Embue Awarded $974,000 Grant from MassCEC to Deploy Virtual Power Plant (VPP) Technology for Multifamily Portfolios
Embue announced that it has been awarded a $974,000 grant from the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) CriticalMass Program.
Technology Reduces Energy Costs, Unlocks New Revenue Streams, and Reduces Load on the Grid for Affordable and Workforce Housing
Worcester, Mass. – April 21, 2026 – Embue, the building performance platform that permanently reduces utilities and labor costs for multifamily owners, today announced that it has been awarded a $974,000 grant from the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) CriticalMass Program to deploy its Virtual Power Plant (VPP) technology at affordable and workforce multifamily housing sites and buildings across Massachusetts.
Embue's VPP capability is a natural extension of its existing smart building platform, which typically reduces energy costs by 25% from the moment of installation while making buildings easier to manage and improving resident comfort. With VPP, that same infrastructure goes further, allowing buildings to act as flexible energy resources for the electric grid, generating new revenue streams and additional energy savings on top of the baseline reduction.
By intelligently managing heating, cooling, and other electrical loads, Embue's VPP reduces peak demand, lowers emissions, and enables buildings to participate in utility and grid programs that pay customers to reduce or shift energy use during periods of high demand. The result is a recurring revenue stream generated by the building's own infrastructure, turning energy flexibility into a lasting financial asset for owners and operators.
Three current Embue customers, Winn Companies, the Preservation of Affordable Housing (POAH), and the Schochet Companies, will be deploying the VPP solution in the coming months, along with WorcLab, a Worcester-based technology incubator.
Virtual power plant technology allows multifamily buildings to reduce operating costs while also earning revenue by supporting the electric grid when it’s needed most.
“Virtual power plant technology allows multifamily buildings to reduce operating costs while also earning revenue by supporting the electric grid when it’s needed most,” said Robert Cooper, President and CEO of Embue. “We’re grateful for the support of MassCEC, whose leadership is helping accelerate the deployment of equitable, scalable clean energy solutions for multifamily and affordable housing.”
“Embue’s virtual power plant technology exemplifies the scalable, real-world solutions CriticalMass is designed to advance. By leveraging the support through this program, Embue will deploy its technology directly in multifamily affordable housing sites across Massachusetts communities, lowering energy costs, improving comfort, and strengthening grid reliability,” said Leslie Nash, MassCEC Interim Managing Director of Emerging Climatetech. “These collaborations demonstrate how connecting innovative startups with mission-driven partners can unlock immediate benefits for communities across Massachusetts.”
Harvey Michaels, Research Director of Energy Management Practice and Innovation at the MIT Sloan School of Management, commented, “The economics of the electric grid are driven far more by peak demand than total energy consumption. As electrification accelerates, dynamic pricing and peak demand incentives are not just useful; they’re necessary to keep energy affordable, especially for heat pumps. But they only work if they’re automated. Embue’s platform shows how intelligent controls can make that practical for multifamily buildings, turning them into flexible assets that reduce costs and support the grid.”
About Embue
Embue is a building performance company that helps multifamily owners and operators permanently reduce their two fastest-growing expense lines: utilities and labor. By deploying whole-building controls across every apartment, common space, and piece of equipment, Embue delivers an immediate 25% reduction in electricity and HVAC costs for a new, lower-cost floor that holds from day one forward. Most solutions stop there. Embue doesn't. We’re actively working towards built-in demand response and virtual power plant capabilities to generate ongoing grid revenue and additional energy savings, while portfolio-level visibility gives owners a single platform to manage consumption and performance across every property they own. Embue is headquartered in Worcester, Mass.