Elevate

What Elevate does

Elevate (legal name Elevate Energy) is a Chicago-headquartered nonprofit organization founded in 2000 — originally as the Community Energy Cooperative by members of the Center for Neighborhood Technology in response to widespread Chicago-area blackouts — that delivers clean and affordable heat, cooling, power, and water to low-income households and underserved communities across multiple U.S. states. Over 25 years, the organization has rebranded (CNT Energy, 2007; Elevate Energy, 2013), preserved more than 30,000 affordable housing units nationally, and built a national footprint spanning Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, Wisconsin, Oregon, California, Ohio, Delaware, and the broader Midwest and Mid-Atlantic, with seven staffed regional offices and partner-driven reach into nine additional states.

The organization's core technology is its integrated program delivery platform for energy efficiency, building electrification, solar and storage, water conservation, lead abatement, indoor air quality, and healthy-homes retrofits — anchored by proprietary methodologies such as Portfolio-Level Decarbonization Assessments, the Breathe Easy mechanical ventilation study, the Michigan Energy Burden Scorecard, and the Chicago Solar Map. Domain specialization in low-income and multifamily building science, combined with research-grade assessment capabilities developed through the Housing Partnership Network, differentiate Elevate from generic contractors and inform program design across state and federal grants.

Elevate's business model is a managed-services and program-administration nonprofit funded primarily through government grants (LIHEAP, Illinois Home Weatherization Assistance Program, Illinois Solar for All, Clean Energy Jobs Act), utility-administered portfolios (ComEd, Ameren, Consumers Energy), and foundation capital (JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, TD Charitable, Mott, Cook Family). Services are delivered free or deeply subsidized to income-eligible end users, while revenue to Elevate is generated through program administration fees, consulting engagements, and grant recovery. Customers are segmented vertically across renters and homeowners, property owners and managers, nonprofits, contractors and workforce, governments and public agencies, child care providers, and real estate professionals, with named institutional clients including Mercy Housing, CommonBond, NHP Foundation, ACTION Housing, and the Housing Partnership Network.

Name

Elevate

Legal name

Elevate Energy

Website

https://elevatenp.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Elevate is a Chicago-based nonprofit founded in 2000 that delivers energy efficiency, electrification, solar, water conservation, and healthy-homes programs to low-income households, multifamily building owners, nonprofits, and government agencies across multiple U.S. states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Energy Efficiency Services

NAICS

Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241)

SIC

Services-To Dwellings & Other Buildings (7340)

akta.pro primary industry

Performance Contracting & Energy-as-a-Service (EaaS) for Buildings (BPABAGAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

Compliance, Safety & Code-Driven Retrofit Programs (NERC CIP, arc-flash, OSHA) (EUAEALAO)

Keywords

• Energy efficiency programs
• Building electrification services
• Home weatherization assistance
• Solar energy access
• Healthy homes programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government Grants and Program Funding: Elevate operates primarily as a nonprofit funded through government grants, utility programs, and foundation support. Programs include energy efficiency initiatives funded by utilities (ComEd, Ameren), state agencies, and federal programs like LIHEAP, Illinois Solar for All, and Clean Energy Jobs Act (CEJA).
2. Program Administration Fees: The organization administers programs for government agencies and utilities, receiving administrative fees to manage initiatives like the Cook County Healthy Homes for Healthy Families program, Illinois energy efficiency programs, and building decarbonization initiatives.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Elevate is a nonprofit organization that delivers energy efficiency, electrification, solar, water conservation, and healthy homes programs to underserved communities. The organization administers direct service programs such as home energy assessments, weatherization, multifamily retrofits, solar installations, lead abatement, and indoor air quality improvements, funded primarily through utility, government, and foundation grants. It also provides contractor training, building performance consulting, and policy advocacy across multiple U.S. states.

Product overview

Elevate is a nonprofit organization offering a comprehensive portfolio of clean energy programs and services focused on energy efficiency, electrification, solar energy, water conservation, healthy homes, and workforce development. The organization does not operate a unified software product but rather delivers direct service programs including: Smart Electricity Options and Multi-Family Energy Savings for residential efficiency; Building Electrification, Solar Property Services, and Illinois Solar for All for clean energy adoption; Water Affordability, Water Efficiency, Lead in Water, and Healthy Homes for Healthy Families for health and conservation; Building and Portfolio Consulting and Benchmarking Compliance for commercial clients; Green Financing and ELOC (Elevate's Line of Credit) for financial support; Lightbulb Project and CEJA Hub for workforce development; and Research & Innovation for policy advancement. Programs are delivered through partnerships with contractors, utilities, government agencies, and community organizations across Illinois and nationally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Chicago Green Homes: Program for residential electrification and energy efficiency upgrades in Chicago
• Evanston Green Homes
• Cook County Healthy Homes for Healthy Families
• ELOC (Elevate's Line of Credit)
• Lightbulb Project
• CEJA Hub

Products and services

• Smart Electricity Options

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to $1,000 in annual utility savings per household after electrification
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Housing Partnership NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Multi-year partnership to build readiness of affordable housing members to access financing for building decarbonization. Elevate conducted property-level and portfolio-level assessments for members including Abode, ACTION Housing, CommonBond, Community Housing Partners, Mercy Housing, NHP Foundation, and others.
• Relay NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative network of organizations including Association for Energy Affordability, Green Coast Enterprises, New Ecology, and Southface working together on building decarbonization initiatives.
• New Ecology, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMission-driven organization partnering with Elevate to serve Oregon multifamily building owners. Combined team has upgraded nearly 200,000 units. Partnership provides energy and water efficiency services, green certification support, and portfolio management.
• Network for Oregon Affordable Housing (NOAH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to help preserve Oregon's affordable multifamily housing stock through energy and water efficiency measures, renewable feasibility assessments, and green certification support.
• Delaware Sustainable Energy Utility (DESEU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to launch Energize Delaware Affordable Multifamily Housing Program providing deeply-subsidized energy assessments, financial incentives, and low-interest loans for energy efficiency and renewable energy upgrades.
• Builder's AvenuecoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerNonprofit partner providing financial coaching and business development support to small contractors receiving ELOC funding. Helps entrepreneurs plan, manage, fund, and build viable companies.
• SOULcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner with Elevate and Builder's Avenue in administering the Lightbulb Project, a contractor development program providing back-office apprenticeship, training, and support for small clean energy businesses.
• Great Lakes DevelopmentminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCEJA Hub coordinator helping contractors like MLP Electric master certified payroll and pursue public/grant-funded projects.
• SesenergiminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDevelopment partner for grant-funded projects where contractors like MLP Electric participate as Equitable Eligible Contractors through CEJA programs.
• Chicago Bungalow AssociationcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCommunity partner that referred homeowners like Celestine Patterson to Chicago Green Homes electrification program after completing weatherization work.
• Illinois Clean Jobs CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition of community leaders, policymakers, and partners that came together to pass CRGA and CEJA legislation, creating new clean energy opportunities that Elevate programs support.
• Michigan Energy Options (MEO)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartner in Michigan helping identify and select nonprofits seeking energy efficiency improvements. Provided expertise to Devries Nature Conservancy and SafeCenter for energy assessments and retrofits.
• Detroit Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to support developers of affordable housing in Detroit through energy efficiency and solar retrofits via the Detroit LISC Multifamily Green Initiative.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Vermont Energy Investment Corporation (VEIC): Nonprofit that administers Efficiency Vermont, the nation's first statewide energy efficiency utility. Operates a similar model of utility program administration, building decarbonization, and energy equity services; comparable in size and program breadth to Elevate.
• Franklin Energy: National energy efficiency program implementation firm delivering utility-administered programs including weatherization, HVAC, and electrification. Closely comparable to Elevate as a service-delivery contractor for utility and government energy programs.
• Association for Energy Affordability (AEA): National nonprofit delivering energy affordability, weatherization, and multifamily building performance services, particularly to low-income households. Direct peer with overlapping affordable housing decarbonization and program administration remit.
• National Housing Trust: Nonprofit affordable housing preservation and energy efficiency organization operating energy retrofits across multifamily affordable housing portfolios. Comparable in mission and customer base (affordable housing providers) to Elevate.
• Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT): Chicago-based nonprofit focused on sustainable communities; historical parent of Elevate (spun out from CNT's energy work in 2000). Operates closely adjacent energy affordability, transit, and water programs in the same geography with overlapping mission and funder relationships.
• Resource Innovations: For-profit clean energy consulting and program administration firm (formerly Nexant) serving utilities and governments on energy efficiency, electrification, and distributed energy programs. Directly competes with Elevate on utility-administered program contracts across multiple states.
• Green & Healthy Homes Initiative: National nonprofit focused on healthy housing interventions including lead remediation, weatherization, and energy efficiency. Highly comparable to Elevate's Healthy Homes for Healthy Families portfolio and lead abatement programs serving income-qualified households.
• Slipstream (formerly Wisconsin Energy Conservation Corporation): Nonprofit energy efficiency research and program implementation organization administering utility-funded programs in the Midwest and beyond. Closely comparable to Elevate as a mission-driven program administrator delivering residential and multifamily efficiency, building decarbonization, and workforce services.

Broad incumbents

• ICF International: Global consulting and energy program implementation firm with substantial energy efficiency program administration practice for utilities and government. Competes with Elevate on large-scale utility program contracts but is much larger and broader in scope.
• NYSERDA (New York State Energy Research and Development Authority): State-level clean energy and energy efficiency program administrator that funds and runs residential and multifamily efficiency, electrification, and workforce programs. Comparable to Elevate at state program scale, but as a government agency rather than nonprofit.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ElevateNPO
• Facebookfacebook.com/ElevateNPOrg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/elevatenp
• Instagraminstagram.com/elevatenpo

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Elevate