TECH Clean California will send the incentive check to the contractor. There may be instances where the incentive is being layered with another program, such as a utility-sponsored program, which provides incentives to the customer. In that case, one check will be sent from TECH to the contractor and the other will be sent from the utility to the customer.
The TECH Clean California check is sent via paper check. We will be able to send checks via ACH soon!
After a claim is marked as approved and all flags are removed, checks are approved for payment the next Monday. Once the check is approved, it will be mailed out the following Thursday.
For Heat Pump HVAC, the limit is two units per application. For a Multifamily project, there is a limit of $3m per contractor or property owner.
A given customer can collect all incentive types as long as each meets the requirements. Example: a home that undergoes a remodel and gets a new HPWH and HP HVAC, can receive all incentives available. There are limits on quantity though: HVAC HPs are limited to 2 per household. This is based on the number of units installed, not the number replaced.
Incentive reservations are needed for multifamily incentives. A TECH Multifamily Reservation Form can be found at https://techcleanca.com/incentives/multifamily-information/
For single family projects, claims can be reserved by contractors. To do so, contractors can login to Iris and create a new claim. Within this new claim, the contractor must input the customer address, customer name, contract signature date, and upload a contract with the customer signature. They can then press save to reserve their claim. The claim will stay reserved for 90 days, unless the claim is submitted sooner. To know if your claim has been reserved, the Energy Solutions team will be adding a note to each claim that was created in time with budget remaining to give peace of mind.
TECH Clean California is currently accepting applications for HPWH projects in SoCal Gas territory since there is still remaining funding. Once funding is exhausted, applications will no longer be accepted. For current budget levels, please visit https://techcleanca.com/public-data/budget-report/
When the new funding is available at the time of relaunch, HP HVAC claims will be accepted for any project where the contract signature date is dated on or after the launch date of the program.
If you have additional questions, please reach out to the TECH Clean California team directly. For general program inquiries, please email tech.info@energy-solution.com. For enrolled contractors with questions, please email tech.contractor@energy-solution.com
Take charge of your electrification process with our powerful Contractor Finder tool. This tool empowers you to find the perfect contractor by filtering based on criteria such as zip code, services, certifications, rebates, property details, and business diversity. It’s designed to make your search easier and more efficient. Another way to find TECH contractors would be to visit the TECH Clean California data webpage. Here, you can see a list of all TECH contractors and the number of projects they’ve submitted incentives for.
This is a detail included in our Contractor Finder tool. It means that the contractor’s primary business address is located in a disadvantaged community, defined as census tracts receiving the highest 25 percent of overall scores in Cal Enviroscreen for being disproportionately burdened by multiple sources of pollution.
Finding a diverse contractor for your project is easy with our Contractor Finder tool. Simply select the ‘business diversity’ category and choose from options like women-owned, minority-owned, or veteran-owned businesses. Contractors can self-report their diversity status, and can also report if they’re listed on the CPUC Supplier Clearinghouse, which verifies their eligibility.
Using our Contractor Finder tool, look for contractors that have earned any of the certifications and credentials below.
- BPI – Building Performance Institute (BPI) sets the bar for home performance contractors. BPI certified professionals always have home health, safety, durability, energy efficiency, and comfort in the forefront of their minds and their work. They maintain their certifications by participating in continuing education. Few other types of contractors have this requirement.
- HVAC Excellence – This program validates educational programs, tracking content mastery at each stage of an individual’s career and provides educators with valuable resources to help them become more effective in their roles.
- HVAC Excellence HP Specialty – Specifically for HVAC technicians installing heat pump HVAC, this certification acts as an aid for identifying a technician’s competency. HVAC Excellence’s Heat Pump Installer and Heat Pump Service programs have been recognized by the U.S. Department of Energy as “Energy Skilled” respectively in the categories of Heat Pump Installation and Heat Pump Comfort Advisor.
- NATE – NATE is the nation’s largest nonprofit certification organization for heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVACR) technicians. NATE’s Heat Pump Installer credential has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Energy as “Energy Skilled” respectively in the categories of Heat Pump Installation and Heat Pump Comfort Advisor.
- NATE HP Specialty – The NATE Heat Pump Specialty certification prepares heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) technicians to install high-efficiency heat pumps. In partnership with the Department of Energy and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, the curriculum more recently incorporated decarbonization topics.
- NCI – National Comfort Institute Inc. (NCI) provides training, test instruments, and consultation to HVAC contractors worldwide so they may provide safer, more comfortable, and more energy-efficient homes and offices.
- NITC STAR – National Inspection Testing and Certification Corporation (NITC) is a third-party provider of certification services to the piping industry. Technicians with the NITC STAR level certification for refrigeration, fire sprinkler fitting, HVAC, steam/pipe fitting, and plumbing. NITC STAR certified technicians have passed vocational examinations and have years of experience in their trade.
- UA Journeyman – A UA journeyman is a contractor/professional who is qualified to work on many jobs in the piping industry, in every sector—from new construction to renovation of existing facilities to service and maintenance of critical infrastructure. They have acquired all the necessary skills, training, education and experience and are considered a master of their trade.
- SMART Journeyman – A SMART journeyman is a contractor/professional who is qualified to work on many jobs across occupations such as sheet metal workers, service technicians, bus operators, railroad engineers, conductors, sign workers, welders, production employees, and more. They have acquired all the necessary skills, training, education and experience and are considered a master of their trade.
