www.theenergynetwork.com                               March/April 2014
Watch this video about The Energy Network's
Turnkey Project Delivery.
Learn how public agencies can get to construction
and savings faster on their energy upgrade projects.

Bigger Rebates for Home Upgrade

The Energy Network recently announced big changes to its Energy Upgrade California™ Home Upgrade program, including a higher incentive maximum for homeowners and better support for contractors.

 

These changes were based on feedback from Participating Contractors and designed to encourage contractors and homeowners to pursue more whole-house upgrades. The new rebates and incentives are available to most single-family homeowners in Los Angeles County.

 

Home Upgrade in Los Angeles County now offers 

  • Homeowner rebates of up to $3,000, raised from the previous cap of $2,500.
  • More flexible incentive structure that better aligns the rebate amount with the energy efficiency measures installed.

To Participating Contractors, Home Upgrade now offers 

  • Combustion Safety Testing incentives to help cover testing costs.
  • Simplified HVAC qualifying measures.
  • A streamlined rebate application process.

To ensure the success of Home Upgrade, it is critical that The Energy Network listen to boots on the ground. Participating Contractors are an essential component of the program. The Energy Network listens to their feedback and continuously applies improvements that encourage more homeowners to participate.

City Considers Full
Menu of Services

Whittier seems poised to become the poster child of The Energy Network. The town in eastern Los Angeles County recently joined the program and is considering nearly the full slate of available services; from public facilities upgrades to commercial and residential incentives.

 

"This is a great program, I thought it was very creative," Whittier Mayor Bob Henderson said during last month's City Council meeting where The Energy Network staff presented. "We are lucky to have a chance to participate. I think it can be a real benefit not only to the city directly, but also to our homeowners."

 

Whittier, in spite of its size and limited resources, has a long history of sustainability and green initiatives. With The Energy Network, the City will explore retrofits at several facilities including City Hall, the police department and central library, as well as street lights upgrades and energy management software. The City also is using The Energy Network to identify home and commercial rebate and loan programs that can assist residents and businesses to save on energy costs.

 

To see what other enrolled agencies are doing visit our  Agencies in Action page.

 

To watch the March 11th City Council presentation visit Whittier's website.
Financing Made Easy

 

Most public agencies realize that being energy efficient pays dividends, but funding energy efficiency projects can be a real challenge.

 

In addition to its one-of-a kind project delivery service for public agencies, The Energy Network also offers a unique financing tool authorized by the California Public Utilities Commission and specifically designed for public agencies. Energy Project Lease Financing offers low interest rates and a simple application process to quickly get funding from private lenders. It can be used to finance energy upgrade, water-saving and renewable energy projects.

 

Financing is not contingent on whether the project qualifies for utility rebates and incentives, and can be combined with utility or public financing.

 

The City of Pomona recently became the first public agency in The Energy Network to officially explore Energy Project Lease Financing for its energy upgrade projects. All public agencies in The Energy Network service territory are eligible to apply for financing regardless of whether they have projects with The Energy Network.

 

The Energy Network continues to assist enrolled agencies with all their financing options, including On Bill Financing and Revolving Loan Funds. Energy Project Lease Financing is an important addition to the program's financing menu and will help public agencies achieve deeper savings.

 

To learn more go to

 

  


About The  
Energy Network 

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The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) authorized The Energy Network to serve public agencies and their constituencies throughout Southern California.

  

The Energy Network's mission is to harness the collective action of public agencies and their constituents and to help them save energy by providing needed resources and technical expertise. The pilot phase is funded through the end of 2014.


This Program is administered by the County of Los Angeles and funded by California utility ratepayers under the auspices of the California Public Utilities Commission.