water heating in these buildings accounting for 5 percent of the country's total energy-related CO2 emissions.
• The report identifies specific cost-effective electrification strategies for four US cities: Seattle benefits most from direct replacement of gas rooftop units with heat pumps; Chicago requires a combination of electrification, ventilation efficiency, and peak demand management; and Las Vegas and Washington, DC require equipment changes, efficiency upgrades, peak demand management, and rooftop solar.
• The economic viability of decarbonization retrofits in the commercial sector is primarily driven by gas utility rates and regional climate conditions.
• There is a significant opportunity to scale electrification because over 80 percent of commercial floor space in the United States is located in buildings larger than 10,000 square feet, which are frequently held in portfolios.

APA

RMI (2022). Medium-Size Commercial Retrofits. https://rmi.org/resources/economics-of-electrifying-buildings-medium-size-commercial-retrofits/

Chicago

RMI. Medium-Size Commercial Retrofits. 2022. https://rmi.org/resources/economics-of-electrifying-buildings-medium-size-commercial-retrofits/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=RMI |title=Medium-Size Commercial Retrofits |date=3 October 2022 |url=https://rmi.org/resources/economics-of-electrifying-buildings-medium-size-commercial-retrofits/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rmi2022mediumsize, author = {{RMI}}, title = {{Medium-Size Commercial Retrofits}}, institution = {RMI}, year = {2022}, month = oct, url = {https://rmi.org/resources/economics-of-electrifying-buildings-medium-size-commercial-retrofits/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }