Commercial real estate developers and property owners are utilizing Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE) as an attractive alternative CRE financing mechanism to fund new construction developments, substantial rehabilitation projects and to recapitalize recently completed projects. C-PACE capital can be used for nearly all commercial buildings, including multifamily, hospitality, office, industrial and retail. Nuveen Green Capital  — one of the nation’s leading C-PACE capital providers, has funded nearly $3 billion of C-PACE capital into a large range of projects across markets, asset classes and stages of construction.

C-PACE works by providing commercial property owners and developers access to flexible financing for hard, soft and any associated costs that improve the water and energy performance or resiliency of a commercial building. Examples of C-PACE eligible measures include HVAC, heat pumps, LED lighting, facility controls, low-flow water fixtures, insulation, roofing, windows, doors, solar, and so much more. C-PACE is typically layered with senior bank debt or other forms of private capital, and can also be used alongside economic development incentives such as TIFs and historic and new market tax credits.

The term and amortization of the financing match the expected useful life of the improvements or new construction infrastructure, which is typically 20-30 years. The assessment is fully prepayable, or transfers upon the sale of the property, and it can also be passed through to tenants where applicable. While facilitating sustainability efforts, the program reduces property owners’ annual costs and provides significantly better financing terms than the available alternatives to fund construction projects. And in the midst of volatility in the capital markets, C-PACE provides one of the least expensive forms of construction financing available.

Flexible capital

C-PACE’s flexible structure allows for it to fund commercial real estate projects pre-, mid-, or post-construction. 

C-PACE can finance new construction projects to:

  • Reduce weighted average cost of capital 
  • Replace more expensive forms of financing 
  • Eliminate need for a participant lender
  • Provide incremental leverage

C-PACE can finance projects mid-construction to:

  • Fund construction cost overruns 
  • Provide additional working capital for interest reserve deficits
  • Provide additional capital for future contemplated tenant improvements
  • Eliminate or reduce need for capital call or additional equity injection

C-PACE can finance recently completed projects post-construction to:

  • Recapitalize projects up to 3 years after completion
  • De-risk and paydown the senior lender 
  • Bridge the gap for slow lease-up or to stabilize projects 
  • Stabilize the asset with lower debt service by paying down expensive capital 
  • Flexibility to push out debt service payments for ~3 years


Economic driver

C-PACE unlocks public policy benefits for development projects and serves as a tool for economic development and sustainability. Using 100% private capital, the program effectively utilizes public-private partnerships to drive investment, not only providing owners and developers significant financial benefits, but benefiting local communities and the environment as well.

A recent example – The Exchange, Detroit

Nuveen Green Capital recently provided $13 million in C-PACE financing, as part of the total $64 million development project cost, for The Exchange, a new, state-of-the-art, 16-story, mixed-use commercial and multifamily property located in Detroit’s Greektown district. The new development will aid in job creation, as well as the redevelopment of this area of the city. By utilizing C-PACE’s cost-effective capital, the sponsor is projected to save ~$40 million over the 25-year term of the financing.

To learn more about C-PACE financing, contact Francisco Crespo, Nuveen Green Capital’s director, originations at francisco.crespo@nuveen.com, or visit Nuveen.com/greencapital.