Multifamily Duct Sealing and Duct Insulation
Get up to $200 cash back
Cash in when you seal and insulate ductwork
Heating and cooling can account for more than half of a property’s energy consumption, but as much as 30 percent of that energy can be lost through unsealed ducts. Help your multifamily customers increase heating and cooling system efficiency with duct sealing and duct insulation. We offer incentives to both you and the property owner for this valuable service. While your customers and their tenants enjoy the benefits of improved comfort, savings and healthier air quality, you’ll both pick up some extra cash.
Qualifications and Incentives
For services completed on or before October 23, 2014, please contact the Home Energy Savings program.
Services | Electrically Heated Trade Ally Incentive |
Electrically Cooled Trade Ally Incentive |
---|---|---|
Duct sealing (stand alone) | $100 | N/A |
Duct sealing and duct insulation | $200 | $20 |
Ensure the home qualifies:
- Must be an existing property, not new construction
- Must have a minimum of 10 linear feet of exposed ductwork located in unconditioned space
Requirements for both duct sealing (stand alone) and duct sealing and duct insulation:
- Work must be completed by a Program-Eligible HVAC Trade Ally listed on the Program-Eligible HVAC Trade Ally List
- Work must be completed in accordance with the specifications outlined in the Utah Technical Specifications Manual
- All physically accessible ducts located in unconditioned spaces must be sealed
- Duct sealing must reduce duct leakage to the outside by 50 percent or more with a 100 CFM (Cubic Feet per Minute) minimum reduction
- CAZ (Combustion Area Zone) tests are required for properties with non-sealed combustion heating and water heating appliances
Additional requirements for duct sealing (stand alone):
- An electric heating system must serve at least 80 percent of the home's conditioned living space
- Additional requirements for duct sealing and duct insulation:
- An electric heating or electric cooling system must serve at least 80 percent of the home's conditioned living space
- Pre-existing duct insulation levels may not exceed R-2
- All physically accessible ducts located in conditioned living spaces must be insulated
- Services must result in final duct insulation of R-8 or greater
- Duct sealing and duct insulation must be performed in the same project, with insulation installed after ducts are sealed
Additional requirements for duct sealing and duct insulation:
- An electric heating or electric cooling system must serve at least 80 percent of the home’s conditioned living space
- Pre-existing duct insulation levels may not exceed R-2
- All physically accessible ducts located in conditioned living spaces must be insulated
- Services must result in final duct insulation of R-8 or greater
- Duct sealing and duct insulation must be performed in the same project, with insulation after ducts are sealed
Additional program rules:
- Mail all documents so they are postmarked within 180 days of the qualifying service completion
- Incentive cannot exceed project costs
- When applying for Duct Sealing and Duct Insulation, separate trade ally may perform the two services. The duct sealing trade ally listed on the application will receive the trade ally incentive
- Third Party Payment Addendum for applicants who would like to forward payment to a third party not listed on the utility account
Definitions:
Electric Heating: A permanently installed, ducted system consisting of an electric furnace or heat pump serving as the home's current primary heat source
Electric Cooling: A permanently installed, ducted electric central air conditioner or heat pump serving as the home's current primary cooling source. Room air conditioners and evaporative coolers do not qualify
Non-Electric Heat: A heating system with gas, oil, or propane serving as the home's current primary heat source
Conditioned vs. unconditioned space - clarification notes:
For the most part, basements are conditioned spaces. Basements are not usually thermally isolated from the main living area and contain space conditioning ducts. Basements are also used for storage and frequently contain laundry facilities and other living spaces. Ducts serving unfinished basements are not always equipped with dedicated supply registers, although single registers at plenums are not unusual.
An unconditioned basement would have these properties: Thermally isolated from the main floor by insulation in the floor. Insulated, weather-stripped door (if above floor plane) and insulated stairwell walls where thermal plane penetrates floor, air sealed (caulked, foamed penetrations) wiring plumbing, sealed duct penetrations and sealed, insulated ducts. No supply registers.
While a crawl space is unconditioned space, the floor must be insulated prior to or at the same time ducts are sealed and insulated to thermally isolate the crawlspace. Failure to do this will increase the heating load of the home and potentially cause comfort issues.
Please see the Incentive Application for a list of required documentation and additional terms and conditions. Incentives and qualifications are subject to Utah Public Service Commission approval and may change with 45 days' notice. Additional terms and conditions apply.
Customer Eligibility
Multifamily properties featuring five or more attached units and no more than four stories tall are eligible to receive program incentives.
Multifamily property owners must have a landlord account on a qualifying residential rate schedule. You can find your rate schedule on your utility bill or by calling 1-888-221-7070.
Qualifying residential rate schedules:
- Utah: 1, 2 or 3
How to Apply
Prequalification:
- Review the information in the Eligibility section of this page and call 1-800-942-0281 or email us to ensure your multifamily property is eligible.
- Pre-inspection of multifamily property
- Once it has been established that the complex is on a qualified residential rate schedule, a pre-qualification inspection will take place.
- Please provide the following required information to initiate a pre-qualification inspection:
- Specific street address or account number
- Complex Name
- Contact at the complex and phone number where they can be reached
- Measures that are being requested to be inspected
- Once this information is received, an inspector will assess the complex to verify whether it qualifies and if it would benefit from our incentive offerings.
- Your contractor will be notified of the status of the inspection. If the complex qualifies for any of the Home Energy Savings program incentives, the contractor will schedule a time with the property manager to complete the work.
Contractor completes energy upgrades:
- The contractor will perform the necessary work for the project to qualify for an incentive. Consult with your contactor to get a clear understanding of the work being performed and how long it will take. Also remember to notify your tenants about the work being done.
Application is submitted:
- Once the work is completed, the contractor submits an application to the Home Energy Savings program.
- All units listed on the application must be verified on the landlord account (units may need to be added if they are not under the landlord account at time of review).
- One itemized invoice detailing the work performed for the property must be submitted.
- A completed W-9 form for the person or entity receiving the incentive check must be submitted along with the application for tax purposes. For changes to account name, contact Business Solutions at 1-866-870-3419.
- In some cases a Third Party Payment Addendum will be required if a landlord account is not set up or if the payment is going to anyone other than the account holder
- Applications cannot be processed if any required documentation is missing.
- The property is then queued for a post-work inspection.
Post-work inspection:
- After receipt of a completed incentive application the program will schedule a post-work inspection to verify all program requirements have been met.
- A minimum of 25 percent of the units that received an energy efficiency upgrade must be inspected
- Tenants should be notified of this post-work inspection beforehand.
Application is processed and check is mailed:
- Checks will be issued for approved applications within six weeks of final processing.
Additional Incentive Application Materials:
- IRS W-9 Forms (for business and non-individual customers receiving incentives)
- Third party payment addendum
Questions? Call 1-800-942-0281 or email us.