Current through Register Vol. 63, No. 9, September 1, 2024
(1) A
minimum of 85 percent of the awarded grant funds must be reserved for use by an
eligible entity to provide financial assistance to individuals who reside
within the entity's region or who are members of that tribe for the purchase
and installation of heat pumps and related upgrades. An eligible entity may use
a percentage, as specified in a performance agreement, not to exceed 15
percent, of the awarded grant funds for program related administrative expenses
and marketing costs.
(2) Eligible
administrative and marketing costs include the following costs if they are
necessary to administer and market the program:
(a) Direct costs to establish, implement, and
monitor the program including staffing, materials, supplies, and
travel.
(b) Other costs the
department determines should be eligible because they are necessary to
administer or market the program.
(3) Ineligible administrative and marketing
costs include the following:
(a) Existing
indirect costs including rent and utility costs.
(b) Other costs the department determines
should be ineligible.
(4) An individual who benefits from the
financial assistance must be the owner-occupant of a residential dwelling in
Oregon where the heat pump will be installed.
(5) Financial assistance may be provided in
the following forms:
(a) Loans, which must be
zero-percent interest.
(b)
Grants.
(c) Rebates.
(d) Incentives.
(6) To be eligible for financial assistance
for its purchase and installation, a heat pump must meet, or exceed, the
following minimum requirements and meet the requirements in 330-270-0040(11):
(a) A split-system heat pump that has an
HSPF2 of 7.5 and a SEER2 of 14.3, or equivalent HSPF and SEER value.
(b) A single-package heat pump that has an
HSPF2 of 6.7 and a SEER2 of 13.4, or equivalent HSPF and SEER value.
(c) A closed loop water-to-air heat pump that
has an EER of 17.1 and a COP of 3.6.
(d) A open loop water-to-air heat pump that
has an EER of 21.1 and a COP of 4.1.
(e) A closed loop water-to-water heat pump
that has an EER of 16.1 and a COP of 3.1.
(f) A open loop water-to-water heat pump that
has an EER of 20.1 and a COP of 3.5.
(g) A direct geoexchange heat pump that has
an EER of 16.0 and a COP of 3.6.
(7) The maximum amount per dwelling that may
be payable toward the purchase and installation of a heat pump that meets or
exceeds the minimum requirements in 330-270-0040(6) but does not meet the
minimum requirements in 330-270-0040(8) is $5000, not to exceed 100 percent of
the purchase and installation costs of a heat pump.
(8) An eligible entity may propose a
financial assistance offering higher than that specified in 330-270-0040(7) for
a higher efficiency heat pump up to the maximum amount specified in
330-270-0040(9). To be eligible for financial assistance for its purchase and
installation, a higher efficiency heat pump must meet or exceed the following
requirements and meet the requirements in 330-270-0040(11):
(a) A split-system air source heat pump that
has an HSPF2 of 8.1 or greater and a SEER2 of 16 or greater, or equivalent HSPF
and SEER value.
(b) A
single-package air source heat pump that has an HSPF2 of 8 or greater and a
SEER2 of 16 or greater, or equivalent HSPF and SEER value.
(c) A ducted air source heat pump, either
packaged or split system that has an HSPF2 of 8.55 or greater and a SEER2 of 16
or greater, or equivalent HSPF and SEER value.
(d) A closed loop water-to-air heat pump that
has an EER of 18 or greater and a COP of 3.8 or greater.
(e) An open loop water-to-air heat pump that
has an EER of 22 or greater and a COP of 4.3 or greater.
(f) A closed loop water-to-water heat pump
that has an EER of 17 or greater and a COP of 3.3 or greater.
(g) An open loop water-to-water heat pump
that has an EER of 21 or greater and a COP of 3.7 or greater.
(h) A direct geoexchange heat pump that has
an EER of 17 or greater and a COP of 3.8 or greater
(9) The maximum amount per dwelling that may
be payable toward the purchase and installation of a heat pump that meets or
exceeds the minimum requirements in 330-270-0040(8) is $7000, not to exceed 100
percent of the purchase and installation costs of a heat pump.
(10) An eligible entity may propose in their
application financial assistance offerings lower than the maximum amounts
established in these rules and may propose different levels of financial
assistance for different types of heat pumps.
(11) To be eligible for financial assistance,
the installation of the heat pump must meet the following requirements:
(a) The indoor and outdoor units must be
designed to be compatible with one another according to the manufacturer's
product specifications, and the proposed system must match the efficiency
rating test conditions. The heat pump must be Air-Conditioning, Heating, and
Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) certified.
(b) The heat pump must be appropriately sized
to the space or structure.
(c) The
heat pump must be installed to heat and cool a living area in a residential
dwelling, a space such as a garage is not eligible.
(d) The heat pump system must be installed in
accordance with the manufacturer's specifications.
(e) The heat pump system must receive all
applicable electrical, mechanical or structural permits from the local
jurisdiction and pass all final inspections conducted by the authority having
jurisdiction.
(f) The heat pump's
auxiliary heat control must be set at or below a temperature of 35 degrees
Fahrenheit, unless the eligible entity permits a higher temperature setting or
in situations when supplemental heating is required during a defrost cycle or
system failure. An eligible entity must propose situations in which a higher
temperature would be permitted in their application to the program.
(g) The heat pump system must be installed by
a contractor. A contractor that installs a heat pump, or a subcontractor that
installs a heat pump on behalf of a contractor that offers heat pumps for sale,
must hold any license, bond, insurance or permit required to sell and install
the heat pump. The contractor or any subcontractor performing the installation
must maintain all applicable licenses, bonds, insurance or permits required
throughout the installation period until the installation of the heat pump is
complete.
(h) The heat pump system
must include at least a five-year warranty against manufacturer
defects.
(i) The installation of
the heat pump system must include at least a one-year labor warranty covering
the system.
(12) An
eligible entity may propose additional project eligibility or higher efficiency
requirements for heat pump installations in their application.
(13) An eligible entity may propose in their
application financial assistance offerings for the purchase and installation of
a heating or cooling device that has an efficiency rating similar to or higher
than that of a heat pump and that provides additional benefits such as
improving indoor air quality or lowering an individual's energy burden. The
proposal must outline the efficiency requirements and required additional
benefits of a heating or cooling device that would be required for it to be
eligible. The maximum amount per dwelling that may be payable toward the
purchase and installation of a heating or cooling device is $4000, not to
exceed 100 percent of the purchase and installation costs of a heating or
cooling device.
(14) The grantee
shall reduce the amount payable toward the purchase and installation if the
amount combined with other incentives received for the purchase and
installation of a heat pump, or heating or cooling device, exceeds 100 percent
of the purchase and installation cost.
(15) The grantee may use grant funds to cover
$4000 per dwelling, up to 100 percent of the costs, for eligible related
upgrades that support or enable the use of a heat pump. Eligible related
upgrades that support or enable the use of a heat pump include the following:
(a) A new electrical panel or other upgrades
to the electrical system of a home or building.
(b) Weatherization or other structural
repairs that reduce home or building heat and cooling loss.
(c) Upgrades to improve the airflow of a home
or building.
(16) The
grantee shall reduce the amount payable toward the related eligible upgrades if
the amount combined with other incentives received that are related to the
upgrades exceeds 100 percent of the cost of the upgrades.
(17) A grantee shall prioritize the provision
of financial assistance to:
(a) Environmental
justice communities as defined in ORS
469A.400. The following outlines
how an individual qualifies as a member of an environmental justice community,
unless an eligible entity proposes an alternative method for a region or tribe
that the Department accepts. If the Department does not accept the proposed
alternative method, it shall default to the method outlined below:
(A) Community of color: an individual who
self identifies as an ethnicity and/or racial heritage other than white
alone.
(B) Community experiencing
lower incomes: an individual whose household income is equal to or below the
highest of the following:
(i) 200 percent of
the federal poverty level.
(ii) 60
percent of the state median income.
(C) Tribal communities: an individual who is
a member of a federally recognized Indian tribe in Oregon.
(D) Rural communities: an individual whose
primary residence is in a community with a population of less than 50,000
people.
(E) Coastal communities: an
individual whose primary residence is located within the area between the
Oregon coast to the crest of the coast range.
(F) Communities with limited infrastructure:
an individual whose primary residence is in a place with limited access to
public works and services such as roads, transportation, power, water, or
schools.
(G) Seniors: an individual
who is aged 60 years or older.
(H)
Youth: an individual whose age is equal to or between 15 and 24
years.
(I) Persons with
disabilities: an individual who has a physical or mental impairment that
substantially limits one or more major life activities.
(b) Individuals who rely on bulk fuels or
electric resistance heating.
(c)
Individuals who reside in a home or structure that does not have a functioning
heating or cooling system.
(18) An eligible entity shall use an
attestation by the individual to determine which, if any, prioritized
categories the individual qualifies for, unless the entity is proposing to
prioritize through outreach or marketing, in which case the entity may attest
whether an individual or community qualifies.
(19) An eligible entity shall propose the
methods of prioritization in their application. Methods of prioritization may
include, but are not limited to:
(a) A waiting
list;
(b) Expedited processing
times;
(c) Outreach or
marketing.
(20) If
awarded a grant, an electric utility may only provide financial assistance
using grant funds to individuals who reside within the utility's service area
and are within the region for which they have been awarded a grant. The utility
shall partner with one or more eligible entities to provide financial
assistance to individuals who reside outside the utility's service area and
within the region they have been awarded a grant for.
Statutory/Other Authority: Oregon Laws 2022, Chapter 86
(Senate Bill 1536)
Statutes/Other Implemented: Oregon Laws 2022, Chapter 86
(Senate Bill 1536)
