All of Maryland · Loan
Net Zero Loan Program (Energy Efficient Homes Construction Loan)
Run by Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development
Low-interest construction loans (2-5%) for building a new net zero home or doing a deep energy retrofit that reaches a HERS rating of 50 or lower.
Amounts
How much you get
Construction loan, interest rate set by the HERS score reached: 3% (HERS 0-15), 4% (16-35), 5% (36-50) at market rate, or 1 point lower when more than half the units serve households at or below 60% AMI. Up to 90% loan-to-value. 1% administration fee plus appraisal and title fees.
Eligibility
Do I qualify?
You need to meet all 3 of these.
Your home is in Maryland.
The home must reach a HERS (Home Energy Rating System) rating of 50 or lower, whether new construction or a deep retrofit of an existing home.
What to doWork with a HERS rater and builder to design a package that reaches HERS 50 or lower.
Applicant must show creditworthiness, repayment ability and the ability to complete the project.
Equipment
What equipment counts
Applying
How to apply
Follow these steps.
- Complete the paper application and gather the required documents.
- Email the application to DHCD.
Stacking
Use it with
Your address
Next steps
Check that it covers your address. Then, if you want, ask for a contractor quote.
Is it available at your address?
Before anything else
Your quote request is in If a contractor we work with serves your ZIP, they can contact you. We take one request per person; contact us to change it.
Get an email if this program changes
We'll write if its amount, status or deadline changes. Nothing else.
FAQ
Questions
How much does Net Zero Loan Program (Energy Efficient Homes Construction Loan) pay?
Construction loan, interest rate set by the HERS score reached: 3% (HERS 0-15), 4% (16-35), 5% (36-50) at market rate, or 1 point lower when more than half the units serve households at or below 60% AMI. Up to 90% loan-to-value. 1% administration fee plus appraisal and title fees.
Is it still available?
Yes. It was open when we last checked, on October 27, 2026.
Plain words
Words used on this page
- AMI
- Area median income: the middle household income where you live, set each year by HUD.
References
Sources
This page is built from these official pages, run by the program itself.
When one of these pages changes, we re-check this page against it.
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