Yes, the EnergySmart Boulder County rebates can be stacked with any other eligible EnergySmart City rebates along with utility rebates or other incentives! The cost of all rebates/incentives when added together cannot exceed the total project cost.

Your EnergySmart advisor will work with you to apply for EnergySmart rebates once the project is complete. It’s important to note that rebates are only available to residents who signed up with EnergySmart before completing a rebate-eligible project. To sign up or check that you are signed up, you can complete this form, call 303-544-1000, or email info@energysmartyes.com. 

Once work is completed, your advisor will need to collect the final paid invoice along with any subsequent documentation confirming eligibility. Your advisor will then send you the rebate paperwork for completion via DocuSign. 

Your rebate will arrive as a check in the mail. It typically takes around 8-10 weeks for the rebate to fully process and arrive in the mail. The timing of the rebate check arrival can sometimes vary. 

No, EnergySmart requires signing up before completing a project to access our rebates. Complete this form to sign up or check if you are enrolled before completing a project. 

No, EnergySmart cannot retroactively rebate projects completed in previous years. Rebates must be issued within the year the project was completed and invoiced. 

The contractors listed on the EnergySmart website are available as a resource and EnergySmart aligns with the primary utility’s contractor requirement where applicable. Below are the requirements for the various utilities in Boulder County.

• Xcel Energy – Contractor must be listed on the eligible installer list for insulation/air sealing, air source heat pump, heat pump water heater, and ground source heat pump projects
• Longmont Power Company/City of Longmont (Efficiency Works) – The contractor must be listed on the eligible installer list for insulation/air sealing, air source heat pump, mini-split heat pump, ground source heat pump, and heat pump water heater projects
• Poudre Valley REA – Open to any licensed contractor
• United Power – Open to any licensed contractor
• Lyons Power – Open to any licensed contractor

The lists provided by EnergySmart offer columns to show which contractors are registered in the appropriate lists.

Project pre-qualification is not required but highly encouraged due to the various EnergySmart rebate requirements related to a project’s scope of work, equipment, and/or other eligibility requirements. 

Requirements will vary based on the type of project you complete. Most requirements are detailed on the specific EnergySmart rebate eligible measures list. Some projects require additional specific requirements. Requirements to keep in mind are listed below.

• Any Insulation/Air Sealing Project – requires the completion of blower door testing and where applicable CAZ (combustion appliance zone) testing. These are also usually requirements for accessing utility rebates.
• Attic Insulation and Air Sealing – in addition to standard air sealing, the exterior top plates must be air-sealed.
• Air Source Heat Pumps, Mini-split Heat Pumps, and Ground Source Heat Pumps – must be AHRI-rated and EnergySmart is required to collect the AHRI certificate.
  • For the cold climate air source or mini-split heat pump rebates – heat pumps must also be listed on the NEEP Cold Climate Database or ENERGY STAR Cold Climate Heat Pump Ducted or Mini-split list.
• Heat Pump Water Heaters and Heat Pump Dryers – must be ENERGY STAR Rated.
• Electrical Panel Upgrades – must be completed with an eligible electrification project (heat pumps for HVAC, heat pump water heater, heat pump dryer, induction cooktop, solar PV, or EV Charger).
• Fuel Switch Rebates – require verification of gas appliance removal along with confirmation that an eligible electric appliance was installed. If a contractor is used to complete an installation, a statement on the final invoice noting the removal of the gas appliance will suffice. For projects where an invoice is not collected before and after installation photos must be provided.

A blower door test depressurizes your home to measure the home’s overall air leakage. 

Blower door testing is required when any change is made that results in tightening the thermal envelope of the home. It’s important to make sure the home is airtight but also has adequate ventilation, the blower door testing will measure how airtight the home is to know if more ventilation should be considered. There comes a point when the home gets to a certain level of airtightness that you will want to start considering mechanical ventilation to better ensure the home has healthy and safe indoor air quality. Below is a list of potential EnergySmart rebate-eligible measures that require blower door testing. If you are unsure if your project requires blower door testing, speak with your advisor.

• Attic Insulation with Air Sealing
• Wall Insulation
• Foundation (Basement or Crawlspace) Insulation and Air Sealing
• Sub-Floor or Frame Floor Insulation and Air Sealing
• Professionally Applied Air Sealing

The Combustion Appliance Zone is the area(s) where gas appliances (furnace, water heater, stove, etc.) are located in the home. These gas appliances, sometimes referred to as combustion appliances, need to exhaust all combustion by-products outside of the home. A CAZ test will check that the combustion appliances are venting and exhausting properly even under worst-case scenarios. This test is an especially important health and safety test to ensure no harmful combustion by-products are being released in the home.

Similar to Blower Door Testing, CAZ testing is required when any change is made that results in tightening the thermal envelope of the home. When a home with a combustion appliance is made to be more airtight, it might affect the ability of a gas appliance to exhaust properly. A CAZ test may also be required if a change or upgrade to the existing HVAC can affect the ability of an existing combustion appliance to exhaust and vent properly. By performing the CAZ test after work is completed, you can confirm the combustion appliance(s) are operating safely despite the change in air leakage or equipment. Below is a list of potential EnergySmart rebate-eligible measures that require CAZ testing. If you are unsure if your project requires a CAZ test, speak with your advisor.

• Attic Insulation with Air Sealing
• Wall Insulation
• Foundation (Basement or Crawlspace) Insulation and Air Sealing
• Professionally Applied Air Sealing
• Sub-Floor or Frame Floor Insulation and Air Sealing
• Any HVAC upgrade that may affect an existing combustion appliance

• Ex: removing a gas furnace that shares an exhaust vent with a gas water heater that is not getting replaced.

Exterior top plates are the top framing members of your exterior walls and are often points of air leakage in attic spaces. Due to the low angle of the roof deck, exterior top plates can be more difficult to access. Despite this, it is still important to seal all accessible exterior top plates to ensure the effectiveness of insulation in the attic and your home’s efficiency and comfort. By sealing the exterior top plates with 2-part spray foam, you are also maximizing the R-value of the insulation.  EnergySmart views exterior top plate air sealing as best practice and therefore requires it to be listed within the scope of work to access our attic insulation and air sealing rebate. See the below images for examples of exterior top plates.  

EnergySmart will collect two certifications to confirm an air source heat pump is “Cold Climate Rated”:

1. AHRI Certificate – The Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) certification program measures and verifies the equipment’s specifications. Your advisor may ask for the AHRI certificate or reference number to pull a certificate to confirm a system’s specifications (HSPF2) align with “Cold Climate” rebate requirements.
2. NEEP Cold Climate Certification or ENERGY STAR Cold Climate Certification – EnergySmart offers three options to confirm “Cold Climate” certification. Below are the three options, two involve using the NEEP database and one involves using ENERGY STAR Cold Climate Product lists.
   • NEEP (Northeast Energy Efficiency Partners) Cold Climate Database – the AHRI certificate of the heat pump must be listed in the database and meet one of the two requirements:
     • COP ≥ 1.75 at 5°F
     • Heating capacity at 5°F is at least 70% of the BTU at 47°F
   • ENERGY STAR Cold Climate Product List – Depending on the type of air source heat pump you are installing; the proposed heat pump system needs to be listed on either the ducted cold climate product list or mini-split cold climate product list.

ENERGY STAR rated appliances can be confirmed on the Energy Star website using their Product Finder. 

Yes, EnergySmart allows up to two rebates per house for eligible air source heat pump or mini-split heat pump installation.

No, energy audits are not required to access EnergySmart rebates. Energy audits may however be required to access other rebates/incentives. Additionally, energy audits can be a valuable step to take before completing projects.

MFUs with 4 are fewer units are eligible to access the EnergySmart rebates. MFUs with 5 or more units are not eligible to access the EnergySmart rebates but may qualify for Partners for a Clean Environment (PACE) rebates, contact a PACE advisor to learn more.

All EnergySmart rebates are set yearly, typically any changes to rebates will occur when the new year’s rebates are released. Rebates are subject to change based on funding or other factors throughout the year.

EnergySmart rebates must be applied for within the same year that the project is completed. If your project is going to be completed at the end of the year, check with your advisor for important year-end rebate paperwork deadlines. Since the EnergySmart rebate funding is limited, we highly encourage applying for the rebate as soon as possible once the project is completed.