New Construction
The Energy-Smart Homes program can help to maximize incentives without disrupting construction timelines.
There are two program pathways for California Energy-Smart Homes Program incentives:
- The all-electric pathway offers significant incentives for above-code buildings without gas metering or hookup infrastructure
- The mixed-fuel pathway incentivizes above-code construction of projects with existing plans for gas service installation
Our program implementation team can help identify the best pathway for each of your projects.
Single Family and Duplex
All-Electric Incentives
Energy-Smart Homes offers de-escalating base incentives depending on the project’s year of completion. For base incentives, additions and ADU projects must be all-electric and have a delta Energy Design Rating (EDR) of at least 1.0. Bonus incentives are also available for increased delta EDR, meaning more energy-efficient projects receive higher incentives.
| All-Electric New Construction | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Additional incentive for each 0.1 delta EDR over 1.0 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single-Family Duplex (per unit) | $3,500 | $2,900 | $2,500 | $2,200 | $10 |
Mixed-Fuel Incentives
Incentives for mixed-fuel new construction projects are dependent on installed project savings and provide escalating incentives for increased savings.
| Mixed-Fuel New Construction | Base Incentive delta EDR ≥ 2.0 | Additional incentive for each 0.1 delta EDR over 2.0 |
|---|---|---|
| Single-Family Duplex (per unit) | $800 | $5 |
Multifamily Low-Rise
All-Electric Incentives
Energy-Smart Homes offers de-escalating base incentives depending on the project’s year of completion. For base incentives, additions and ADU projects must be all-electric and have a delta Energy Design Rating (EDR) of at least 1.0. Bonus incentives are also available for increased delta EDR, meaning more energy-efficient projects receive higher incentives.
| All-Electric New Construction | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Additional incentive for each 0.1 delta EDR over 1.0 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Multifamily Low-Rise (per unit) | $2,200 | $1,800 | $1,500 | $1,200 | $5 |
Mixed-Fuel Incentives
Incentives for mixed fuel new construction are dependent on installed project savings and provide escalating incentives for increased savings.
| Mixed-Fuel New Construction | Base Incentive delta EDR ≥ 2.0 | Additional incentive for each 0.1 delta EDR over 2.0 |
|---|---|---|
| Multifamily Low-Rise (per unit) | $450 | $6 |
Additions and ADUs
All-Electric Incentives
Energy-Smart Homes offers de-escalating base incentives depending on the project’s year of completion. For base incentives, additions and ADU projects must be all-electric and have a delta Energy Design Rating (EDR) of at least 1.0. Bonus incentives are also available for increased delta EDR, meaning more energy-efficient projects receive higher incentives.
| All-Electric New Construction | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Additional incentive for each 0.1 delta EDR over 1.0 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Additions and ADUs | $1,750 | $1,450 | $1,250 | $1,100 | $5 |
Note: There is no mixed-fuel pathway for additions and ADUs.
New Construction Program Requirements
New Construction Single Family, Duplex, and Multifamily Low-Rise projects must install:
- Communicating thermostats
- Segregated circuits
- Electric vehicle charging infrastructure pre-wiring in accordance with CALGreen Building Code EV ready requirements
- Single family/Duplex only: Battery storage readiness
- All-Electric pathway only: Thermostatic mixing valves
- Mixed-Fuel pathway only: Pre-wiring and enabling space requirements for all-electric homes.
Communicating thermostats
Energy-Smart Homes requires communicating thermostats in single family homes and low-rise multifamily dwelling units to have the following capabilities:
- Programmable and Wi-Fi capable, allowing occupants to remotely adjust temperature with a smartphone or other device
- Auto demand response (ADR) capability
Segregated circuits
Energy-Smart Homes requires the segregation of the following electrical circuits in single family homes and low-rise multifamily dwellings:
- Lighting including exit and egress lighting and exterior lighting
- HVAC systems and components including furnaces, package units, whole-house fans, chillers, air handling units, cooling towers, and circulation pumps associated with HVAC
- Domestic and service water system pumps and related systems and components
- Plug load including appliances rated less than 25 kVA
- Charging stations for electric vehicles
For segregated circuits, no plug load, lighting load, or appliances (including but not limited to dishwasher, dryer, refrigerator, clothes washer, oven, whole house fan, furnace/heat pump, water heater, sump pumps, etc.) can share a common circuit. This means that any one circuit can only serve a lighting load, a plug load, or a single major appliance.
Electric Vehicle charging infrastructure
Energy-Smart Homes requires single family homes and multifamily buildings to comply with Section 4.106.4.2 of the California Green Building Standards Code, Title 24, Part 11 for space, location, size, and number of electric vehicles. EV Capable parking spaces have electrical panel capacity, a dedicated branch circuit, a raceway to the EV parking spot, and wiring to support the future installation of EV charging stations.
Single family/Duplex only: Battery storage readiness
Energy-Smart Homes requires new single-family homes to include a minimum 225-amp busbar, four backed-up circuits (two of which must be the refrigerator and bedroom receptacle outlet), and either a subpanel or split-bus main panel for those circuits.
All-Electric pathway only: Thermostatic mixing valves
Energy-Smart Homes requires all heat pump water heaters installed in single family homes and low-rise multifamily units to be equipped with thermostatic mixing valves.
Mixed-Fuel pathway only:
Pre-wiring and enabling space requirements for all-electric homes.
Additions and ADUs must:
- Be all-electric
- Have required jurisdictional permits
- Have a delta EDR ≥1.0 as demonstrated by a Title 24 energy model
- Additions must be greater than 700 square feet
Program funds are limited. Incentives are available on a first-come, first-served basis until funds are no longer available.
