Sonoma Clean Power – Energy Efficiency Programs and Resources
SCP Lead Locally
Sonoma Clean Power offers a wide array of energy efficiency programs and resources to save energy and lower the cost to upgrade your home.
Residential Rebates
Are you a residential homeowner looking to make energy improvements to your home? Would you like to learn how to lower the cost of installing a heat pump heating and cooling system, a heat pump water heater, or an induction cooktop? Did you know that Sonoma Clean Power offers incentives to residential customers who are improving the energy efficiency of their homes by installing energy efficient appliances and equipment? Details can be found at the SCP Advanced Energy Center website here: https://scpadvancedenergycenter.org/residential-rebates
SCP Electrify
Sonoma Clean Power has an online tool that helps you plan an upgrade to an all-electric home. The SCP Electrify tool allows you to discover which clean technologies are right for you and your home by providing a personalized, interactive dashboard that is specifically tailored to your preferences. The tool offers a customized blueprint of when is the best time to make specific upgrades, and you can also get a snapshot of how each technology fits into your home by room and learn more about the benefits. Details can be found at the Sonoma Clean Power website here: https://sonomacleanpower.org/programs/scp-electrify
Induction Cooking
Sonoma Clean Power offers education, incentives, and a loaner program to get started with induction cooking. Unlike electric stoves of the past, induction produces heat directly into the pan, leading to unparalleled precision, control, and response that rivals natural gas stoves. Besides being easy to physically clean, switching to induction cooktop means cooking on clean, renewable electricity. If you currently cook with natural gas, you also eliminate a major source of air pollution in your home, leading to cleaner, healthier air for you and your family. Plus, you can borrow an induction burner for two weeks to test it out at no charge. Details can be found at the Sonoma Clean Power website here: https://sonomacleanpower.org/programs/induction-cooking
Multifamily Building Improvements
Owners or managers of multi-family housing units looking to make energy improvements can take work with Sonoma Clean Power and the Bay Area Regional Energy Network (BayREN) to upgrade your multi-unit dwelling property. BayREN already offers $750 per unit for qualifying energy improvements, with additional incentives available for electrification measures. Multifamily properties must have at least 5 dwelling units to be eligible. Now, SCP is adding $500 for any necessary in-unit electrical panel upgrades ($750 for low-income units) and $5,000 for central panel upgrades. Additionally, they also offer bonus incentives for demand response technologies, including smart thermostats and electric vehicle chargers. Details can be found at the Sonoma Clean Power website here: https://sonomacleanpower.org/programs/multifamily-building-improvements
Heat Pump Water Electrification for Local Government
Are you a local government agency that would like to upgrade the hot water heaters in your buildings? Did you know that Sonoma Clean Power is offering low-to-no-cost water heater replacements when upgrading to a high efficiency heat pump water heater? This program is targeted at replacing natural gas water heaters with a capacity of 30 gallons or greater. Participants also agree to participate in a demand-response program that will save them additional money as well as help to effectively manage the electric grid. Details can be found at the Sonoma Clean Power website here: https://sonomacleanpower.org/programs/heat-pump-water-electrification-for-governments
Education Hub for Consumers and Professionals
Do you want to learn more about upgrading your home or building to be all-electric? Are you looking for rebates and incentives to help save costs? Come visit the Sonoma Clean Power Education Hub for articles, news, and event recordings on a range of topics from Battery Systems to Water Heating. Additional topics include choosing a heat pump system, improving indoor air quality, switching to electric yard tools, purchasing an electric vehicle or e-bike, and transitioning to induction cooking technology. Details can be found at the SCP Advanced Energy Center website here: https://scpadvancedenergycenter.org/education-hub
GridSavvy Rewards Program
When you enroll in GridSavvy Rewards, you’ll get paid for helping SCP power the electric grid with more local, clean energy. The 2023 GridSavvy season is currently in progress and runs until October. During times of high demand for electricity, Sonoma Clean Power can initiate an Energy Saving Event to request voluntary energy savings from customers. After an alert is issued, participants can choose to reduce energy use manually by shutting off lights, stopping appliances, or reducing your immediate heating or cooling needs.
https://sonomacleanpower.org/save-energy-and-earn-rewards
Alternatively certain “smart devices” can earn rewards automatically by turning off lights you aren’t using, delaying running of major appliances like the dishwasher, or pausing your electric vehicle charger when an alert is issued. If you have a furnace or air conditioning, upgrading to a smart thermostat is a great way to reduce your heating and cooling costs. These smart thermostats can then be programmed to both avoid peak hours and to respond automatically to GridSavvy Alerts.
Once you enroll in the program, you’ll receive an alert up to 24 hours in advance via text or email that there is an opportunity to save energy and earn rewards. There are no penalties if you don’t reduce your usage, only rewards. Simply reduce electricity use when SCP notifies you and you’ll earn rewards. You’ll earn $2 for every kilowatt-hour (kWh) you save during each Energy Saving Event. That’s roughly equal to how much electricity it takes to run one dishwasher cycle. You’ll help California prevent rotating power outages and reduce the need for fossil fuels.
https://sonomacleanpower.org/programs/gridsavvyrewards
Local Sonoma Do-It-Yourself Home Energy Toolkits Available from Sonoma and Mendocino Libraries
https://sonomacleanpower.org/programs/diy-toolkit
With this handy toolkit, you can measure how much energy and water is consumed and make a few quick home upgrades to save money. Each toolkit comes with a copy of the Home Energy and Water Savings Guidebook that provides tips and guidance on simple home upgrades, as well as dimmable LED lightbulbs, weather stripping, low-flow shower heads, and aerators for you to install. The toolkit also includes measuring devices such as a Kill-a-Watt, infrared laser thermometer, and flow rate bag to help to save energy, water, and money. The DIY Home Energy and Water Savings Toolkit Guidebook walks you through simple steps that will help you take charge of your home’s energy and water use to reduce your utility bills.
The Home Energy Toolkit has been created through a partnership between Sonoma Clean Power, Sonoma Water, Sonoma Marin Saving Water Partnership, County of Sonoma Climate Action and Resiliency Division, Sonoma County Library, County of Mendocino, and the Mendocino County Library. The Home Energy Toolkits can be checked out from your local Sonoma or Mendocino County Library branch for three weeks. (Note: Toolkits are not available at Forestville or Occidental branches.)
