Learn more by exploring our stakeholder meetings and frequently asked questions (FAQ), which aim to provide deeper insights and clarification regarding the Rebate Tools offered.

Stakeholder Meetings 

Please note: Everything shared is tentative and subject to change. Anything provided is for feedback purposes and is not final. 

Frequently Asked Questions

This FAQ addresses technical questions. For all programmatic questions, please refer to the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of State and Community Energy Programs (SCEP) FAQ.

General

1. What party is responsible for income verification?
Income verification will be handled by states and their chosen implementers.  .

2. Is there real-time income eligibility verification?
Income eligibility verification is not possible using the DOE/PNNL API. A state must either review income documentation or take steps to confirm the validity of income information provided by the applicant. While reviewing income documentation is the only way to truly verify income eligibility, states may choose to allow verification via plausibility checks and/or to provide instant access to Home Electrification Appliance Rebates (see section 4.1.6 of the Program Requirements & Application Instructions) prior to verifying income eligibility in emergency replacement scenarios.  

For states that elect to verify income prior to approving an application for a rebate, the time needed will vary (from minutes to days) depending on the state-specific program design and the information provided by the applicant.

3. Is there a qualified products list? 
Yes, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) produces and maintains ENERGY STAR qualified product lists. These lists are publicly available either via API or as data sets. 
Note: These qualified product lists are only applicable when the product is required to be ENERGY STAR certified.

4. Where can the workflow reference “Data & Tools Requirements Guide” be found?
The Data & Tools Requirements Guide can be found in the “Implementation Blueprints” section of the SCEP Home Energy Rebates Application Guidance page.

5. Are there specific workflows for different housing types, such as affordable housing, manufactured housing, and multifamily housing?
Yes, workflows are provided for single-family and multifamily housing. Specific requirements regarding income-qualified housing can be found in the “Required Documents” section of the SCEP Home Energy Rebates Application Guidance page.

6. Can applicants obtain multiple project bids while the rebate reservation is active?
For the 50121 rebates, an estimate of energy savings is required to create a rebate reservation. Therefore, 50121 applicants should select a contractor prior to applying.
Note: Applicants are encouraged to complete a plausible eligibility check before selecting a contractor.

7. How are returns or refunds at vendors handled? 
Coming soon.

8. How will contractors and vendors be paid? 
Payment processes will be designed and implemented by the state or its program implementer. Some states may elect to hire specific firms to remit payments while others will likely integrate this function into the other services provided by an implementer.

9. How are geotagged photos captured and transferred, and how can the data be viewed?
Capturing Geotagged Photos:

• For iOS devices – 
  • Enable location services through the device settings under "Privacy & Security."
  • Ensure the camera app and preferred mobile browser location services are set to "While Using App" and enable "Precise Location."
• For Android devices –
  • Enable location services by navigating to device settings and selecting "Location."
  • Ensure both the camera app and preferred mobile browser location services are set to "Allow while using the app" and enable "Precise Location."

Capturing and uploading photos directly in PNNL’s web-based QI tool ensures that geolocation data is retained.

Transferring Geotagged Photos:

• From iOS devices – 
  • Transfer photos as full-sized images via email, AirDrop, or cloud-based storage.
  • Avoid resizing images when emailing to maintain geolocation metadata.
• From Android devices – 
  • Transfer photos using a USB cable to preserve geolocation metadata.
  • Photos transferred via email or cloud-based storage may lose geolocation data.

Viewing Image Geotag Data:

• Using Windows computers –
  • Right-click the photo file, select "Properties," navigate to "Details," and scroll to view geolocation data.
• Using Mac computers – 
  • Open the photo in "Preview," click on the "Information" button, and select the "GPS" option under "More Info."
• Using iOS devices – 
  • Capture a photo with location services enabled, then view the geotagged location via the photo's "Information" page.
• Using Android devices – 
  • Capture a photo with location services enabled and view the geotagged location under the photo's "Details."

See PNNL’s QI Tool page for more information.
 

API

10. Is a unique address ID required to be generated? 
Yes. The API will generate a unique address ID, which will be used to track rebates for the unique address. Refer to the API documentation for more details on address ID generation.

11. Is a unique applicant ID required to be generated?
Yes. The API will generate a unique ID based on the applicant’s last name together with their email address or phone number, or both. This ID must then be used when creating a reservation. Refer to the API documentation for more details on address ID generation.

12. Why are unique address IDs and applicant IDs required?
These unique IDs serve to mitigate fraud and enhance rebate tracking.

13. Is there real-time API feedback on eligibility and rebate reservations?
Yes, communicating with the API will provide real-time responses regarding whether an address is eligible for specific types of rebates. However, the API does not provide real-time feedback regarding the product or household income eligibility. Product and income verification must be conducted by the state.

14. Is there an endpoint to track project status and remaining funds for a specific address? 
Yes. The API provides endpoints for retrieving information about rebate reservations and redemptions. The queries can be filtered by address as well as other criteria.

15. What is the default data source for calculating energy usage? 
Please see DOE SCEP for available resources.

16. Can programs be launched without an API connection? 
DOE is providing a reporting spreadsheet that can be used to submit rebate transaction data on a monthly basis, without use of an API connection. Additionally, a reporting endpoint can be utilized to report bulk rebate data in JSON format without use of a real-time API connection. However, all states and territories are strongly encouraged to use the real-time API.

17. How does API authentication work? 
Our API employs a multi-layered authentication system to ensure secure access to resources. 

• Initial Setup: Users are required to set up a two-factor authentication (2FA) device. This adds an extra layer of security to the authentication process. 
• OAuth Login: For new sessions, users must authenticate using a 2FA-enabled OAuth login. This step verifies the user's identity and grants access to the API.
• JWT Token Generation: Upon successful authentication, a JSON Web Token (JWT) is issued to the user. This token serves as a secure access token and is valid for 24 hours.
• Token-Based Authentication: All API endpoints require authentication using the JWT token. Users must include this token in the request headers to access protected resources.
• Refresh Tokens: For programmatic use cases, a refresh token is provided alongside the JWT token. This refresh token can be used to generate new JWT tokens without requiring the user to log in again.
• Token Expiry: A JWT token expires after 24 hours, and a refresh token expires after 180 days. Once the refresh token expires, users will need to go through the 2FA OAuth login process again to obtain a new JWT and refresh token pair.  

By implementing these authentication mechanisms, we ensure that access to our API is secure and protected against unauthorized use. 

18. Why am I receiving an “implementers can only create reservations for their own state" error? 
If you did not request your account be assigned to a specific state, your account is currently associated with Washington DC. You can find addresses for this region easily via Zillow. If you would like to request assignment to another area, please email RebateTools@pnnl.gov. Be sure to include the email address associated with your current credentials. 

Notes:  
(1) Currently, credentials can only be associated with a single state, territory, or Tribe.
(2) Assignments to the production API will be made solely by State Energy Office (SEO) Project Officers (POs) or territory or Tribe representatives via the PLQ. Additional assignments may only be made by SEO POs or territory or Tribe representatives. 

Submit a question to the Rebate Tools team.