Marin County is participating in a regional and state-wide effort to create a new energy program, Energy Upgrade California that supports homeowners, landlords and renters to make their dwellings more energy efficient through energy audits and retrofits. Energy Upgrade California includes coordination between State, regional, and local partners to ensure property owners can access energy upgrade resources in a seamless manner via (1) a retrofit program (i.e., consumer education, contractor credentials/quality assurance, contractor support, local partnerships, rebate bundling, project tracking), (2) utility incentive programs (i.e., cash incentives for energy upgrade projects), and (3) financing programs.
Energy Upgrade is a public-purpose program with the following goals:
Promote energy-efficiency retrofits of the existing building stock in Marin County
The aim is for participating property owners to achieve an average of 10% reduction in energy consumption in their homes. Homeowners will have a choice of upgrade packages and options that qualify for rebates and incentives, from basic weatherization, insulation and sealing of their house to installing energy efficient windows, tankless water heaters, and air conditioners. The Program will provide a one-stop shop where homeowners can find information about all the Federal, State, County, and utility rebates and incentives available.
Existing single-family residential buildings will be eligible to participate. New construction is not eligible. While commercial construction is currently not eligible for this program, we do have resources available to assist commercial buildings through the Marin Energy Watch Partnership.
Multi-family properties. Residential buildings with up to four units can participate. All residential building ownership structures are eligible, including condominiums, townhouses, tenants-in-common, and landlord-tenant properties. Mixed-use buildings (i.e., a combination of commercial and residential spaces) cannot participate. All property owners are required to participate. Note this is different than requiring all households or units to participate. For landlord-tenant properties, the building owner is the active participant/applicant. For condominiums, townhouses and tenants-in-common, all unit owners must participate.
Contact a participating contractor for more information on the participation requirements for multi-family properties.
Modular or factory built homes are now eligible to participate but must meet certain requirements. Mobile homes on a chassis and axle constructed under the department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) codes do not qualify.
Unfortunately, homes served by propane do not qualify for a PG&E Whole House Rebate although you are eligible for a County of Marin Home Energy Assessment Rebate. Learn more about this incentive here.
The Program includes an extensive list of eligible energy efficiency, water efficiency, and renewable energy measures and technologies. Property owners will be helped to identify the right mix of upgrade options for their particular property and situation to achieve maximum energy savings and optimum benefits.
The construction industry is suffering from a very high unemployment rate. Many construction workers are anxious to find ways to apply their skills to new green jobs that can be sustained over the long term. The County will be working with various workforce training groups and institutions to actively increase the pool of qualified contractors and to expand the number of workers who will be able to perform assessments, installations, and inspections in conjunction with the Program.
Energy savings from an installed photovoltaic system do not count towards calculating your energy efficiency improvement percentage used to determine your Energy Upgrade California PG&E Whole House rebate amount. Installing a domestic hot water heater as part of your Energy Upgrade California improvements does count towards your energy efficiency improvement.
Separate incentives for solar are available. For more information on PG&E's solar rebate program visit www.pge.com/solar. Also, visit www.marinsolar.org for more information on the County of Marin's Solar Energy Rebate program.
"Double dipping" refers to the practice of requesting two PG&E rebates for the same upgrades. There are two common scenarios you must be aware of:
Scenario 1: If you received a PG&E rebate within the last 7 years for a home improvement measure that is included in the Energy Upgrade scope of work. For example, if you received a rebate for replacing a furnace in 2009 and now furnace replacement is part of your Energy Upgrade work scope, you would not be eligible for the additional incentive tied to that upgrade.
Scenario 2: If you apply for another PG&E rebate after completing the Energy Upgrade rebate process. For example, your contractor completes an Energy Upgrade job that includes furnace replacement and then you later apply for a furnace rebate and send in the contractor invoice as documentation.
Double dipping does not include combining your Energy Upgrade incentives with the following:
Extra rebates from SMUD and other municipal utilities, water districts, and local governments
PG&E rebates for products that are not included in the Energy Upgrade work scope, such as solar, appliances, or pool pumps
A Home Energy Assessment, or audit, is a voluntary inspection of your home that is the first step towards a more energy-efficient, healthy and safe home. This type of assessment looks at your whole house as a complete system to ensure all the pieces are working efficiently together, instead of doing a few home improvements here and there.
Visit the For Homeowners section for more information on all available rebates.
A GreenPoint Rating may be required for a remodel or a new construction project depending on: 1) the size of your project and 2) where you live. The GreenPoint Rating System is like a report card for your home based on five categories: Energy-efficiency, Resource Conservation, Indoor Air Quality, Water Conservation and Community. All new construction in the state must meet Title 24 requirements, but a GreenPoint Rating is about exceeding these requirements. A certified GreenPoint Rater, the client, and the architect work together in the planning stages of the project, leveraging a checklist of green building measures to guide the project. The GreenPoint Rater then ensures that all measures are actually implemented during construction. A home gets points for each of the measures that are followed, receiving a final cumulative score. The checklist is what gets included with the permit submittal, if your jurisdiction requires or encourages the use of the GreenPoint Rating system.
Keep checking this website for updates or sign up to receive email notifications by emailing opena@marincounty.org. Please specify whether you are a homeowner or contractor. You can also call 415-473-2797 for more information.
