Energy Audits and Weatherization
CMLP encourages you to to identify and implement measures that will prepare your building for a heating system upgrade, such as sealing and insulating your ductwork and/or building. A tight, well-insulated building optimizes heat pump performance, and may allow for a smaller heat pump to be installed, saving you money upfront and on your monthly utility bills. CMLP-sponsored energy audits can help you identify appropriate, cost-effective improvements.
License Requirements
Equipment must be installed by a licensed contractor, unless completed by in-house licensed tradespeople.
Heat pump installations completed by in-house licensed tradespeople are eligible for rebates under the following conditions:
- A licensed electrician obtains an electrical permit and does the wiring. The installation must pass an electrical inspection.
- If the project involves sheet metal work beyond minor repairs, a tradesperson qualified to obtain a sheet metal permit must do so. The sheet metal work must pass a building department inspection.
- When applicable, refrigerant lines must be charged, sealed, and tested by a licensed professional to adhere to EPA regulations (some self-install systems are pre-charged and pre-sealed). If an existing HVAC system is being decommissioned, existing refrigerant must be properly recaptured.
- The rebate cannot exceed the cost of the project, which is documented by invoices and/or receipts. Therefore, in-house labor would not count towards the cost of the project.
Town Building Department Permit and Inspection Requirements
Electrical Permits and Inspections
The project electrician must apply for a Town electrical permit before work begins and schedule an electrical inspection after the work is done. CMLP will not award rebates until projects have passed an electrical inspection by Concord's Building Department.
Concord has online permitting, so the electrician does not have to go into the Building Department office in person to obtain a permit. The electrician can upload their liability insurance certificate and license and can pay online.
Electrical inspections are done on weekdays and can usually be completed within 5 to 7 days of the request. The building owner cannot schedule the inspection. The electrician schedules it by calling the Electrical Inspector at 978-318-3235 between 7am and 9am Monday through Friday with the permit number and the desired inspection date and time. Messages left for the Electrical Inspector after 9am will be returned the next morning.
Sheet Metal Permits and Inspections
If the project requires sheet metal ducting work that goes beyond minor repairs, a sheet metal permit must be obtained for the project. Examples of projects that require a sheet metal permit include installation of new ducting or replacement, significant repairs or changes to existing ducting. The Town of Concord's inspector must have inspected and approved the sheet metal work.
The process for getting sheet metal permits follows the same process as getting an electrical permit. The permit holder, typically the sheet metal contractor, must call the Building Dept. to schedule sheet metal inspections at (978) 318-3280. The Building Department's hours are here.
Electrical and sheet metal inspection approval dates must be entered in the heat pump rebate application. CMLP will verify the inspection approval dates using the Town's online permitting database.
Earliest Eligible Installation Date
The heat pump equipment must have been installed on or after January 1, 2023 to be eligible for a rebate. The installation date is the latter of the Concord Building Department's:
- electrical inspection approval date or
- sheet metal inspection approval date (applicable if the project requires sheet metal ducting work that goes beyond minor repairs)
Heat Load Calculation Requirement for Heat Pumps Serving a Newly Constructed Addition + Some or All of an Existing Building
If the heat pump system installed will serve some or all of an existing building plus a newly constructed addition, a heat load calculation (i.e. energy model, Manual N or Manual J report) for the entire space to be conditioned by the heat pump must be provided with the rebate application. The heating capacity of the heat pump system installed must be at least 90% of the heat load at the design temperature. Since CMLP does not provide rebates for heat pumps solely serving new construction, the heat load calculation will help CMLP verify that the heat pump system installed is sized to serve part or all of the existing building as well as the new addition.
CMLP does not require a heat load calculation for heat pumps installed solely to serve an existing building. However, to help ensure proper heat pump sizing, a heat load calculation is strongly encouraged for all whole-building applications.
Shared Savings Arrangements
At this time, CMLP does not provide rebates for heat pumps installed by a contractor under a shared savings arrangement, in which the contractor’s compensation is based on the savings achieved.