Builders that are part of Energy Trust of Oregon’s EPS™ New Construction offering can take their homes to the next level with two new incentive opportunities:
- Net zero: Include an installed solar electric system designed to offset a home’s entire electric load.
- Energy smart homes: Include appliances and equipment that are smart grid interactive, making it possible for customers to participate in utility programs—now or in the future—that are designed to lower energy usage during peak periods.
For specifics on how to qualify for these incentives, visit the net zero homes and energy smart homes pages on Insider.
Attend an upcoming webinar to learn how Oregon builders are achieving net zero
Several successful projects have received net zero incentives since the offerings launched in 2020. One year later, Energy Trust is looking back to see how these projects reassessed their designs and processes to incorporate solar and other innovative features.
Some builders offer homebuyers an upgrade option to install solar on their homes at the time of construction, using the following approach:
- Construct and market all homes within a development as Energy Trust solar ready.
- Partner with a solar trade ally for easy referral to homebuyers who are interested in installing solar.
- Conduct a solar early design assistance (EDA) meeting for the development to estimate each home’s kilowatt hour consumption and solar electric system size.
- Install solar on model homes in a community setting to demonstrate its functionality and aesthetic.
- Compare estimated monthly electric costs with and without solar installed.
Get more builder tips at an upcoming webinar
Join the EPS New Construction team for the Net Zero: It’s All Part of the Plans webinar on June 1 at 9 a.m. Attendees will learn about:
- Net-zero incentive offering
- How to optimize plans to receive net zero incentives
- The opt-in solar upgrade offering
Register today for the webinar and contact the EPS team with any questions about the incentives.