Residential Renovations and Additions to Single-Family Homes & Multi-Family Three Stories or Less
Welcome to our comprehensive Mass Save checklist for residential renovations and additions to single-family homes and multi-family buildings with three stories or less. Mass Save is a collaborative program designed to help Massachusetts residents save energy and money by offering valuable rebates and incentives for various energy-efficient upgrades.
While submitting an application to Mass Save for your next project does not guarantee incentives or rebates, our goal at Energy Geeks is to guide you through the process and maximize your savings potential. We must emphasize that although we work diligently in partnership with Mass Save to help you obtain the rebates and incentives you deserve, we cannot guarantee their approval. With that in mind, let’s dive into the checklist to ensure you’re well-prepared for your next energy-saving project.
Eligibility
- Renovations must consist of 50% or more of the existing home
- Additions to existing homes must be a minimum of 500 square feet of total floor area
- A Mass Save approved HERS Rater must visit the home before any construction or demolition begins.
Health & Safety
- Homes with existing atmospherically vented systems (typical of older heating systems) must have a combustion safety test performed. Failing appliances must be corrected before final submission for rebates or incentives.
Incentives/Rebates
- Performance-Based Incentives must achieve 5% or greater savings over the baseline home.
- Prescriptive Equipment Rebates are available for the installation of heating, cooling, hot water heaters or appliances that meet minimum requirements.
Important: A home can only be eligible for one of the above, not both.
- For Whole Home Performance-Based Rebates the existing home must be deemed sufficiently weatherized as determined by your HERS Rater. Not required for partial home rebates.
- For Whole-Home Heat Pump Rebates the existing home must be deemed sufficiently weatherized and heat pumps must service heating loads for entire home.
- For Partial-Home Heat Pump Rebates equipment must have an integrated controller. Note: Heat pumps exclusively serving an addition do not qualify for rebates.
- Incentives are tied to a homes energy performance as modeled by your HERS Rater. Any deviation from the model may result in reduced or lost incentives.
HVAC
- All new HVAC equipment must have an AHRI (Air conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration Institute) number.
- All heat pumps must be installed by an HPIN (Heat Pump Installer Network) contractor.
- All Heat pumps must be on the HPQPL (Heat Pump Qualified Product List) or Energy Star 6.1 Cold Climate ASHP (Air source heat pump) or Energy Star GSHP (Ground source heat pump) list.
- All HVAC equipment must be sized according to manual J & S.
- Maximum oversizing is 15% for A/C and 25% for heat pumps. Note: Cooling systems with variable-speed compressors are exempt from this requirement.
- Thermal or Electronic Expansion valves are recommended on all cooling equipment.
- Homes with HVAC ductwork should have a duct leakage test performed. Ductwork should be tested even if located within the conditioned space.
Ventilation-Should have at least one of the following:
- Bath fan rated for continuous use at < 1sone controlled by a 24–hour programable timer.
- Whole house ERV (Energy Recovery Ventilation) or HRV (Heat Recovery Ventilation) unit.
- Balanced supply and exhaust without heat recovery.
Appliances
- All Appliances such as refrigerators, dishwashers, washing machines and dryers should be Energy Star certified.
Lighting
- At least 90% LED lighting
Want to Learn More About Using Mass Save For Your Residential Renovation or Addition
In conclusion, we hope that this Mass Save checklist for residential renovations and additions to single-family homes and multi-family buildings with three stories or less has provided you with a solid foundation for navigating the program. By following these guidelines and working closely with Energy Geeks, you can make informed decisions that will not only improve your home’s energy efficiency but also potentially save you money through available rebates and incentives. While we can’t guarantee approval for every incentive or rebate, our goal is to support you throughout the process and help you create a greener, more comfortable living space for you and your family.
If you’d like more information on how you can use Mass Save for your residential renovation or addition and maximize savings while making your home more comfortable all year round, then contact Energy Geeks. Our mission is to provide the most comprehensive and efficient solutions to reduce energy use in your home.
Call: 401-766-1540 | 508-444-9800 | Get No Cost Estimate
