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 programmatic questions, reach out to your Department of Energy (DOE) Project Officer (PO).

General

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

2. Is there real-time income eligibility verification?
Income eligibility verification is not possible using the DOE/PNNL API. A grantee 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, grantees may choose to allow verification via plausibility checks and/or to provide instant access to 50122 (see section 4.1.6 of the Program Requirements & Application Instructions) prior to verifying income eligibility in emergency replacement scenarios.  

For grantees 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 grantee-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?
For the latest published copy, please reach out to your DOE PO.

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. Reach out to your DOE PO for specific requirements regarding income-qualified housing.

6. Can applicants obtain multiple project bids while the rebate reservation is active?
For 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? 
Grantees are required, as indicated in the program requirements, to have procedures that detail how vendors are to handle returns that involve rebated products. These procedures should ensure the data reported to the API reflects accurate records of any rebate funds returned to the state. API users can use an API endpoint, or through the dashboard, to mark projects for deletion and indicate the reason in the additional notes.

8. How will contractors and vendors be paid? 
Payment processes will be designed and implemented by the grantee and/or their program implementer. Some grantees 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 reach out to your DOE PO for available resources.

16. Can programs be launched without an API connection? 
Yes. The supplied reporting spreadsheet can be used to submit rebate transaction data on a monthly basis through the API dashboard, without the 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? 
You are attempting to create a reservation for a state your account is not associated with. If you believe you are receiving this in error or you would like to request assignment to a different state or territory, please email RebateTools@pnnl.gov. Be sure to include the email address associated with your login credentials. 

Notes:

1. Credentials can only be associated with a single state, territory, or Tribe.
   1. a. Plus addressing is a viable workaround for the same user needing access across multiple states, territories, or Tribes. For example, if your email is example@example.com and you are already associated with state “A” but need access to state “B”, your login for state “B” will be example+B@example.com which will route to example@example.com. This still requires a new account to be created, so please submit the request as usual, but mention that you will need the new login to be plus addressed.
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. 

19. What classifies as PII and what can be shared via email?
Personally identifiable information (PII) is any information about an individual maintained by an agency, including (1) any information that can be used to distinguish or trace an individual‘s identity, such as name, social security number, date and place of birth, mother‘s maiden name, or biometric records; and (2) any other information that is linked or linkable to an individual, such as medical, educational, financial, and employment information. (NIST SP 800-122)

In general, PII should never be sent to RebateTools@pnnl.gov. Data that is not PII (e.g., an address alone) is safe to share via email. If there is a need to share PII with the Rebate Tools team, the communication must be encrypted. If you are ever unsure what is safe to share or how to share it, reach out to your DOE PO, SEO PO, and/or RebateTools@pnnl.gov. 

20. How do I finalize a non-DIY 50122 rebate?
You must submit at least one install redemption, and the final install redemption (be it the only or the last) must have "is_final_project_redemption" set to true for the rebate to be finalized. Without the final redemption indicated, the rebate will remain open.

21. What do I do if the address ID generator is generating the same address ID for multiple unique building addresses?
Please reach out to RebateTools@pnnl.gov. Be sure to include a detailed description of the building(s) and the address ID generator’s response.

Submit a question to the Rebate Tools team.