EP145 Turning Efficiency into Equity: Inside the C-PACE Model with PACE Equity with Tricia Baker and Karl Peer (October 2025)

EP145 Turning Efficiency into Equity: Inside the C-PACE Model with PACE Equity with Tricia Baker and Karl Peer (October 2025)

From RESTalk by Bill Spohn

October 20, 2025 · 24 min

About this episode

In this episode, Bill Spohn discusses C-PACE financing and its impact on sustainable building with guests Tricia Baker and Karl Peer.

QUOTES: "We created the CIRRUS Low Carbon program to speak to developers' pocketbooks — build a better building, and you get a better rate." — Tricia Baker "Early design is peace of mind — it saves you a buck or two and a lot of headaches later." — Karl Peer In this episode of RESTalk, host Bill Spohn is joined by Tricia Baker, Senior Vice President of Strategy and Impact at PACE Equity, and Karl Peer, an in-house engineer with deep experience in HERS ratings and energy modeling. Together, they unpack the power of C-PACE (Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy) financing — a state-enabled program that helps developers and building owners access long-term, low-cost private capital for sustainable building upgrades and construction. Tricia introduces CIRRUS Low Carbon, a unique PACE Equity program that rewards better-performing buildings with lower interest rates. Buildings that meet a HERS score of 55 or better automatically qualify for discounted financing, offering developers meaningful savings — often 50 basis points lower than standard rates. She emphasizes how this program directly links building performance to financial incentive, creating a clear economic reason to…

People in this episode

Host: Bill Spohn

Guests: Tricia Baker, Karl Peer

Topics covered

Keywords

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: PACE Equity, RESNET

Products: CIRRUS Low Carbon

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