Little known-about is the CleanBC PIEER program (Partners in Indigenous Energy Efficiency and Resilience). So much so that we read through the “Partners in Indigenous Energy Efficiency & Resilience (PIEER) Program Offer Requirements (a 62 page document) and didn’t find definitive answers on what the Energy Advisor needs to do for this program delivery.
We then called the CleanBC energy coach hotline, no definitive answers. Our CleanBC energy coach referred us to BC Hydro’s business line who also had next to zero answers about this program.
We were wondering things like – what is the Energy Advisor’s role here? Is a Post-Retrofit Energuide Evaluation required?
Clarity is really important when dealing with programs like this because the last thing any stakeholder in this wants, is to go through the whole process and then realize that you haven’t met the program requirements because the documentation or steps required were unclear and thus haven’t been met.
So, if you’re wondering how it actually works—or what exact role an Energy Advisor plays in this program delivery, you’re not alone.
We’ve been getting more questions about the PIEER program lately, especially around how to apply, what the funding covers, and what upgrades qualify.
So let’s walk through it together.
What Is the PIEER Program?
The CleanBC PIEER program, funded by FortisBC, BC Hydro, and the Province of British Columbia, supports Indigenous communities wanting to make their housing more efficient, comfortable, and resilient.
It’s open to Indigenous governments, First Nations bands, and Indigenous housing organizations across BC. Individuals residents are not eligible to apply.
The goal is simple: to reduce energy use, improve comfort, and support long-term sustainability in community housing—whether through insulation upgrades, better windows, or high-efficiency heating systems.
Two Pathways: Pre-Payment or Rebate
PIEER offers two different ways to fund projects, depending on how your community prefers to manage costs and timelines.
1. Pre-Payment Pathway
This pathway provides 50% of funding up front, before the work begins.
It’s designed to help communities that may not want to carry the entire cost of audits or upgrades before reimbursement.
Here’s how it works:
- The community applies to the PIEER program with a proposal outlining the homes and scope of work.
- A Pre-Retrofit EnerGuide Assessment is completed for each home by a Registered Energy Advisor.
- Once reporting is complete, the program issues pre-payment funds to the community to cover 50% in advance for audit and upgrade costs.
- The community proceeds with retrofit work using the approved funding.
2. Rebate Pathway
In this pathway, the community covers the initial project costs and is reimbursed after work is completed and verified.
Here’s what that looks like:
- The community applies to PIEER outlining the scope of homes and upgrades.
- The Registered Energy Advisor performs the Pre-Retrofit EnerGuide Assessments.
- Once upgrades are installed and inspected
- Final reports, data, and invoices are submitted to PIEER for rebate reimbursement.
This pathway gives more flexibility in project scheduling and coordination with contractors, but requires some up-front investment.
PIEER Energy Coaches
In either path chosen, working with a PIEER Energy Coach seems to be key in navigating the requirements and steps. Fortis BC states that Energy Coaches can even submit the rebate applications on your behalf if you wish (you’ll need to confirm the information is correct and submit the final declaration). To request an Energy Coach, fill out the submission form from BC Hydro here.
What’s NOT clear at this point
Are Post-Retrofit Assessments required? In either scenario, Pre-Payment or Rebate pathway, there is no mention anywhere in the 62 page document of program offer requirements of a Post-Retrofit Energuide assessment being required to confirm the completion of the upgrades. Does this mean it’s not a requirement? CleanBC Energy Coach hotline couldn’t answer this for us, nor could the representative at BC Hydro’s Business Centre.
So who can definitively answer this question? We are told the only place is through setting a meeting with an Energy Coach from the PIEER program, which can be done by emailing coach@PIEER.ca.
We did just that and our meeting is tomorrow – will update on a definitive answer at that time- stay tuned.
While we wait on that….
What Are the Eligible Upgrades?
PIEER follows the CleanBC Home Renovation Rebate and Better Homes Program frameworks, meaning the upgrades are similar to what homeowners might access through those initiatives—but scaled for community-level projects.
Typical eligible upgrades and rebate amounts include but are not limited to (for all upgrades available see the Fortis website here or BC Hydro website here)
| Upgrade Category | Eligible Work / Description | Maximum Incentive per Residence | Notes / Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy assessments | For a home energy assessment to identify ways to improve a home’s overall comfort and efficiency. | Up to $500 per home | maximums apply for some assessments |
| Building Envelope – Attic Insulation | Add minimum R-value (R12) to attic / flat or cathedral ceiling | Up to $2,000 per residence | Incentive = $0.05 × (R-value added) × insulated area (sq ft) (FortisBC) |
| Building Envelope – Basement/Crawlspace Insulation | Add minimum R10 to basement or crawlspace walls | Up to $2,000 per residence | Incentive = $0.20 × (R-value added) × insulated area (sq ft) (FortisBC) |
| Building Envelope – Exterior Wall Cavity | Add minimum R12 (cavity) or R3.8 (sheathing) to exterior walls | Up to $2,000 per residence | R12 added(FortisBC) |
| Building Envelope – Sheathing Insulation | Add minimum R3.8 (sheathing) to exterior walls | Up to $2,000 per residence | R3.8 added (FortisBC) |
| Building Envelope – High-Efficiency Windows & Doors | Replace with units meeting U-factor spec ≤ 1.22 W/m²·K | Up to $9,500 per residence or $950 per rough opening | Must meet performance criteria and be Energy Star certified |
| Space Heating – Dual Fuel / Fossil-Fuel Replacement | For eligible systems listed on the central ducted heat pump (dual fuel) product list replacing a furnace that’s at least 10 years old and used for primary space heating. Add an eligible connected thermostat for an additional $200 rebate. | Up to $15,000 per residence (northern top-up higher) | Depends on system type, heating fuel, zone etc. (FortisBC) |
| Space Heating – Air source heat pumps | For eligible central (ducted) or variable-speed multi- or mini-split (ductless) air source heat pumps in homes primarily heated by electricity supplied by FortisBC. | From $5,000 to $12,000 per home | Specific list of qualifying equipment applies (FortisBC) |
| Space Heating – Air-to-Water Heat Pump Systems | Replace fossil fuel system with qualified air-to-water heat pump | Up to $16,000 per residence | Specific list of qualifying equipment applies (FortisBC) |
| Space Heating – High-efficiency gas furnaces | For eligible furnaces with 95 to 96.9% AFUE (annual fuel utilization efficiency) or 97 to 99% AFUE used for primary space heating. | 95 to 96.9% AFUE: $2,000 per home 97 to 99% AFUE: $3,000 per home | Must live in climate zones 6, 7a, 7b, or 8. Add an eligible connected thermostat for an additional $200 rebate. |
| Space Heating – High-efficiency gas boilers | For eligible boilers used for primary space heating that are at least 94% AFUE. | $2,000 per home | Must live in climate zones 6, 7a, 7b, or 8. |
| Space Heating – Connected thermostats | For eligible ENERGY STAR connected thermostats. | $200 per home | Can be combined with various space heating upgrades like heat pump or furnace. |
| Water Heating – High-efficiency gas water heaters | For eligible ENERGY STAR condensing tankless water heaters or condensing storage tank water heaters used for primary water heating. | Condensing tankless or condensing storage tank: up to $3,500 per home | Must be on the eligible products list |
| Water Heating – Electric heat pump water heaters | For eligible Tier 2 or higher models used for primary water heating. | Up to $3,500 per home | Must be on the eligible products list |
| Ventilation | HRV/ERV or enabling upgrades (electrical service upgrades, health & safety, etc) | Up to $2,400 for HRV/ERV | Must accompany eligible upgrade. (FortisBC) |
| Health and safety | For supporting activities (e.g. drywall repair, soffit repair, pest management, mould/moisture remediation, radon and asbestos remediation) | Up to $2,000 for health & safety | eligible when necessary for rebate-eligible building envelope upgrades (insulation, windows or doors) to occur. |
| Electrical Service Upgrades | When an upgrade to 100-, 200-, or 400-amp service is required in an existing home to enable a heating system upgrade to a dual-fuel system or a heat pump. | $5,000 per home | When required to enable a heating system upgrade to a dual-fuel system or a heat pump. |
| Appliance Replacement (Refrigerator / Chest Freezer) | ENERGY STAR® qualified units replacing older appliances | Up to $1,000 for refrigerator; up to $500 for chest freezer | One per residence eligible unit. (FortisBC) |
These amounts can vary depending on utility provider, fuel type, and the number of units participating. See BC Hydro’s document here and details from Fortis BC here.
Heating system maintenance rebates available as well.
What the Energy Advisor Contributes
An Energy Advisor is a necessary partner every successful PIEER project.
They ensure each home’s energy model and reports meet NRCan’s EnerGuide Rating System requirements, and they provide the data that FortisBC and BC Hydro use to verify savings and validity of the upgrades for relevant residences.
In a typical project, Thrive Energy provides:
- On-site blower door testing and diagnostics
- Detailed recording and modeling of insulation, windows, and mechanical systems
- Energy modeling in HOT2000 software
- Reports and Homeowner Information Sheets outlining recommended upgrades tailored to each home
- Coordination with housing managers to meet program submission standards
The Energy Advisor’s reporting is what determines eligibility for rebates.
What else can the energy advisor do to ensure the success of these energy efficiency measures?
If there are heat pump upgrades being performed (which there should be given the incentive here is excellent to complete this upgrade), there may be a heat load calculation requirement.
Noted on the PIEER Program Offer Requirements document, under Dual Fuel Heating Systems, subsection 3.8. states that there must be a program-approved heat load calculation completed to properly size the system. Rule of thumb equipment sizing will not be accepted.
Your energy advisor can and should do this heat load calculation.
They’re already collecting all of the relevant information to complete this calculation and can do so considering the other upgrades that will occur in the building and thus right-size the equipment to the home exactly as it will be. Over and undersized systems are a real issue and are being installed around the world daily because of lack of due-diligence. Why do HVAC systems need to be right sized? See our blog post here.
Beyond that the Energy Advisor is already primed to provide this required document, they’ll likely charge half the price of what the HVAC contractor will since an additional site visit isn’t necessary.
We see “remote” heat load calculations being performed often and can’t quite understand why this is even allowed.
Heat load calculations completed off-site without real data are inevitably inaccurate, defeating the purpose of the requirement which exists to ensure the equipment is properly sized. Proper sizing allows occupant comfort, mechanical efficiency and subsequent longevity.
Duct flow testing is not a program requirement but is equally important to ensuring the right system is installed for each residence – see our blog post here. Your energy advisor may be able to complete this as well.
How Many Homes Are Required?
Most PIEER projects involve at least 10 homes, but many communities assess anywhere from 25 to over 100 homes at once, depending on funding availability and internal capacity. There doesn’t seem to be a minimum or maxiumum number of homes, but there is a total value cap per project ($200,000) unless otherwise approved.
Why It Matters
For many Indigenous communities, housing upgrades aren’t just about energy, they’re about health, safety, and comfort.
Better insulation, efficient heat pumps, and modern ventilation systems can dramatically improve indoor comfort, reduce mold and moisture issues, and lower monthly bills.
PIEER offers communities the resources to make those improvements in a structured, fully supported way—with Energy Advisors, utilities, and local contractors working together toward a common goal.
If your community is considering a PIEER application, or you have questions about the process, reach out. We are always happy to share the knowledge we have and take on questions to seek the answers that we don’t have.
Email: brett@thriveenergyinc.com
Phone: 778.867.0242
Website: www.thriveenergyinc.com
