In 2011 California counties, cities, nonprofit organizations, government agencies, the state's investor-owned utilities (Pacific Gas and Electric, Southern California Edison, Southern California Gas, and San Diego Gas & Electric) and publicly owned utilities came together to form an unprecedented alliance known as the Energy Upgrade California Program. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is funding this effort to bring homeowners the biggest benefit for upgrading their home to be more efficient. This program may be modified or terminated without prior notice and rebates are provided to qualified customers on a first come, first served basis until the program funds are exhausted.

Many homes leak heated air in the winter and trap hot air in the summer causing homeowners to crank up the heat or air conditioning to be comfortable. It's like watching your hard earned cash fly right out the windows of your inefficient home. This program will help reduce the energy use in many homes, help Californians save energy, money, and reduce our impact on global and climate change.

Energy Upgrade California encourages homeowners to think of their home working as a complete system, a "whole house", rather than focusing on individual elements within your home. The concept is to seal and insulate your house, and then enhance it.

The whole house approach will help achieve:

• Lower utility bills
• A more comfortable home
• Reduced energy and water use                                      
• Minimized energy waste
• Improved indoor air quality
• Increased home value
• Reduced impact on the environment

Energy Upgrade California Frequently Asked Questions:

What is the Energy Upgrade California Program?

Energy Upgrade California offers rebates and resources to homeowners who improve the energy of their home with specific energy saving measures. Energy Upgrade California is a statewide promotional effort funded in part by the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009, through the California State Energy Program (SEP), and Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program (EECBG).

What are the rebates? How do they work?

Rebates in the Energy Upgrade California program are offered in packages depending on home performance improvements, such as air sealing, insulation, duct sealing, air conditioning, heating, windows and water heaters. Rebate amounts are based on the amount of energy you save during these improvements. Cool Air Solutions, Inc is a qualified contractor that can help you decide which package of improvement measures will make the most sense for your home. We will then apply for the rebates on your behalf and inform you on additional rebates and tax credits. Rebates will not be offered for projects installed by homeowners or by contractors who are not participating in the Energy Upgrade Program.

What are the benefits of participating? What are the potential savings on my utility bill?

Installing home performance improvements in your home will lead to improved indoor air quality, a much more comfortable environment, and lower utility bills. Energy upgrades focus on the house as a system, not just merely adding insulation or upgrading your HVAC system. Air sealing, insulation, windows, appliances, lighting, ventilation, water heating, pool equipment, occupant’s behavior, heating and air conditioning are all evaluated.  The most cost effective improvements are determined and recommended.

Energy upgrades can lead to home energy savings anywhere between 10% to more than 60% depending on the homes condition. The best way to learn about the energy savings potential for your home is to have an energy assessment conducted by Cool Air Solutions prior to having improvements installed. During the energy assessment, your energy rater will model your home's efficiency and calculate potential savings. Cool Air Solutions will then provide you with a detailed report on what improvements will provide the most savings your home.

Who qualifies for the rebates?

The Energy Upgrade California rebates are available for single family homes. Apartments where four or more units share a single HVAC system are considered multifamily and do not qualify for any rebates at this time.

How do I apply for the rebates through California's Program?

Cool Air Solutions will apply on behalf of the homeowner for the rebate once the energy saving measures have been installed. Rebates will be provided to the account holder with the utility company. The rebate will then be mailed to the homeowner approximately four to six weeks after completion of the work.

What are the rebate packages?

Homeowners can participate in the Energy Upgrade California Program by choosing between two rebate packages- The Basic Package, and the Advanced Package.

In the Basic package, a predetermined set of cost effective upgrades are installed in the home. This is to focus on the home's building shell, making sure it is insulated, sealed, and safe.

The Basic package elements include:

1. Air Sealing
2. Attic Insulation
3. Duct Sealing
4. Hot water pipe insulation, where accessible
5. Thermostatic shut-off valve
6. Combustion appliance safety testing including installation of Carbon Monoxide (CO) monitors
7. Recommended: Low flow shower-head

Advanced package elements include a choice of energy efficiency measure that can be combined based on your house and your needs. The home must be sealed first, all basic package elements must be completed, if they haven't been done already, and then additional measures can be added.

The Advanced package elements may include:

1. Wall insulation
2. High-efficiency furnace
3. Energy-efficient cooling systems
4. Energy-efficient water heaters
5. Energy-efficient (variable-speed) pool pumps
6. Dual pane energy-efficient windows
7. Cool roofs
8. Whole house fans
9. Energy STAR labeled ceiling fans
10. Energy-efficiency hardwired interior and exterior lighting fixtures
11. Other energy efficiency improvements that are permanent or "fixed" to your house.

What does a home energy assessment consist of?

Cool Air Solutions energy raters will begin an energy assessment with a visual examination of your home. They look for asbestos and mold infestations in the attic, and identify noticeable energy inefficiencies. An example of the visual test would be if the energy rater noticed blackened areas on insulation; this often indicates where air leakages are occurring.

Duct Blaster

• The duct blaster test will show where there are leaks in the duct system.

Carbon Monoxide Safety Test

• This test ensures that gas appliances like a stove, water heater, or a gas fireplace are operating safely and efficiently. If you choose to have energy upgrades installed, this test will also be performed after the completion of the work.

Blower Door Test (Whole House Air Leakage Test)

• The blower door test blows air out of the house (depressurized) to identify where the holes and gaps allowing air to leak to and from the home. This helps determine where air sealing can be installed to stop leaking air and wasting energy.

Infrared Camera Scan

• Using Infrared technology, the rater uses a camera to see areas where there are leaks, insufficient insulation, and moisture problem.

This picture shows what a normal wall looks like to you, but with an infrared camera you can see no insulation was installed here.

  In this picture you can see, there was not enough insulation installed allowing cold draft in.


This picture shows hot air is leaking from the inside of the home to the attic.

Comprehensive Recommendations

• After all the tests are performed on your home, the energy rater will provide an extensive report of you homes energy use. It will also provide a list of recommended measures to improve the homes energy efficiency.

How long does the whole upgrade process take?

A Cool Air Solutions energy rater can assist you in diagnosing what improvement measures best suit the needs of your home. If you choose to have an energy assessment test performed, it will take about two to four hours to be completed.

Can I install measures myself to qualify for a rebate?

No, to be eligible for the rebates, the projects must be installed by a contractor who is registered with Energy Upgrade California Program like Cool Air Solutions.

Will I need a building permit?

Depending on the location of your home, various permits may be required. To qualify for all rebates, all permits must be pulled. Cool Air Solutions will inform you what permits need to be pulled and how much they will cost. 

Call Cool Air Solutions today to find out how to receive an Energy Assessment from one of our BPI Certified Technicians.