The Program is excited to announce updates to the savings and incentive calculation process that will streamline raters’ tasks and improve the consistency of calculated savings. These changes will become apparent via three primary interactions with the program:
Online application system (planned implementation date: 8/1/2019) - The current Home Registration and Rebate System will be transitioned to a new online system (web address to be determined). All applications will be submitted via the new system beginning on 8/1/2019.
Ekotrope users: the application process will be built into the Ekotrope interface. This means that you will no longer be required to maintain an application independently from your Ekotrope projects. Put another way: your Ekotrope project will become your application, saving time spent on duplication of efforts.
REM/Rate users: the new online system (web address to be determined), will mirror the current process. The standard application and document upload requirements will remain in place (e.g. – complete application, REM file upload, HERO report upload).
Equipment incentive applications will be collected in the new online system via a process that mirrors the current system.
Savings and rebate calculations (planned implementation date: 8/1/2019) – All savings calculations will be conducted in Ekotrope beginning with homes submitted on or after 8/1/2019. A total of 300 test REM/Rate homes were processed for savings using the current process and the new process. The median impact was less than 3% and 90% of all tested homes were impacted by less than 6%. The Program will continue refining the updated process and savings baseline to avoid unexpected changes in savings for REM users.
Ekotrope users: no change to current process
REM/Rate users: the new online registration and rebate system will accept uploaded .blg files and immediately output kWh savings (fuel summary report) and HERO compliance information via the new web interface. Note that the new savings outputs will replace the outputs of the current UDRH process. This update will ensure that you are always using the correct reference home for incentive calculations. Additionally, the new process will automatically assign deemed savings values that the current UDRH process excludes.
Whole-house incentive eligibility updates (planned implementation date: permits issued on or after 9/1/2019) – In an effort to ensure that all homes are treated equally, the program will base HERO compliance on Ekotrope calculations.
Ekotrope users: no change to current process
REM/Rate users: due to the different calculation engine leveraged by the updated process, it is possible that a model that passes HERO compliance in REM/Rate will not pass the HERO compliance process outlined in item 2a above. To ease this transition, projects submitted with REM/Rate models may continue to base HERO compliance (and program eligibility) on the REM-version of the HERO performance report. An option to upload that REM-generated report and bypass potential HERO failures in the new system will be provided until the end of the year. At that point, all program homes must demonstrate HERO compliance based solely on the new calculation process outlined in item 2a.
Recap of the timeline:
Ekotrope users:
Continue using existing systems until 7/30/2019
On 8/1, you will no longer be required to submit applications in a separate system from Ekotrope. Your Ekotrope projects will become your program applications (some additional application info will be collected prior to submitting via Ekotrope).
REM/Rate users:
Continue using existing systems until 8/1/2019
On 8/1: begin using the updated application system outlined in item 1 above.
All homes submitted via the new system will be assigned the incentives displayed in the system described in item 2b.
For permits issued before 9/1/2019: homes that show a passing HERO performance report in REM, but not in the new system’s outputs (item 2b above), may still receive whole-house incentives. A HERO performance report must be provided to the Program.
For permits issued on or after 9/1/2019: all submitted REM files must show a passing HERO indicator in the new system. Passing HERO reports from REM/Rate will no longer be considered.