Consumers Energy is offering some new rebates and incentives focused on performance-based energy reduction for new and existing commercial and mixed-use/multifamily as well as new single-family homes. For new and existing multifamily properties they are allowing some new pilot incentives for heat pump HVAC and water heaters. For mixed-use multifamily & commercial, they have a new program that pays out to $150,000.00 and for single family new builds, they pay up to $2,000.00 per home!  The mixed-use program is called their Zero Net Energy Companion Program but don’t let that scare you as it really is an energy reduction program with some requirements to get ready for solar in the future. It pays a $1.50 per square foot, more than twice their business incentives for projects that can ideally achieve 25 kbtu per square foot per year in your energy model at $.75 / square foot and the remaining $.75 will be paid out of a 12 month performance period showing actual results. Since some buildings are very unique so they are also allowing you to achieve this by instead being 40% better than the MI commercial energy code on new construction or major guts or 30% better on existing build upgrades. This incentive also covers the cost of LEED and/or Zero Energy certification program fees and requires early design planning, charrettes, energy modeling as well as commissioning after construction. Learn more here or download the handout here!  Keeler Design Charrette Meeting to discuss achieving CE ZNE program on a mixed use in Grand Rapids For Single Family and townhouses, consumers energy is offering $2,000 for achieving a HERS index of 56 or lower, obtaining energy star homes certification and having an all-electric HVAC system. If Geothermal is out of your price range that is ok! Air source heat pumps will get the job done and now work in cold climates as well as Heat Pump Water Heaters.  Learn more about the program. For new and existing multifamily it is getting harder to comply with appropriate heat load calculations by using traditional forced air single-stage gas furnaces. Ducted or ductless air source heat pumps not only save a lot of energy but also comply with sizing requirements to make sure the system performance is at it’s peak. Not adding gas lines or venting also can save on costs as well as reduce air loss and pest entry. While heat pump water heaters steal heated air from inside our buildings they also dehumidify and are roughly 300% more efficient than traditional resistant water heaters. Most multifamily buildings have more issues with higher cooling loads than heating loads so heat pump water heaters help out with that in in the cooling season despite the small heat load they add in the winter. Our models are showing anywhere from $100 a year to $800 a year per unit in energy savings by switching from resistance to heat pump. As such, consumers is now recognizing this and adding custom rebates to help with the additional upfront cost of air source and hot water heat pumps!  Learn more here about rebates for multifamily and contact consumers on custom heat pumps for your project.  We applaud consumers energy for helping lead the transition in making our buildings and homes more efficient and healthier!  Whether you are doing mixed-use, multifamily or single family GHI is here to help you or connect you with someone who can help you get access to these incentives and make your project better! Get at us today Brett.Little@greenhomeinstitute.org 616-458-6733