With 2019 coming to a close, here’s a look at the latest incentive updates for EPS^TM New Construction that will take effect starting January 20, 2020.

Whole Home Incentives
The EPS New Construction offering issues incentives to builders and verifiers based on how well their homes perform with respect to energy codes in Oregon and Washington. We will increase incentives in late January 2020, in both Oregon and Washington, to encourage more participation at higher above-code levels.

In response to federal standard changes and stakeholder input, we will introduce a reference home with a new baseline for Oregon homes in 2020. The baseline will:

• Incorporate additional savings from fireplaces and smart thermostats.
• Apply more stringent infiltration and furnace fan motor assumptions.
• Result in a small decrease in the savings and percentage that homes can achieve above code, compared to the 2019 baseline.

We will also implement a requirement for gas space heating in homes in gas-only territory, similar to the requirement for homes in Washington.

We do not plan to adjust the code reference baseline for Washington homes in 2020.

Early Design Assistance (EDA) Incentives
Starting in January 2020, builders in Southwest Washington will be eligible to receive a $500 incentive for conducting an EDA meeting. Builders in Oregon will still be eligible to receive incentives for hosting EDA meetings.

If you have questions email eps@energytrust.org or call the trade ally hotline at 1.877.238.0698.