Can I participate if I don't live in the City of Madison?
Does Green Madison offer assistance for solar or other renewable energy projects?
How much does a home energy evaluation cost?
Can I participate if I do not have at least 12 months of utility bills?
If I already had a Home Performance with ENERGY STAR® evaluation, how long is it good for?
Are appliances and windows eligible for financing through the Green Madison program?
What is an energy advocate and how do I find one?
What is a participating energy consultant and how do I find one?
What is a participating contractor and how do I find one?
Do energy-efficiency improvements affect my property's assessed value?
Can I reuse the Green Madison logo?
Only City of Madison residents and businesses are eligible to participate in Green Madison at this time. However, there are still resources out there to help you with your energy-efficiency needs. Summit Credit Union is interested in working with residents who live outside the City of Madison to help finance energy-efficiency improvements, and Focus on Energy offers technical assistance and financial incentives to customers of participating utilities statewide.
- To learn more about offers available through Summit Credit Union, visit www.summitcreditunion.com or call 800.236.5560.
- To learn more about offers available through Focus on Energy, visit www.focusonenergy.com or call 800.762.7077.
- Does Green Madison offer assistance for solar or other renewable energy projects?
At this time, Green Madison is limited by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to energy-efficiency measures and does not include assistance for solar or other renewable energy projects. However, Summit Credit Union may have loan options for you and Focus on Energy offers technical assistance and financial incentives for eligible renewable energy projects statewide.
- To learn more about assistance available through Summit Credit Union, visit www.summitcreditunion.com or call 800.236.5560.
- To learn more about assistance available through Focus on Energy, visit www.focusonenergy.com or call 800.762.7077.
- How much does a home energy evaluation cost?
As part of the Green Madison program, the cost of a home energy evaluation is just $200 (a $400 value). If you participate in Green Madison and are interested in taking out a loan to help finance your energy-efficiency improvements, Summit Credit Union has agreed to roll the energy evaluation fee into the full home energy efficiency improvement loan.
12 months of utility bills is ideal for establishing a baseline and measuring savings, but it is not a requirement if the homeowner has not lived in the home for 12 full months. In that case, Green Madison asks the homeowner to provide utility bills for the time that they have been living in the home.
If your Home Performance with ENERGY STAR evaluation took place within the last two years, you are still eligible to take advantage of the Green Madison program.
Eligible energy-efficiency improvements are based on the findings from your Home Performance with ENERGY STAR evaluation, and are presented to homeowners via their evaluation report. The evaluation report will outline and help prioritize which improvements are needed to improve the comfort, safety, and energy efficiency of your home. If appliances and windows will help a homeowner exceed 15 percent overall energy savings in their home, then they would be eligible for financing through the Green Madison program.
An energy advocate is a person who is trained to understand all the intricacies of the Green Madison process. There are many options available to make energy-efficient changes to your property, and your energy advocate will help find the best options and/or resources for you.
Your Green Madison energy advocate can:
- Provide an initial review of your home's energy use.
- Offer tips to make your home more safe, comfortable, and energy efficient.
- Introduce you to a number of technical and financial resources available through Green Madison.
- Help you find a participating consultant to complete a Home Performance with ENERGY STAR® evaluation.
- Help you select participating contractor(s) to complete the recommended improvements.
- Answer any questions or concerns.
The energy advocate's purpose is to help you achieve your energy savings goals and make the Green Madison process smooth and rewarding, leaving you satisfied with the energy-efficiency improvements in your home.
Contact Green Madison to be paired up with your local energy advocate.
An important part of the Green Madison process is the comprehensive energy-efficiency evaluation completed by a participating energy consultant partnering with Home Performance with ENERGY STAR. These highly-trained home energy consultants are certified through Focus on Energy and provide a whole-house approach to improving the comfort, safety, and energy efficiency of existing homes.
Your energy consultant will:
- Complete a comprehensive home energy evaluation of your home.
- Pinpoint problem areas and energy-saving opportunities in your home.
- Recommend the best solutions for your home based on their evaluation findings.
- Verify the improvements after your energy-efficiency projects are complete to ensure the improvements are complete and effective.
Your energy advocate can help you find a participating consultant in your area. However, the Green Madison program (including WECC and the City of Madison) does not endorse or guarantee the work or services of any particular consultant. Green Madison program participants will be entering into direct relationships with the consultant of choice.
Green Madison offers a list of contractors eligible to complete your energy-efficiency projects recommended by your energy consultant. Participating contractors are independent contractors who have agreed to specified program requirements. The Green Madison program (including WECC and the City of Madison) does not endorse the work or services of any particular contractor. You will be entering into a direct, independent relationship with the contractor of your choice, and it is important that you review his or her credentials, qualifications, and references to make an informed decision before retaining a contractor. Contractors who participate in the program warrant their own work and may charge different fees for services. It is generally good practice to contact several contractors before selecting one.
Can I complete the recommended improvements myself or am I required to use a Green Madison participating contractor?
Do-It-Yourself (DIY) work is not allowed in this program; ALL work must be performed by participating contractors.
- Can I contact someone if I have questions on becoming a participating contractor or eligible consultant?
Yes, please email your questions to ContractorInfo@weccusa.org.
Your assessment is an estimate of your property's market value, and making energy-efficiency improvements may or may not affect your assessment. If the City Assessor's research shows that the improvements add value in the eyes of potential buyers, that will be reflected in your assessment. For items you replace, the value added to the assessment accounts for the difference between the old item and the new item, rather than the total cost of the project.
Please be sure that all necessary permits and inspections are applied for and completed. The City of Madison Building Inspection is available Monday-Friday, 7:30 AM - 4:30 PM, or call (608) 266-4551. For more information visit: www.cityofmadison.com/developmentcenter/permitsFees/permits.cfm
Please send an email request to greenmadison@cityofmadison.com for permission. Permission will be approved on a case-by-case basis.