Let us help you fund your next public agency project. Apply for cash incentives today!
SoCalREN partners with public agencies to drive long-term energy savings and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions – building a more sustainable future. With SoCalREN’s streamlined cash incentives, we help you move faster from project planning to measurable savings.
SoCalREN accelerates incentive processing to help your agency complete energy projects quickly – unlocking savings on energy and costs, faster.
Incentives are determined by the lifetime savings achieved for your energy efficiency upgrades. The more your project saves, the more incentives you will earn!
Enrolled SoCalREN agencies are paired with a dedicated project manager who guides them through every step of the cash incentive process – making it simpler, faster, and more effective. Not enrolled yet? Join today at socalren.org/join.
SoCalREN is committed to serving and supporting underserved communities achieve meaningful savings. Determine if your facility is eligible for additional incentive offerings here.
Three Ways to Access SoCalREN Cash Incentives:
Normalized Metered Energy Consumption (NMEC) Projects | Whole-building projects achieving ~10% energy savings receive hands-on energy coaching and pre- and post-construction support. |
Deemed Projects | Common energy efficiency upgrades with predefined incentive amounts - this is typically the quickest pathway to access incentives. Additionally, a no-cost direct-install approach is available for underserved facilities. |
Custom Projects | Projects that are neither NMEC nor deemed, incentives are based on engineering calculations of energy savings specific to your project. |
Examples of deemed project types
Interior lighting |
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Backup generator |
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HVAC |
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Service and domestic hot water |
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| Check out the full list of qualifying deemed measures here. | |
Frequently Asked Questions
How does it work?
Unlike some programs that offer rebates to manufacturers or distributors, SoCalREN provides direct incentives to the organization funding energy-saving projects - like your agency or chosen contractor. We do this through three main incentive pathways:
Savings-Based Incentives (NMEC Pathway) – For projects with ~10% or more expected energy savings at the meter, we offer incentives based on the actual energy savings you realize from your project.
Incentives for Common Upgrades – For more common energy efficiency projects, we offer expedited, predefined incentive amounts (similar to the utilities’ “deemed” incentive programs) to make participation quicker and easier.
- This pathway includes direct install services for underserved communities. Public agencies serving underserved and/or hard-to-reach communities may qualify for select no-cost upgrades through our direct install service. Under this program, priority is given to facilities with an energy demand under 50 kW or 50,000 therms.
- This pathway includes direct install services for underserved communities. Public agencies serving underserved and/or hard-to-reach communities may qualify for select no-cost upgrades through our direct install service. Under this program, priority is given to facilities with an energy demand under 50 kW or 50,000 therms.
Custom Calculated Incentives for Specialized Projects – Public Agencies tackling a more complex upgrade or exploring incorporating emerging technologies, SoCalREN offers incentives tailored to your project’s specific energy-savings potential (similar to the utilities’ “custom calculated” incentives).
No matter the pathway, you’ll get SoCalREN’s signature project management support and trusted technical expertise, plus direct access to incentives directly managed by our team.
We calculate and determine your energy project incentives based on the full lifetime of installed measures—the more energy you save, the more you earn!
What are the incentive rates? How much can we get?
Incentive amounts depend on the energy upgrades your agency selects and the total lifecycle energy savings those upgrades deliver. Your dedicated SoCalREN Project Manager will review your project details and provide a customized incentive estimate.
In most cases, SoCalREN incentives are equal to or greater than those offered by previous utility incentive programs. To learn more about how incentive is calculated, just check in with your SoCalREN Project Manager.
How is my project’s incentive pathway determined and how do I get started?
Your incentive pathway depends on a few key factors: the types of energy efficiency measures you plan to install, the expected energy savings, and timing of installation. Your dedicated SoCalREN Project Manager will walk you through the options and recommend the best-fit pathway based on your project goals and eligibility.
To get started, simply provide your SoCalREN Project Manager with project details (e.g., equipment schedule, spec sheets, building plans, etc.) on the energy efficiency measure you are interested in pursuing and your anticipated installation date. We’ll help you navigate next steps and move your energy project forward with confidence.
Interested? Reach out to your SoCalREN Project Manager to get started on the incentive application process.
Don’t have a SoCalREN Project Manager yet? No worries! Fill out the registration form at socalren.org/join to get started.
