US DOE Launches the Energy Savings Hub

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) has created numerous programs that help the United States meet major climate goals. While a lot of the programs contained within the IRA pertain to major infrastructure projects, there are also programs that incentivize individual homeowners, renters, and drivers through tax credits, rebates, and other benefits. These programs can help individuals cut energy use (and utility bills) and electrify their homes or vehicles.

Unfortunately, publicizing accomplishments and popular legislation has not been one of the Biden administration’s strong suits, so many owners presume that they are not eligible for these programs. In fact, only 22% of Americans though any IRA programs would personally benefit them, even though virtually anyone can take advantage of programs contained within the landmark legislation.

To rectify this issue, the U.S. Department of Energy has launched the Energy Savings Hub, a website that helps individuals navigate the many IRA programs and discover what benefits are available to them. This can lead to some major savings. According to an estimate by the nonprofit Rewiring America, the average American household can receive the equivalent of $10,600 by electrifying their home and taking advantage of IRA programs.

For architects who work primarily with single-family homeowners, it can be difficult to encourage clients to build to Passive House standards, especially if they are not already passionate about sustainability and energy efficiency. However, the incentives contained within the IRA can help push the needle by reducing the premium on high-performance construction, whether the project is a retrofit or new build. For those who want to make modest improvements to their homes, the Hub reveals that incentives for appliances like heat pumps or electric hot water heaters are capped each year, which means making building improvements in annual steps can making financing the upgrades far easier.

The Hub even provides the relevant tax forms for each benefit, DIY tips and tricks to cut energy usage, and a host of other material that can help you or your client save money and further accelerate the transition to a decarbonized building stock.

Above image courtesy of the U.S. Department of Energy.