Southern California Home Upgrade

Attention All:

Joint Program Closing August 31 or When Funds are Depleted!

In this issue you can expect to see:

• Sell and Reserve Projects!
• Budget Remaining 38%

Important Reminders:

• Sign the New Contractor Participation Agreement Here!
• Review the 90-Day Cancellation Policy

Budget Update

As of now, 38% of the Southern California Edison (SCE) program incentive budget is remaining. Budget updates are scheduled to go out twice a month unless stated otherwise. Please contact your account managers to see how you can take advantage of the remaining incentives.

SCE/SoCalGas® Home Upgrade Program Sunset Date

The last day to reserve projects in the SCE/SoCalGas territory will be August 31, 2018 by 6 p.m. PST unless program funds are exhausted before this date and time.

It is imperative that you reserve your projects, receive confirmation as soon as possible, and before construction begins to ensure you protect your company from liability. This will help maintain your good reputation with your customers. The last day to post-retrofit submit projects in this territory will be October 31, 2018 by 6 p.m. PST.

Deadlines: Program Reservations

To ensure deadlines are clear and concise, please keep in mind the following:

• All reservations for projects in the SCE/SoCalGas service territory must be submitted by August 31, 2018 by 6 p.m. PST unless program funds are exhausted before this date and time.
• In order to receive an incentive, all projects reserved by August 31, 2018 must be post-retrofit submitted with all required documentation by October 31, 2018.
• Please note: these deadlines only apply to SCE/SoCalGas projects. No incentive checks will be issued in 2019.

Removal of BPI On-Staff Requirement for Advanced Home Upgrade

For access to greater incentives through Advanced Home Upgrade, contractors are no longer required to have BPI Building Analysts (BA) on-staff to offer the Advanced Home Upgrade Pathway, effective immediately.   

Participting Contractors can now work with any third-party BPI BAs in the marketplace toa perform diagnostic testing for Advanced Home Upgrade and offer customers this pathway with a BPI BA on-team rather than on-staff.

If you would like more information on submitting Advanced Home Upgrade projects, please contact your account management team.

Reversal of Window Venting Decision: SnuggPro/Optimizer

Are Your Windows Open or Closed?

In mid-February of 2017, Snugg Pro released V5.5 of their energy-modeling software. Contained within the update was an option which allow modelers to choose “Yes” or “No” for “Window Venting.” At the time, window venting was a new energy modeling concept affecting the operation of a home’s HVAC system. The window venting choice made by the modeler had a direct impact on the modeled energy-savings for the project. Around the same time as the Snugg Pro revision, the folks at OptiMiser added a window venting option to their software as well.

The purpose of the window venting option is to more accurately model the home’s energy use. If “Yes” is selected for window venting, the software assumes the homeowner opens the windows and doors based on the temperature difference between the indoors and the outdoors to take advantage of free heating and cooling. This opening of the windows and doors supplements the HVAC system allowing it to run less, therefore using fewer kWh for cooling and fewer therms for heating. If “No” is selected for window venting, the software assumes the homeowner does not open the windows or doors to supplement the HVAC system, thereby relying solely on the HVAC system for all of the home’s heating and cooling needs.

Shortly after the release of V5.5 Program Management made a decision that dictated when modelers should select “Yes” or “No” for window venting. The following was included in the May 1, 2017 decision as to when “Yes” or “No” should be selected:

All Advanced Default path projects, and Advanced Custom path projects that do not submit utility bill data shall check “Yes” for the Window Venting option, on both the base and improved screens. Advanced Custom path projects that submit utility bill data should check “Yes” or “No” for the Window Venting option depending on how the home is operated.

After much consideration, a decision has been made to modify the previously stated guideline in an attempt to increase participation in the Program. Effective June 13, 2018 the following policy went into effect:

For Advanced Default path projects and Advanced Custom path projects that do not submit utility bill data, contractors/auditors are no longer required to select “Yes” for window venting. When building energy models in Snugg Pro or OptiMiser contractors/auditors shall be allowed to select either “Yes” or “No” regarding window venting. This determination should be made based on how the home is actually operated. If the homeowner opens the windows to take advantage of the temperature difference between indoors and outdoors to supplement the HVAC system, the contractor/auditor shall select “Yes” for window venting. If the homeowner relies solely on the HVAC system for all the home’s heating and cooling needs, the contractor/auditor shall select “No” for window venting.

No matter what condition the contractor/auditor selects for window venting, the same condition (either “Yes” or “No”) must be selected in the energy model for both the baseline and the improved conditions.

To reiterate, contractor’s and auditors will no longer be required to select “Yes” for window venting on Advanced Default path projects and Advanced Custom path projects that do not submit utility bill data. Instead they should select “Yes” or “No” based on the way the home is actually operated.

Mentoring No Longer Required

Newly trained BPI BAs will no longer need mentoring in order to perform testing for projects. This also applies to new contractors joining the program.

Although mentoring is not required, it is highly recommended. 

Reminder: New Contractor Participation Agreement

The Contractor Participation Agreement that was updated in 2018 to be more contractor-friendly is now available on the contractor website here. This document must be signed and returned to account managers to remain active in the program. Please ask your account management team if you have questions about any changes.

Reminder: 90-Day Cancellation Policy

To ensure that ineligible projects do not tie up reserved incentive funds, the program will continue instituting a 90-day project cancellation policy.

If a project has not been completed within 90 days from the project reservation date, the project is subject to cancellation by the program.

Participating Contractors at risk of getting their projects cancelled will be notified well ahead of time so that they are able to take action to prevent cancellation. Please contact your account manager if you have any questions or concerns about any at-risk projects.

QC Corner

All Good Things Must Come to an End

It’s hard to believe we are approaching the end of the SCE/SoCalGas Joint Program’s lifecycle. Almost 12,000 homes have gone through the program since its inception. Considering the program’s modest beginning when very few home performance contractors or BPI analysts were in the area, we have all come a very long way helping homeowners save money on utility bills while adding comfort and increasing health and safety in their homes.

Contractors, auditors and their teams should be very proud of their contributions in terms of energy-savings and reduced emissions with the energy-saving measures they installed for their customers.

Since the Joint Utility Program’s inception participants have saved or will save an estimated:

• 10.5 million kWh of electricity
• 1 million therms of natural gas equating to reduced greenhouse gas emission from approximately:

           o  32 million miles driven by an average passenger vehicle

           o  Burning 1.5 million gallons of gasoline

Adding to that, the comfort, health, and safety aspects that were provided to homeowners, you all have a lot to feel good about.

Important Upcoming Dates:

August 31, 2018 will be the last day to create new projects and reserve incentive dollars, unless all remaining incentive funding has been exhausted prior to that date. If you miss the August 31 project creation date your project will not be accepted.

October 31, 2018 will be the last day projects may be Post Retrofit submitted to the Program. Based on budgeting and accounting procedures these dates are firm. If you met the August 31 project creation date but missed the October 31 Post Retrofit submission date, your project will not be processed and no incentive will be paid out.

Please take note of these dates and be sure your submissions are made prior to the deadlines to prevent any unsatisfied homeowners or contractors. We encourage all contractors and auditors to submit their projects in a timely manner.

Once projects have been Post Retrofit submitted they will work their way through the review process. If during the review it is determined a contractor/auditor needs to submit additional documentation or perform additional work, those project issues will be accommodated after October 31, but must be completed by November 30.

Program Management will be working alongside ICF and RHA to ensure that all projects are processed in a timely manner before the final deadline. We encourage all contractors and auditors to reach out to their account managers with any questions or concerns as soon as possible. This communication will go a long way in helping to ensure that we close out each and every project before November 30. We understand unexpected issues arise. Alerting your account manager or program manager at RHA will allow us to help you make sure small issues do not turn into big issues.

PLEASE TAKE NOTE: The SoCalGas program is scheduled to operate unchanged through the entirety of 2018 and into the second quarter of 2019. In 2019, the program will be revamped and run by a third-party implementer. At this point the design of the new program not been established.

Financing Updates from CHEEF/REEL

Top 3 Ways to Introduce Your Customers to REEL Financing

Your customers have a choice when it comes to finding the REEL lender that’s right for them when completing a Home Upgrade project or other energy efficiency improvement. And you have the resources you need to connect your customers to those lenders. Here are a few tips to help you make that connection.

1. Explain that REEL offers lenders you can trust. REEL financing is promoted by the state of California, with the support of SCE and SoCalGas.
2. If your customer is a technology user, direct them to GoGreenFinancing.com, where they’ll find everything they need to learn more about REEL—including finding the lender who’s right for them.
3. If your customer prefers paper, give them a copy of the REEL Lenders Chart (which contains general information about all lenders) or share a copy of the appropriate REEL Lender profiles (which provide detailed information about specific lenders).

Visit GoGreenFinancing.com to fill out an application and complete the 1-hour program training online, anytime. Or, contact the REEL Contractor Support team at 1-800-484-0109 or Email.

Energy Upgrade California® Home Upgrade provides assistance and incentives for home improvement projects that can reduce energy use and make homes more comfortable. This statewide program is managed locally by utilities and regional energy networks and directed by the California Public Utilities Commission in collaboration with the California Energy Commission. Funding comes from utility customers under the auspices of the California Public Utilities Commission. Incentives are offered on a first-come, first-served basis and are effective until the funding is expended or the program is discontinued. Terms and conditions apply. See program rules for details. Programs may be modified or terminated without prior notice. ©2018 Trademarks used with permission and are property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.

May 1 Program Update

Greetings to all Participating Contractors in the Southern California Edison (SCE) Energy Upgrade California® Home Upgrade Program. In this newsletter, you will find updates only for the joint SCE/SoCalGas® Territory. Please take note of all the upcoming trainings and reach out to your account management team for any questions.

Southern California Electric (SCE)/SoCalGas Program Updates

Budget Update

As of now, 54% of the SCE program incentive budget is remaining. Budget updates are scheduled to go out bi-weekly unless stated otherwise. Please contact your account managers to see how you can take advantage of the remaining incentive budget.

Important Reminder: Reserve Projects Before Construction
Due to the limited incentive funds for 2018, it is extremely important to reserve and receive confirmation for your projects before you begin construction. Not only does this help ensure that your customer's project qualifies for incentives, it also protects your company from liability and maintains your good reputation with your customers. Participating Contractors will receive bi-weekly budget updates from account managers to help with your planning.

Important Reminder: BOM Remediation Program Change

Previously, when black organic matter (BOM) was identified in a household, the program required remediation of the BOM. The Building Performance Institute (BPI) the program has determined this process will no longer be required.

When a contractor, auditor or Energy Field Technician identifies BOM, a Notice of Unsatisfactory Conditions (NOUC) must be completed. The comments section of the NOUC should be used to describe the BOM, its location, and a recommendation that it be inspected and remediated. The completed NOUC must be signed by the homeowner or the "Customer refused to sign" box shall be checked. One copy of the form is to be left with the homeowner, one copy is for the contractor or auditor's files and one copy must be submitted to the program. A blank copy of the Notice of Unsatisfactory Condition can be found on the contractor website here.

New Contractor Participation Agreements

The latest updated Contractor Participation Agreement for SCE/SoCalGas is now available on the contractor website and can also be found here. This document must be signed and returned to account managers in order to remain active in the program. Please ask your account management if you have any questions about any changes.

QC Corner

Get the Most from the Pocket Reference Guide

At the Technical Training on June 6, 2017, copies of the new Pocket Reference Guide (PRG) were distributed to those in attendance. If you have not had a chance to review the PRG, reviewing it will give you valuable insight and information. If you do not have a copy of the PRG, there are two ways to obtain the guide: by contacting your ICF Account Manager for a hard copy of the guide, or by logging into the contractors' website and downloading an electronic PDF version you can store on your phone, tablet or computer.

The PRG is packed with useful information designed to help contractors and auditors easily navigate their way through onsite inspections. Much of the information within the PRG will also be useful to people in your company responsible for submitting documents and information to the Program.

The hard copy is designed to withstand tough use in the field. It is printed on a waterproof stock with a spiral wound binding. All these features make it easy to slip in your pocket, drop in your tool box or stash in the glove box of your truck.

The PRG was created to follow the order and procedure of an actual onsite inspection. This is helpful for those who do not have a lot of experience with Home Upgrade requirements. In addition to the inspection procedure, highlights of the PRG include:

OptiMiser Energy-Modeling Software User's Guide

The Energy Upgrade California® Home Upgrade Program has two approved energy-modeling software products authorized for use in the Advanced Home Upgrade path: OptiMiser® and Snugg Pro. Many of you are familiar with Snugg Pro and the related user's guide produced by the Program. For those of you using OptiMiser, or contemplating its use, we are pleased to announce we will be releasing the OptiMiser Energy Modeling Guide very shortly. The guide will be available in time for the technical training scheduled for May 16. Once complete, the OptiMiser Energy Modeling Guide will be available for download in the energy modeling resources section of the contractor resources website.

The OptiMiser Energy Modeling Guide is designed to help contractors and auditors navigate the software while using Program-approved values within their energy-models. The guide includes direction for modeling default path projects, custom projects and custom projects with utility bill calibration. In addition, there are useful tables, formulas, and default value tables.

If you have not had a chance to use OptiMiser, or are interested in what it can do for your business, OptiMiser offers 30-day free trials. Once you sign-up you will be able to build energy-models from simple to complex, calculate energy-savings information, utilize the report functions, and much more.

For more information go to https://optimiserenergy.com/ and click on the GET OPTIMISER link near the top-right side of the page.

QC Tools Make Capturing and Calculating Audit Data a Breeze

When it comes to creating precise energy models nothing beats obtaining fast, accurate and repeatable results. That's why the Program created and made available to contractors an Excel document titled "QC Tools." The document was created for use during an audit (either test-in or test-out) and gives the auditor the ability to record project information.

The QC Tools has many built-in functions and formulas that make quick work out of complex calculations. The document is comprised of the following seven tabs, each with its own purpose:

• Introduction
• Combustion Safety
• Dimensions
• Duct Leakage Calculator
• Air Leakage and MV Calculator
• Intermittent MV Hours-Per-Day
• Intermittent MV Minutes-Per-Hour

Once back at the office, the values from the QC Tools can be quickly and easily plugged into the energy-modeling software of your choice. For contractors not using energy-modeling software, the QC Tools is an indispensable tool to help you get the most for your customer.

The Introduction Tab

gives a detailed description of each of the other six tabs, specific examples of their use, and informs the reader if that tab is required by the Program to be completed.

The Combustion Safety Tab

is the form used by the RHA's Energy Field Technicians. Use it to document CAS/CAZ details for attended and un-attended appliances. Color-coding red and green results easily identify pass and fail criteria. A simple click of a button resets the form allowing it to be used repeatedly.

The Dimensions Tab

lets you easily calculate conditioned floor area, volume, average ceiling height, wall and window area by orientation, and window area as a percentage of wall area. These calculations are performed by entering a minimal number of dimensions.

Duct Leakage Calculator Tab:

By entering just three values, the duct leakage calculator calculates system airflow, duct leakage percentage, and whether the system meets the 10% maximum leakage requirement. This tab can calculate two separate duct systems at once and calculates system airflow based on cooling tonnage or heating output, whichever is greater.

Air Leakage and MV Calculator Tab: There are two calculations that take place on this form. First, values are entered in the white cells on step 1 to determine if mechanical ventilation is required, recommended, or is not an issue. If mechanical ventilation is required or recommended in step 1, enter values in the white cells in step 2. The calculator will determine the amount of minimum continuous mechanical ventilation airflow required or recommended.

Intermittent MV Hours-Per-Day Tab:

If mechanical ventilation is required, you can set up the MV fan to run for a specific number of hours per day as opposed to running 24/7. By using the MV airflow required and entering the desired number of hours of operation, one can easily determine the correct fan airflow for intermittent use.

Intermittent Minutes-Per-Hr. Tab: Just as with the Hours-Per-Day above, you can set up the MV fan to run for a specific number of minutes per hour as opposed to running continuously every hour. By using the MV airflow required and entering the desired number of minutes per hour of operation, one can easily determine the correct fan airflow for intermittent use.

Financing Updates from CHEEF/REEL

Lead with the value of energy efficient equipment

Do your team members start by offering standard equipment, then "upsell" with a pitch for more energy efficient models that qualify for Home Upgrade? There may be a better way. Why not lead with the value of energy efficient models? By starting with equipment that saves more energy or qualifies for utility incentives like Home Upgrade, your team can build customer trust in efficient models. And with financing from the state-sponsored Residential Energy Efficiency Loan (REEL) program, your customers can finance single-measures, whole house upgrades, and even use up to 30% of the loan amount to finance other related home improvements alongside efficiency measures. 

Want to offer REEL to your customers? Sign up today.

Become a REEL Participating Contractor by visiting www.thecheef.com/contractors, or learn more by contacting the REEL Contractor Support team at 1-800-484-0109 or REEL@frontierenergy.com.

Coming Soon: GoGreen Financing Resources and New Lenders

As a result of continued success with customer participation, the REEL program is growing. The program just launched a new GoGreen Financing brand and a revamped homeowner-facing website, with summer 2018 advertising and contractor resources coming next month. Plus, the program is adding two new local lenders - stay tuned for more details.

BPI Training

Tuesday, May 8 - Friday, May 11
Irvine, CA (Exact Location TBA)

Register Here!

Are you or a member of your staff looking to become BPI BA certified? Participating Contractors with a BPI BA contractor on staff are eligible to offer Advanced Home Upgrade projects to their customers for larger incentives and higher energy savings.

This year, our BPI certifying partner is offering a blended learning experience meaning, less time in the classroom! This home energy auditor course introduces building science principles and offers hands-on blower door training. Includes a 16-hour webinar, field training with equipment (in person), practice questions, and written field certification exams. Don't forget to contact your Account Manager to receive your discount code to instantly receive $150 off the retail price. More details to come via email to registrants.

Technical Training

Wednesday, May 16
8:30 AM - 1:30 PM

Energy Resource Center
9240 Firestone Blvd.
Downey, CA 90241

Join us for Technical Training! Breakfast and lunch will be provided to attendees. Click here to Register.

Specific topics that will be covered include:

• Energy Modeling Updates - Optimizer Handbook
• Updated Mechanical Ventilation Guidelines
• Documentation Reminders for Projects and Contractors
• Water Heaters and Uniform Energy Factors
• Many More!

REEL Section

REEL can now finance even more. See what's new!

New measures are eligible for financing through the Residential Energy Efficiency Loan (REEL) Program. REEL has always been a financing option for Home Upgrade projects and other eligible measures, but it's now even more flexible. As of March 5, you can offer REEL for Home Upgrade projects and the following new measures:

• Whole house fan
• Energy Star clothes dryer, dishwasher, and freezer
• Pool pump motor
• Air cleaner/purifier

Check out the updated, searchable eligible measures list online.

As always, you can continue using REEL to finance popular Home Upgrade measures, such as insulation, air conditioning, duct work, furnaces, water heaters, and windows. 

Become a REEL Participating Contractor today by visiting www.thecheef.com/contractors, or learn more by contacting Frontier Energy at 

1-800-484-0109 or Email.