Incentive Items

Each incentive returned from the API has an array of items that specifies the products and services for which the incentive can be used. This page describes the possible values in some detail.

We expect to add more possible values over time, whether to add some distinction to an existing category, or to add a new category altogether. We don't consider this a breaking change, so clients are advised to write code that gracefully handles unknown values in the items field. The most straightforward approach is simply to ignore them.

These descriptions explain the broadest meaning each value can have. Individual incentives often place further restrictions on which products/services are eligible. The materials published by the incentive provider are authoritative.

The section headings below are for convenience; they are not reflected in the API in any way.

HVAC

Item	Description
air_to_water_heat_pump	An air-source heat pump that delivers heated or chilled water. The water may be used for space heating or cooling through fan coils, radiators, or subfloor radiant tubing. It may also be used to heat domestic hot water. Not to be confused with heat_pump_water_heater, which exchanges heat with its immediate surroundings (as opposed to outdoor air) and generally delivers domestic hot water only.
central_air_conditioner	An air-source heat pump that delivers cooled air through ductwork, from a centralized air handler. If it supports heating as well, it is a ducted_heat_pump instead.
ducted_heat_pump	An air-source heat pump that delivers heated or cooled air through ductwork, from a centralized air handler. It must support heating, or else it is a central_air_conditioner.
ductless_heat_pump	An air-source heat pump that delivers heated or cooled refrigerant to individual air handlers, with no ductwork. Also commonly known as "mini-splits".
electric_thermal_storage_and_slab	A device that stores heat in an insulated mass, and releases it over time.
evaporative_cooler	A device that cools dry air by adding humidity. Also commonly known as a "swamp cooler".
geothermal_heating_installation	Any ground-source heat pump. Can include water-source heat pumps as well. These systems generally support both heating and cooling, and may produce domestic hot water as well. This category does not distinguish the means by which the system delivers heating and cooling to the conditioned space.
smart_thermostat	A thermostat that is connected to the Internet. May or may not be required to support demand response (i.e. reducing heating or cooling load in response to a request from a utility).
whole_house_fan	A device that pulls in air from outside through open doors and windows, and exhausts it into an attic or outside.
other_heat_pump	Any heat pump that doesn't fall into one of the above categories. Note that this does not include portable air conditioners --- we do not currently track incentives for those.

Weatherization

Item	Description
attic_or_roof_insulation	Insulation in the attic or roof — generally, anything above the building's conditioned space. Includes attic kneewall insulation.
basement_insulation	Insulation of an unconditioned basement. A basement is generally distinguished from a crawlspace by having enough vertical space for a person to stand up.
crawlspace_insulation	Insulation of a crawlspace, including side walls.
floor_insulation	Insulation under the lowest floor of conditioned space. May overlap, in practice, with basement or crawlspace insulation. Incentives for these types of insulation are generally coded in line with how they're described in the original program materials.
wall_insulation	Insulation in vertical walls of conditioned space. Does not include sidewalls of unconditioned basements, or attic kneewalls.
other_insulation	Any type of insulation that doesn't fall into one of the above categories.
air_sealing	Measures to reduce air leakage from the building envelope. Can include weather stripping of doors and windows.
door_replacement	Replacement of exterior doors to improve the building envelope.
duct_replacement	Replacement of HVAC ducts. Does not include duct sealing or duct insulation.
duct_sealing	Sealing of HVAC ducts to reduce leakage. Does not include duct insulation.
window_replacement	Replacement of exterior windows to improve the building envelope.
other_weatherization	Any weatherization measure that doesn't fall into one of the above categories.

Services

Item	Description
efficiency_rebates	A comprehensive service to improve a home's energy efficiency. Should involve an energy audit, weatherization measures, and possibly HVAC and appliance upgrades. Incentive amount may depend on measured or modeled effects of the upgrades. We generally code an incentive as this item, instead of as the service's constituent upgrades, if it is offered as a single packaged service/experience, and customers can't claim the incentive for individual upgrades.
energy_audit	A professional assessment of a home's energy efficiency and usage. Does not include virtual consultations — an auditor must physically visit the home; we do not track incentives for virtual consultations. Does not include actually making energy efficiency improvements; incentives that combine an audit and improvement work may be better expressed as efficiency_rebates.

Electrical Infrastructure

Item	Description
battery_storage_installation	Batteries that can power at least some of the home's electrical circuits. May or may not be required to support demand response (i.e. charging or discharging in response to requests from the utility).
electric_panel	The panel of circuit breakers that controls electric distribution in the home. Can include both main panels and subpanels. Can include new and replacement panels. Can include upgrading electric service between the utility transformer and the building.
electric_wiring	Upgrade and replacement of wiring in the home, such as to support new appliances, or higher currents and voltages. Can also include replacement of non-code-compliant wiring such as knob-and-tube. Does not include upgrades of electric service between the utility transformer and the building.
rooftop_solar_installation	Photovoltaic solar panels. Can also include ground-mounted installations. does not include solar thermal water heating.

Appliances

Item	Description
electric_outdoor_equipment	Lawnmowers (both riding and push), leaf blowers, trimmers, chainsaws, etc. Individual incentives may be for specific products only.
electric_stove	An electric cooktop (burners only) or range (combined cooktop and oven). Resistance and induction are both included. Does not include portable induction hotplates.
heat_pump_clothes_dryer	A clothes dryer that uses a heat pump to heat and dry clothes. May be vented or ventless.
heat_pump_water_heater	An appliance that produces domestic hot water, using a heat pump to exchange heat with its immediate surroundings (i.e. not with outdoor air --- that would be an air_to_water_heat_pump).
non_heat_pump_clothes_dryer	An electric clothes dryer that heats using electric resistance. Does not include combination washer/dryers.
non_heat_pump_water_heater	An appliance that heats domestic hot water using electric resistance. Does not include solar thermal water heating.

Transportation

All of the _vehicle categories below should be understood as restricted to light-duty passenger vehicles with at least four wheels. Individual incentives may have further restrictions on which vehicles qualify.

Item	Description
ebike	A bicycle with an electric motor. May be pedal-assist or throttle-controlled. Distinct from an electric scooter or motorcycle in that it can be pedaled.
electric_vehicle_charger	A specialized electrical outlet that can charge an electric vehicle faster than a standard household outlet. Also known as a Level 2 or Level 3 charger. May include "smart" or "connected" functionality for demand response, though not necessarily.
new_electric_vehicle	A new vehicle whose only energy input is electricity. Also referred to as a "battery electric vehicle".
new_plugin_hybrid_vehicle	A new vehicle that can take both gasoline and electricity as energy input. Note that this does not include hybrids that cannot be plugged in.
used_electric_vehicle	A used vehicle whose only energy input is electricity. Also referred to as a "battery electric vehicle".
used_plugin_hybrid_vehicle	A used vehicle that can take both gasoline and electricity as energy input. Note that this does not include hybrids that cannot be plugged in.

Other

Item	Description
other	We only aim to include incentives for products and services that are covered by one of the above categories. If we learn of incentives for other things, we may or may not include them, using this value. Note that the existence of an "item": "other" incentive for a specific kind of product does not imply that we are tracking more incentives for that kind of product.