Weatherization Program

POD: 21-003

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Project

The Weatherization Program is aimed to reduce energy costs of households in unincorporated areas by increasing the energy efficiency of the homes while ensuring the residents’ health and safety.

Weatherization is a comprehensive and dynamic program that provides deep energy upgrades and savings to low- and moderate- income (80% AMI) residents with both energy and non-energy benefits while prioritizing the most vulnerable and households located at underserved communities.

Weatherization services include, but not limited to:

Windows
Roof
Attic/floor insulation
Doors
HVAC
Rooftop solar
Electrification of gas appliances (stove top, tanker, water heaters) with the combination of Solar installment

Weatherization program also supports other County’s programs.

Climate Action Plan: Program contributes to GHG reduction goal through improving energy efficiency and increasing on-site renewable energy generation to transitioning away from energy generated by fossil fuels.
Renewable Energy: Program will increase and encourage renewable energy generation on site.
Local Direct Investment: Program will explore the possibility of inclusion into future LDI program if GHG reduction is quantifiable
Live Well San Diego: the program will provide health benefits by creating a comfortable living environment.
Community Needs Assessment: pilot project shows how Weatherization Program practice CNA to address community needs.
Property Assessed Clean Energy: Program will include this loan program as a potential loan option for the households.

Project Background

County of San Diego (County) does not currently directly provide substantial funding or administer residential weatherization and energy efficiency programs. Instead, County largely enact regulations and ordinances that set energy efficiency requirements, conduct education and outreach about utility and CBO efforts and programs. County participates in Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing programs to provide loan assistance to homeowners and buyers. County also provides a limited number of grants to mobile home and loan to single-family for home repair through its Home Repair Loan and Grant Program administered by Housing and Community Development Services. This home repair program can be used to fund weatherization and energy efficiency, limited to essential home repair but not for deep home energy improvements.

In August 2020, the Board of Supervisors directed staff to develop a loan/grant weatherization program for existing homes in the unincorporated county. The weatherization program to reduce energy cost of households by increasing energy efficiency of homes. This weatherization programs aims to provide deep and whole-house energy efficiency improvements. These improvements also improve household conditions while reducing living expenses for residents – strengthening their economic security – and contribute to the health of communities through improved air quality.

Public Engagements

When the program is under development with draft options, we will reach out through public webinars to present the introduce the program design and collect feedback on the proposed revisions.