Summer 2021 Program Changes & Reminders

Q2 LINK Newsletter: Program Updates

Legislative Update

The dust has settled on the 2021 Vermont Legislative Session and a final update to share is the continued work on the Vermont Climate Council. This group was created by last year’s Global Warming Solutions act and their work has intensified over the last couple of months. The Council is working to produce a Climate Action Plan for the State to meet some aggressive greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction goals. This Plan will be a very important document for Efficiency Vermont and our partners as it will highlight key emissions reduction activities such as refrigerant management and transportation policy.

On the federal level, negotiations continue in Washington around a bipartisan infrastructure bill—which could result in an influx in federal funding for energy efficiency measures and electric vehicle infrastructure. Republicans are pushing a bill that is very narrow in scope while progressive lawmakers are making it clear they will not support any legislation without significant investments in climate change provisions. Given the amount of political capital President Biden has put behind his American Jobs Plan, it is a near certainty that something will pass. It's just a matter of how much climate investment there will be and how it will be delivered to the State of Vermont.

Ground Source Heat Pumps

Effective July 1, 2021, Efficiency Vermont, in partnership with the state’s electric Distribution Utilities*, is launching a Ground Source Heat Pump program. Customers that want to take advantage of this offer must use an Efficiency Excellence Network member contractor to do the installation.

Projects included in the program include:

• Residential and Commercial
• New Construction and Existing Buildings
• ENERGY STAR^® certified Water-to-Water and Water-to-Air Heat Pumps
• Close Loop only (contact EVT for open loop installation)

Rebates:

Up to 10 tons	$2100/ton
10-20 tons	$1500/ton
20-50 tons	$1000/ton
Incentive limitations	Residential cap: 10 tons/$21,000 Commercial cap: 50 tons/$50,000 (larger projects will receive custom incentives

If you are interested in joining the EEN group for Ground Source Heat Pumps, please contact your account manager for more information.

*Note: Most of the state’s municipal utilities (Barton Village, Inc., Village of Enosburg Falls Inc., Town of Hardwick Electric Department, Village of Jacksonville, Village of Johnson, Inc., Village of Ludlow Electric Light Department, Village of Lyndonville Electric Department, Village of Morrisville Water & Light Department, Town of, Northfield Electric Department, Incorporated Village of Orleans, Swanton Village, Inc.) are not participating in this state-wide offer. Please contact your account manager at EVT for more information.

Home Energy Loan

As of August 1st, the maximum loan amount for the Home Energy Loan will be lowered to $20,000.  Loan applications for any project over $20,000 should be submitted to lenders by 7/31.

As of July 1st, ground source heat pump systems will be eligible under the Home Energy Loan and the Project Verification Form will be updated accordingly.

Commercial Lighting Program Changes

Effective Monday, July 19, 2021, Efficiency Vermont will make a few changes to the Commercial Lighting program at electrical distributors:

• LED Mogul Screw-Based Replacements for HID Lamps
increasing from $20-$80 to $20-$100 (rebate amount based on lumen output)
• LED Surface & Suspended Linear Fixtures, LED Troffer Fixtures, and LED Low-Bay Fixtures increasing from $10 to $15
• LED DLC Exterior Fixtures & Retrofit Kits increasing from $15-$50 to $15-$100 (rebate amount based on lumen output)
• Including DLC Exterior: Bollards, Parking Garage & Canopy Area, Flood Lights, Pole-Mounted, Wall-Mounted, Decorative Post-Top

Additionally, improvements to discounted pricing on ENERGY STAR LED Fixtures and ENERGY STAR Downlights at electrical distributors and retailers.

VGS “Fast-Track”

VGS is looking for a few more weatherization contractors to participate in our residential “fast-track” program.  VGS energy auditors regularly conduct comprehensive home audits for property owners whose energy usage is well above normal. They scope and present the weatherization project to the customer as a complete package based on cost-effectiveness and to maximize available incentives. Once the customer agrees to move ahead, VGS works with our “fast track” contractors to perform the job.  To learn more about how this could benefit your business please reach out to Tim Perrin ([email protected]) or Chris Charuk ([email protected])

Weatherization & Heat Pump bonus for Barton Village Electric Dept. and Jacksonville Electric Co. customers

VPPSA has launched a new $2,000 incentive for low-moderate income customers who install a heat pump and weatherize their homes. The $2,000 incentive is additive to existing Efficiency Vermont incentives and can either be sent to the contractor performing the weatherization work or directly to the customer. Here are the highlights:

• Qualifying applicants must be customers of Barton Village Electric Department or Jacksonville Electric Company
• Eligibility is based on household income
• Customer must complete a Home Performance with ENERGY STAR project
• Weatherization work must begin within 6 months of heat pump installation date
• Limited offer while funds last!

For more information and the full rebate application and Terms & Conditions, visit https://vppsa.com/tailoredeffort2021/.