California Grants for Replacement Windows
While many states do not offer grant opportunities for energy-efficient window installation, California has numerous programs that fund such projects. These grants support window installation for Native American tribal governments, school districts and commercial properties. Two are operated by the federal and state governments, respectively, while the final two are available through metropolitan utility companies.
Tribal Energy Program grants are offered through the U.S. Department of Energy, which encourages economic development and work opportunities on tribal lands through energy efficiency and renewable energy innovations. The grants are the only federal grants available for window replacement in California.
In addition to grant funding for window replacement and other technologies, The Tribal Energy Program provides technical support and training to interested Native American tribes. Only Native American tribal governments may apply for a grant through the program. However, a tribe's proposal may focus on either energy efficiency projects such as replacing windows, or renewable energy projects such as those involving solar, wind, geothermal and other forms of power.
The amount of funding rewarded varies from proposal to proposal, and solicitations are considered on a competitive basis; tribal governments from California contend with tribes from all over the country. In January 2011, the DOE announced that the Tribal Energy Program would issue up to $10 million in 2011 toward energy-related projects in tribal communities.
The only California state grant for energy-efficient window replacement is the School Facility Program, which provides matching funds to school districts in order to modernize educational facilities. Districts are eligible if their buildings are more than 25 years old and they have never received state modernization funds before. The amount of funding varies from project to project.
The first of two utility grant opportunities for window replacement in California is the Energy Efficiency Technology Grant Program, offered by Riverside Public Utilities. Riverside Public Utilities covers 100 percent of costs up to $100,000 for window replacement projects in the commercial sector. In addition to energy efficiency projects, grants can also fund renewable energy generation or research and development.
Burbank Water and Power offers the state's other utility grant for window replacement, the Business Bucks Energy Efficiency Grant Program. Small businesses in Burbank with monthly energy costs ranging between $100 and $3,000 are eligible for up to $2,000 to install modern windows or other renovations -- such as doors, roofs and insulation -- that increase energy efficiency.