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 if my state does not want to use CJEST for DAC Mapping?States are not required to use CJEST for DAC mapping. If the state elects to use an alternative map, the map must adhere to DOE requirements and must be provided to DOE and PNNL as a shapefile at least 60 days before program launch in order to track rebates to DAC households. States can contact PNNL at RebateTools@pnnl.gov for more information.

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

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. 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.

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

9. 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.

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. Does the real-time API for rebate reservation support the lookup of AMI levels and DAC status?
The DOE API has an integrated address service within the rebate reservation system. This service takes in an address and returns a unique address ID, a true/false value indicating whether the address is in a disadvantaged community, and the AMI levels for the address. However, the rebate reservation system does not fulfill the necessary step of comparing the applicant’s income and household occupancy to the applicable AMI level. That step must be integrated into the states’ systems and processes.

14. 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.

15. Is there an endpoint to track project status and remaining funds for a specific address? 
From a front-end perspective, states may decide to create an interface for project and/or address tracking. This will not be dictated or provided by DOE; however, the DOE/PNNL rebate tracking database will allow for exporting of relevant data to aid in this effort. 

16. What is the default data source for calculating energy usage? 
For single-family homes, the approved DOE software list is published by NREL. Multi-family guidance is coming soon. 

17. Can states launch programs without APIs? 
DOE is providing a reporting spreadsheet that states and territories can use to submit rebate transaction data on a monthly basis, should they choose not to use the API. However, all are strongly encouraged to use the API.

18. 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. 

19. 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.  
(2) Once the live launch occurs, you will not be able to request your own assignments. Assignments will be made solely by SEO POs. 

Submit a question to the Rebate Tools team.