Value & Benefits

Excellent benefits are provided to homebuilders who construct ENERGY STAR qualified homes within the service territories of the Program Sponsors. A few of these benefits are listed below.

Incentives
Marketing and Sales Assistance
Training Information
Free Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs)

Incentives
Massachusetts New Homes with ENERGY STAR offers a limited number of monetary incentives to homebuilders who construct homes that achieve minimum energy efficiency requirements. Below are the base incentive packages available for energy-efficient homes that are completed prior to December 31, 2009. Homebuilders must submit an Application and Agreement Form to be considered for incentives.

2008 Financial Incentives
Massachusetts New Homes with ENERGY STAR offers a limited number of monetary incentives to homebuilders who construct homes that achieve minimum energy efficiency requirements. Below are the base incentive packages available for energy−efficient homes that are completed prior to December 31, 2009. Homebuilders must submit an Application & Agreement form and Incentive Request Worksheet for incentive consideration. The actual incentive amounts you receive will be contingent upon the final performance of the home and the verification of energy efficient measures installed by a certified HERS Rater. You will receive the incentive amount of the performance standard the home achieves, regardless of the incentive award.

Package	Requirements	Single-Family Incentive	Multi-Family Incentive
Code Plus	6 ACH CFM 50, 8% leakage	$325	$225
ENERGY STAR I	HERS Index of 85 to 66	$750	$650
ENERGY STAR II	HERS Index of ≤65	$1,250	$1,150

* Incentive amounts are subject to change.
** Duct leakage rate is % of floor area leakage to outdoors tested at 25 Pascal pressure.
***Homes with indexes of approx 50 or less may qualify for an additional $2,000 federal tax credit.
**** A single-family unit is a detached or attached unit separated by a vertical firewall. A multi-family project must be three stories or below to qualify.

Incentives for Energy Efficiency Measures
Homebuilders who submit an application to the Program can also apply for incentives for the following energy efficiency measures in addition to the incentives described above. GasNetworks* pays incentives for the efficient gas powered equipment.

Package	Measure	Specification	Sponsor Incentive**
ENERGY STAR Appliances	ENERGY STAR Qualified Refrigerator and Dishwasher	Must be installed in low-income housing with service by NSTAR, National Grid or Cape Light Compact	$100 per package
ENERGY STAR CFLs	Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs)	Unlimited CFLs will be installed upon homebuilders’ approval. A $2 incentive per installed CFL is available to electrician.	FREE
HVAC Equipment	Central Air Conditioning Equipment and Air Source Heat Pump	SEER 14, EER 11.5 or HSPF of 8.2. Only offered in NSTAR & NGRID service areas.	$300
GasNetworks*	High Efficiency Furnace	AFUE 92% or greater	$100
GasNetworks*	Furnace with ECM*	AFUE 92% or greater	$400
GasNetworks*	Hot Water Boilers*	AFUE 85% or greater	$500
GasNetworks*	Hot Water Boilers*	AFUE 90% or greater	$1,000
GasNetworks*	Indirect Water	Attached to natural gas boiler	$300
GasNetworks*	On-Demand Tankless Water Heater	.82EF or greater with ignition	$300
GasNetworks*	ENERGY STAR® Thermostats	≤2 thermostats (max 2 per unit)	$25

*Visit www.gasnetworks.com for more information on GasNetworks. GasNetworks incentives are valid through April 30, 2009.
**Incentive amounts are subject to change without notice.

Incentives for Renewable Energy Systems
Homebuilders who submit an application to the Program are automatically screened to determine eligibility for incentives for solar photovoltaic (PV) systems. These incentives are made available through the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative’s (MTC) Green Affordable Housing Initiative. The incentives below require a separate application and are for projects that install solar PV systems in affordable housing. Please contact your account representative for this application.

Package	Single Unit Tied	Multi-Unit Tied
	Affordable	20%-49% Affordable	50%-100% Affordable
Base Incentive	$7.00 per watt	$6.00 per watt	$7.00 per watt
Possible Addition to Base
Green Buildings (LEED/CHPS)	$1.00 per watt	$1.00 per watt	$1.00 per watt

Other Available Incentives and Rebates
Apart from the Program, homebuilders may also qualify for additional incentives for qualifying energy-efficient equipment, such as; appliances, gas heating and water heating, cooling and renewable energy systems. To find out more information or to apply for these incentives, visit the web sites indicated below or ask your account representative for more information.

Program	Performance Standards	Incentive*	Additional Information
National Grid Technology Demonstratio	Solar Water Heater	$1,500 max	www.thinksmartthinkgreen.com
MTC	Renewable Energy Systems, LEED, MA Green	≤$20,000	www.mtpc.org
MA Tax Credit	Solar Heat, PV, Wind, Water	≤$1000	www.mass.gov/doer/programs/renew
Federal Tax Credit	Site Built and Manufactured Homes	≤$2,000	www.energystar.gov

Marketing and Sales Assistance

ENERGY STAR has become the signifying brand of energy efficiency that consumers trust. The Program will provide homebuilders with the assistance necessary to leverage the ENERGY STAR brand and gain an advantage in the competitive real estate market. Our 2008 Partners will receive the following:

Exposure in a state-wide marketing outreach campaign to build ENERGY STAR brand awareness, promote the benefits of owning an ENERGY STAR qualified home, and direct homebuyers to ENERGY STAR homebuilder partners
Assistance to successfully integrate ENERGY STAR messaging into homebuilders’ marketing and sales strategies
Access to FREE ENERGY STAR marketing and sales tools that include logos, advertisement and fact sheet templates, signage and brochures that convey the benefits of owning an ENERGY STAR qualified home and reinforce the message of the Program’s marketing outreach activities

Technical Assistance and Training

The Program will provide homebuilders with the technical assistance and training necessary to improve their homes’ energy performance, receive other incentives and/or tax credits, and certify their homes earn the ENERGY STAR. An account manager will guide you through the technical aspect of meeting ENERGY STAR specifications and the certification process. A certified HERS Rater will conduct the plan reviews and testing required as part of the certification process to verify that your home is eligible for incentives and earns the ENERGY STAR. The following services will be available in 2008:

Plan reviews to help determine the most cost-effective upgrades for meeting the ENERGY STAR guidelines and exceeding
local residential energy code standards
On-site technical assistance and training on energy-efficient construction practices and approaches to meet the ENERGY
STAR specifications
Diagnostic testing required to certify the home is built to the performance specifications necessary to receive the incentives
awarded by the Program and, if applicable, will earn the ENERGY STAR
Guidance on other incentives and federal tax credits available to homebuilders for eligible energy-efficient technologies
Technical training workshops about cost-effective, energy-efficient construction practices
The Program covers a majority of the costs associated with the home certification process and services provided by the HERS Raters. Certification costs can vary based on the complexity of the home. The HERS Rater can provide a cost estimate to the homebuilder in the rare event that the Program does not cover all of the certification expenses. Please see the Certification Guideline sheet for more information on the steps to achieve certification.