DSIRE (Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency) is the most comprehensive U.S. source of information on federal, state, local, and utility-level incentives and policies that support renewable energy and energy efficiency. It is operated by the NC Clean Energy Technology Center at North Carolina State University and has historically been funded by the U.S. Department of Energy. The database contains summaries of more than 2,600 incentive and policy programs, from the federal Inflation Reduction Act 25C tax credit down to specific municipal utility heat pump rebates, and is used by roughly 180,000 people per month, including HVAC contractors, equipment installers, and weatherization providers.
For HVAC shops, DSIRE is typically a research and sales enablement tool rather than a transactional platform. Comfort advisors and estimators use it during proposal prep to quickly surface which heat pump, high-efficiency AC, furnace, water heater, and insulation rebates apply to a homeowner's ZIP, utility, and equipment tier. Findings from DSIRE are then often combined with manufacturer promotions (Lennox, Carrier) and instant-rebate tools (Coral, Enervee, Contractor Commerce) to present a fully stacked offer at the kitchen table. Because DSIRE exposes a searchable web interface plus a developer API, larger contractors and software vendors also integrate DSIRE data into their own estimate and CRM workflows.
DSIRE is free to use, publicly funded, and vendor-neutral, which is a key reason contractors trust it as the first stop for incentive research. It does not file rebates on behalf of contractors or homeowners; it is strictly an information resource, with each program entry linking back to the administering utility or agency for application details.