New Construction
The Energy-Smart Homes program can help to maximize incentives without disrupting construction timelines for single family and multifamily low-rise projects.
Single Family, Duplex, Townhome, and ADU
Multifamily Low-Rise
All-Electric New Construction Incentives
Energy-Smart Homes offers de-escalating incentives depending on the project’s year of completion. To be eligible for incentives, projects must be all-electric and meet all applicable federal, state, and local laws and codes.
| All-Electric New Construction | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single Family/Duplex/Townhome (per unit) | $3,500 | $2,100 | $1,850 | $1,600 | |
| Multifamily/ADUs (per unit) | $1,750 | $1,350 | $1,100 | $1,000 |
Program funds are limited. Incentives are available on a first-come, first-served basis until funds are no longer available.
New Construction Program Prerequisites
New Construction Single Family, Duplex, Townhome
- Communicating thermostats
- Segregated circuits
- Electric vehicle charging infrastructure pre-wiring in accordance with CALGreen Building Code EV ready requirements
- Battery storage readiness
- Thermostatic mixing valves
New Construction ADUs
- Communicating thermostats
- Segregated circuits
New Construction Multifamily Low-Rise
- Communicating thermostats
- Segregated circuits
- Electric vehicle charging infrastructure pre-wiring in accordance with CALGreen Building Code EV ready requirements
- Thermostatic mixing valves
Communicating thermostats (not required if variable capacity heat pumps (VCHP) will be installed)
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 (not required for ADUs)
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.
Battery storage readiness (not required for ADUs or Multifamily Low-Rise projects)
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.
Thermostatic mixing valves (not required for ADUs)
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.
NEW FOR MULTIFAMILY LOW-RISE PROJECTS
Central Heat Pump Water Heater Targeted Measures
| Central Heat Pump Water Heater Targeted Measures | Incentive |
|---|---|
| Central System Design (per project/developer) Full MEP Design and documentation |
$20,000 |
| Central System Installation (per installed unit) | $1,500 |
