Are your energy bills out of control? Is heat or cool air constantly escaping? Do you want to make energy-efficient upgrades to your home but are worried about the cost? Well, thanks to Wisconsin’s Focus on Energy program, you may be eligible for rebates worth thousands of dollars on improvements like attic insulation, solar panels, and much more.
What is the Focus on Energy Program?
Focus on Energy is a statewide program that helps homes:
- Improve their energy efficiency
- Reduce carbon emissions
- Lower utility costs
- Drive local economic growth
It works by providing rebates on energy-saving improvements made by local contractors. For example, if you were to upgrade to a natural gas furnace, the Focus on Energy program could pay you up to $400 to help cover the cost. The goal is to allow you to make cost-saving improvements without having to shoulder the costs all on your own!
What are the Qualifications for the Focus on Energy Program?
The best part is that there are no income requirements to qualify for the program, although certain income limits do qualify for larger incentives. You simply need to:
- Be a customer of a utility company that participates in the Focus on Energy program. (Although most major electric and gas utility companies in Wisconsin do, such as We Energies, WPS, and Alliant Energy.)
- Have at least 51% of the home’s heating come from a participating utility company. That means homes primarily heated with wood, oil, or propane are not eligible.
How Do I Apply for Focus on Energy?
To apply for the Focus on Energy program, you have to:
- Check your eligibility: To get started, you’ll need to pre-qualify through an online application; it’s recommended you review the IRA income qualification checklist in advance to make sure you have all the proper documentation.
- Find a Trade Ally contractor: Once your assessment is complete, you’ll have to choose a Trade Ally contractor from their approved list. They’ll help guide you through every step of the program.
- Get an energy assessment: This part is optional, but highly recommended. Getting an energy assessment will help identify what upgrades your home needs and can potentially unlock higher rebates. Your Trade Alley contractor should be able to help with this; if not, they can help you find an assessor.
- Complete the work: Your contractor will then make upgrades to your home. For more details about what’s possible, review which qualified project upgrades you can make.
- Submit for rebate payment: Once the upgrades are complete, your contractor will submit your project to receive rebate payment.* Processing takes 8 to 10 weeks, and typically arrives as a check in the mail. You’ll also receive an installation certificate outlining all the improvements that were made.
*For larger projects (over $10,000), you can request pre-approval. This reserves funding, since the Focus on Energy has limited funding that’s based on a first-come, first-served basis.
What Roof Upgrades Can I Make With the Focus on Energy Program?
Attic Insulation & Air Sealing (Up to $1,475)
If your attic is poorly insulated, then it likely can be upgraded thanks to the Focus on Energy program. The program allows upgrades to insulation in living spaces, such as living rooms or bedrooms (garages or mechanical rooms don’t qualify). The upgraded insulation must reach R-42 or higher, which means it’s highly resistant to heat flow.
Attic insulation is paired with air sealing, which involves finding and closing gaps, cracks, and holes in a building’s exterior (usually the roof) to stop air from getting out. If you decide to self-install the attic insulation and air sealing, you’re only eligible for up to $200—so working with a contractor is recommended.
Solar Panels (Up to $2,400)
For those interested in upgrading their roof and adding solar panels, the Focus on Energy program will help cover some of the cost. However, they strongly encourage you to consider the roof age, condition, and direction before installing.
The program will give you $600 per kW of system capacity, up to $2,400 total. Since typical residential solar panel systems are often in the 6 to 10 kW range, you reach your cap around 4 kW and won’t receive more rebates for a bigger system. However, the system must:
- Face within 135 degrees of due south
- Have a panel tilt between 5-50 degrees
- Have less than 15% shading on the panels (that means not a lot of tree cover)
- Consist of equipment from an approved vendor list
Luckily, you won’t have to ensure all these details on your own—this is where your Trade Ally contractor or roofing contractor (like Standard Roofing & Restoration) will be available to help you.
Does the Focus on Energy Program Also Apply to Commercial Properties?
Luckily for business owners, the Focus on Energy program is available for commercial buildings, too. As of 2026, commercial buildings can get 20% to 30% bigger rebates than they had in the past for energy-efficient upgrades.
This can apply to things like:
- A new rooftop HVAC system
- Commercial solar panels
- A reflective or “cool roof”
- Roof insulation
For projects that are more “unusual” or custom-built, such as unique roofing systems the Focus on Energy program doesn’t have a pre-set rebate for, you may be eligible to receive 30% more money on top of the standard rebate!
Can Focus on Energy Be Stacked with Other Rebates?
The Focus on Energy program can be stacked with other federal rebates, such as the Home Owner Managing Energy Savings (HOMES) and Home Electrification and Appliance (HEAR) rebate programs. These programs, like Focus on Energy, are designed to make your home more energy efficient—however, eligibility for these is dependent on your household income (which typically must be 150% of the Area Median Income (AMI) or less).
It’s also important to note that, unlike Focus on Energy’s flat-dollar rebates, these federal programs calculate rebates as a percentage of project cost, and some households can qualify to get 35% or more of their project covered.
Interested in Upgrading Your Energy Efficiency? Contact Standard Roofing & Restoration Today
Interested in making energy-efficient upgrades while installing, replacing, or repairing your roof? Then contact Standard Roofing & Restoration today. We’ll work alongside Trade Alley contractors from the Focus on Energy program to lower energy costs in your home or business at a reduced cost.