Incentives for your home and small business energy project
It is our hope that after attending a Button Up Vermont workshop will spur you will have the tools to take the next steps in making your home or small business more comfortable and energy-efficient.
Incentives for Home Energy Improvements
Efficiency Vermont offers up to $2,500 in incentives per household to help Vermonters pay for energy efficiency home improvements completed or supervised by a Building Performance Institute (BPI) certified Home Performance with ENERGY STAR® contractor.
Whether you decide to hire a contractor or perform the work yourself in partnership with a participating certified BPI contractor, your Home Performance with ENERGY STAR contractor will assist you in understanding the incentives that may be available for your project, and will provide you with the paperwork you need to receive incentives from Efficiency Vermont.
INCENTIVES | | Step 1: Meet these minimum requirements in order to qualify for all other Home Performance with ENERGY STAR incentives. Many Vermont homes have the potential to reduce air leakage by 30% or more. In 2009, more than 90% of homes achieved at least a 10% reduction. | Energy Efficient
Home Improvement | Qualifying Criteria | Customer
Incentive | | Minimum Requirement | Air leakage reduction = 10% as measured by a pre- and post-blower door test* | $250 | | Install all recommended health and safety improvements including mechanical ventilation, CO detectors, or other essential health and safety improvements | | | Step 2: Complete additional energy efficiency improvements to increase your incentive. Not every home will qualify for an incentive in every category. Efficiency Vermont offers incentives for the energy efficiency improvements that save the most energy. In general, the less efficient your home was to start, the more opportunity there is to save. | Energy Efficient
Home Improvement | Qualifying Criteria | Customer
Incentive | | Air Sealing | Reduce air leakage as measured by a
pre- and post- blower door test | | 20-35% reduction | > 35% reduction | | $500 | $750 | | | Insulation | | Install insulation meeting the
following R-value* criteria: | | Location | Existing Insulation | New Insulation | | Attic flat | R-value
= R-16 | R-value
= R-49 | $0.50 per square foot of additional insulation | | All other locations | R-value
= R-6 | R-value
= R-12 | $0.75 per square foot of additional insulation | | R-values
= 6 & = 8 | R-value
= R-18 | | R-values
= 8 = 16 | R-value
= R-49 | | | Heat Distribution Improvement | Install at least $200 of duct sealing, leak repair, boiler pipe insulation, or other heat distribution improvements | $100 | | Heat System Replacement | Replace existing heating system with an efficient new system. See your contractor for details on qualifying criteria. | $500 | | | Step 3: See if you qualify for bonus incentives. Bonus incentives are for truly comprehensive projects that substantially improve the air tightness and insulation levels of your home. | Energy Efficient
Home Improvement | Qualifying Criteria | Customer
Incentive | | Comprehensive Retrofit Bonus Package | Reduce air leakage = 35% as measured by a pre- and post- blower door test | $500 | | Install insulation in areas equivalent to at least 75% of the home's finished floor area (example: a 2000 sq. ft home could qualify by installing 1000 sq. ft of insulation in the attic and 500 sq. ft of insulation in the walls). Insulation must meet the above criteria for pre- and post- effective R-value. | | | Step 4: Calculate your total incentive based on the completed energy efficiency home improvements. | | Maximum total incentive per project | $2,500 | | |
Incentives for Small Business Energy Improvements
Efficiency Vermont offers up to $7,500 per building to help owners pay for energy efficiency improvements completed by a participating BPI certified contractor.
Your BPI certified contractor will assist you in understanding the Efficiency Vermont rebates that may be available for your project, and will provide you with the paperwork you need. Working with a certified contractor also assures that the project results in real energy savings and is completed safely.
BUILDING PERFORMANCE INCENTIVES | | Step 1: Meet these minimum requirements in order to qualify for all other Building Performance incentives. | Energy Efficient
Improvement | Qualifying Criteria | Customer
Incentive | | Minimum Requirement | Air leakage reduction = 10% as measured by a pre- and post-blower door test | $500 audit fee rebate (per building, not
per unit) | | Install all recommended health and safety improvements including mechanical ventilation, CO detectors, or other essential health and safety improvements | | | Step 2: Complete additional energy efficiency improvements to increase your incentive. Not every building will qualify for an incentive in every category. Efficiency Vermont offers incentives for the energy efficiency improvements that save the most energy. In general, the less efficient your building was to start, the more opportunity there is to save. | Energy Efficient
Improvement | Qualifying Criteria | Customer
Incentive | | Air Sealing | Reduce air leakage as measured by a
pre- and post- blower door test | | 20-35% reduction | = 35% reduction | | $500 | $750 | | | Insulation | | Install insulation meeting the
following R-value criteria: | | Location | Existing Insulation | New Insulation | | Attic flat | R-value =
R-16 | R-value =
R-49 | $0.50 per square foot of additional insulation | | All other locations | R-value =
R-6 | R-value =
R-12 | $0.75 per square foot of additional insulation | | R-values between 6 & 8 | R-value =
R-18 | | R-values between 8 & 16 | R-value =
R-49 | | | Heat Equipment Replacement | Replace inefficient heating equipment with efficient new equipment. | As listed on the
2011 HVAC Equipment Rebate Application | | | Step 3: Determine bonus incentives. Bonus incentives are for truly comprehensive projects that substantially improve the air tightness and insulation levels of your building. | Energy Efficient
Improvement | Qualifying Criteria | Customer
Incentive | | Comprehensive Retrofit Bonus Package | Reduce air leakage = 35% as measured by a pre- and post- blower door test | $500 | | Install insulation in areas equivalent to at least 75% of the building's finished floor area (example: a 2000 sq. ft building could qualify by installing 1000 sq. ft of insulation in the attic and 500 sq. ft of insulation in the walls). Insulation must meet the above criteria for pre- and post- effective R-value. | | | Step 4: Calculate your total incentive based on the completed energy efficiency improvements. | | Maximum total incentive per building (not including any additional commercial HVAC or other electrical incentives.) | $7,500 | | |