By: Scott Fischer, Managing Member, Ciel Power LLC
Bringing Affordable Energy Upgrades to New Jersey Homeowners
Ciel Power LLC is a residential home performance contractor providing homeowners with energy-efficient solutions. The company’s services include home energy audits, insulation services, heating and air-conditioning system replacements, and various energy retrofit measures designed to increase the energy efficiency and comfort of homes.
Ciel Power LLC aims to reduce energy costs for homeowners and lessen the environmental impact of residential buildings. To aid in this mission, Ciel works with New Jersey’s regional utility companies to provide incentives or rebates to homeowners that adopt energy-saving measures through the Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program. New Jersey’s utility companies, including PSE&G, JCP&L, NJNG, and Rockland Electric, offer generous cash incentives of up to $5,000 and zero-interest financing incentives of up to $15,000 to qualified homeowners that install energy efficiency upgrades, including upgraded insulation, heating, air-conditioning, and hot water systems.
The Inflation Reduction Act introduced both new and enhanced tax credits for this type of work, including up to $1,200 annually for any combination of home envelope improvements and up to $2,000 for installing heat pump heating, cooling, and hot water heating systems.
Becoming a Leader in Home Performance Improvement
Earlier this year, Ciel was awarded the 2023 Home Performance with ENERGY STAR Contractor of the Year Award and the 2023 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year — Sustained Excellence Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy.
More than 1800 home energy audits and more than 500 Home Performance with ENERGY STAR projects have been completed since Ciel launched its first public-private partnership program in Highland Park, New Jersey, in 2014. Since then, Ciel has developed and launched campaigns in the following New Jersey municipalities; Woodbridge, Princeton, Millburn, Watchung, Pascack Valley, Morristown, Glen Rock, Madison, Summit, Long Hill, and Westfield.
These programs feature a discounted rate on a home energy audit and exist for a predetermined period as a collaboration typically between Ciel, the Mayor, Council, and the volunteer green team. Individual programs vary but generally include; customized co-branded marketing materials, dedicated landing pages, tracking and reporting of campaign participation, promotional support, attendance at local events, and a dedicated campaign consultant to work with the various stakeholders to manage the strategy and direction of the program.
Expanding Ciel Power’s Impact
Ciel’s newest program in Chatham, New Jersey, mirrors their home energy audit approach. On November 14th, 2022, the program was launched with a formal presentation to the Borough of Chatham Mayor and Borough Council that was streamed live to borough residents. The program, designed to promote local participation in Home Performance with ENERGY STAR, marked Ciel Power’s 13th public/private residential energy savings program.
In October 2022, another of Ciel’s energy savings program partnerships in Westfield, New Jersey, was expanded to include a feasibility study examining barriers to household electrification. As part of the study, Ciel Home Energy Auditors will collect additional data as part of a focused study that aims to understand obstacles that may deter residents from transitioning to fully electrified homes. The study is being conducted in partnership with the Town Council, the Westfield Volunteer Green Team, and Sustainable Jersey to uncover common barriers to household electrification so they can be addressed through better planning, communications, policy, and program design.
In June 2022, the Ciel team appeared on ABC’s Good Morning America to promote weatherization and home energy audits to a national audience to save energy and lower household energy bills.
At Ciel, we strive to provide effective solutions for our customers by utilizing proven building science, proper expectation setting, and transparent processes to provide safer and healthier household environments. Our goal is to help homeowners see their options to make the best decisions for their homes and families.
Our Simple Steps to Savings campaigns provide customers with a clear, concise, and actionable overview of participation in the Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program. We work continuously to develop and strengthen our effectiveness in delivering this program to our customers. Our easy-to-understand report brings together information about each of the home’s systems and delivers insightful recommendations about budget-friendly improvements that will yield the most significant impact on the home’s overall comfort and energy efficiency.
In 2022, Ciel began producing seasonal explainer videos around Home Performance with ENERGY STAR participation. These videos are designed to give homeowners an easy-to-understand overview of the benefits of HPwES.
See the most recent explainer video on the Ciel Power YouTube channel.
Recognizing the pressing need to transition away from carbon-intensive energy sources, Ciel Power LLC is moving to align its offerings more closely with the goals of household electrification and decarbonization. Ciel now offers advanced solutions that support the electrification of household heating and hot water systems.
Prioritizing Policy Action to Benefit the Climate and the Consumer
In 2019, Ciel joined more than a dozen companies to support electric vehicle legislation under consideration by the New Jersey Legislature. The same year, Ciel also took delivery of its first EV, a Tesla Model 3, as part of a company-wide plan to transition away from combustion engines to electric vehicles.
Last year, Ciel continued its company-wide transition to EVs, retiring a Ford Transit Connect and replacing it with a 2022 Tesla Model 3. In 2023, the company purchased three additional Tesla Model 3 sedans and hopes to utilize the new tax credits of up to $7,500 per vehicle available to businesses that purchase electric vehicles through the Inflation Reduction Act.
Ciel Power is transitioning to electric vehicles for its Home Energy Audit fleet.
Earlier this year, Scott Fischer, Managing Member of Ciel Power LLC, wrote an Op-Ed for NJ Spotlight sharing his company’s experiences with electric vehicles and advocating for Governor Murphy to advocate for New Jersey’s proposed adoption of the Advanced Clean Cars II (ACC II) rule.
Ciel also launched a new podcast series in the fall of 2022. Geared towards homeowners, the podcast is focused on breaking down energy efficiency, weatherization, electrification, and the Inflation Reduction Act.
As a purpose-driven organization, our success with the Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program is built around a larger and deeper commitment to sustainability and the communities we serve. Ciel is a New Jersey Sustainable Business Council member, and we’re listed on the New Jersey Sustainable Business Registry. Organizations like NJSBC play a pivotal role in aiding our organization to meet its objectives. Being part of a larger coalition amplifies our voice on critical issues, ensuring that our concerns and aspirations are heard at higher levels of decision-making. Our affiliation with NJSBC strengthens our advocacy efforts and fosters an environment of collective progress.