Oregon communities recovering from devastating wildfires need long-term support to rebuild. Energy Trust of Oregon began offering enhanced cash incentives starting in January 2022, to help displaced homeowners and participating trade ally builders construct new homes that are energy efficient and resilient.

Energy Trust typically pays new homes incentives to builders. However, homeowners who are acting as general contractors (owner-builders) can qualify for the builder incentive. Below you’ll find information about available incentives and details to see whether your project qualifies.

Whole Home Incentives

Builders/owner-builders are eligible to receive double the standard whole home incentive, which escalates depending on the modeled percent above code that the home achieves.

• Standard incentive: $1,123-$4,086 per home
• Doubled incentive for fire rebuild: $2,246-$8,171 per home

Resilience Incentives

Builders/owner-builders are eligible for bonus incentives on top of the whole home incentives when they incorporate features that make the homes more resilient against wildfires while also saving energy. Bonuses are available for the following features:

• Triple pane windows ($750 per home): Average U factor of all windows must be 0.22 or below. To meet this average, most windows in the home need to be triple pane. Adding a third pane adds another layer between the interior and a fire, offering greater resiliency, especially if the glass is tempered.
• Exterior rigid insulation ($750 per home): Home must include ignition resistant continuous exterior rigid insulation, such as rockwool or poly iso, on all wall surfaces. Exterior rigid insulation is highly flame resistant and offers considerable energy savings.
• Unvented attics ($400 per home): An unvented attic moves the thermal boundary to the roof line and does not have any vent openings. Vent openings are a risk during wildfires because they allow embers to enter the home. Unvented attics also save energy because any ductwork located in the attic will be within the thermal boundary.

Eligibility Requirements

• Home must be sited on land that was previously occupied by a home that was destroyed by wildfire.
• Home must receive service from one or more of the following Energy Trust utilities: Portland General Electric, Pacific Power, NW Natural, Cascade Natural Gas and Avista.
• If home only receives gas service from an Energy Trust utility, the home must use gas for primary space heat.
• To qualify for enhanced incentives, home must meet EPS requirements, including exceeding the 2021 Oregon Residential Specialty code by at least 10%.
• Participating builder must be an Energy Trust trade ally and must hire a trade ally verifier to conduct site inspections and coordinate submission of program documents.
• Home must complete construction and verifier must submit program documentation between January 2022 and November 2023.

How to get in touch

Please contact the EPS New Construction trade ally coordinator via email or phone at 1.877.283.0698.

For other Energy Trust rebuilding offers, including programs for businesses and manufactured homes, please visit www.energytrust.org/about/explore-energy-trust/rebuilding-from-wildfires.