An Efficiency Arizona Case Study

One of Advantage Home Performance’s (AHP) standout Efficiency Arizona projects was for Julia in Tucson, Arizona, in April 2025. Thanks to generous rebates, Julia was able to invest in a state-of-the-art variable-speed heat pump along with home performance
improvements such as air sealing, duct sealing, and insulation.

Julia benefited from participating in the Efficiency Arizona program. Julia received a total of $11,117 in rebates from Efficiency Arizona and Tucson Electric Power. The Efficiency Arizona rebates were $9,267 and the TEP rebates were $1,850. These rebates reduced her total project cost by 47%.

More importantly, she dramatically improved the comfort and efficiency of her home. The new variable-speed heat pump, coupled with duct sealing and insulation, made a huge difference. The new heat pump was quiet, and the hot spots in her home were gone. Julia’s utility bill dropped by 34% from June 2024 to June 2025.

The Starting Point: An Old, Noisy AC & an Uncomfortable Home

Julia knew something needed to change. Her old HVAC system was noisy and inefficient, and her home had persistent hot spots. Utility bills were high, and the air conditioning had long run times without delivering consistent comfort.

Before enrolling in Efficiency Arizona, she interviewed multiple HVAC contractors but couldn’t find anyone who could clearly explain or address the comfort issues in her home. At AHP we hear this critique of the HVAC industry often. Most HVAC contractors don’t care about solving problems, they focus simply on the sale of new HVAC equipment.

Discovering Efficiency Arizona

Julia also knew she wanted to take advantage of the Efficiency Arizona rebates. She saw the program as a huge opportunity, which of course it is. She visited the Efficiency AZ website (https://efficiencyarizona.com/), applied, and submitted the required documents.Homeowners can either select a contractor during the application process or have one assigned to them. Efficiency Arizona assigned Advantage Home Performance to Julia’s project.

Home Assessment & Diagnosis

Matt, one of our experienced estimators, conducted a thorough inspection of Julia’s home. His inspection uncovered several serious but common issues:

• Her 17-year-old HVAC unit was noisy and inefficient.
• A 10-inch supply duct in the attic was disconnected entirely (see photo below).
• The ductwork system suffered duct leakage.
• Her attic insulation was riddled with thermal defects.

Duct Systems: The Weak Link in Arizona HVAC systems

Air distribution systems—or ductwork—are often the Achilles’ heel of HVAC systems in
Arizona. Common problems include:

• Leaks
• Crushed or kinked flex ducts
• Poor layout
• Use of unsealed framing cavities

These issues can go unnoticed for years, quietly driving up energy bills. According to ENERGY STAR, leaky ducts can reduce HVAC system efficiency by up to 20%.

Insulation: Often Overlooked, Always Important

In Phoenix, Tucson, and Northern Arizona, it’s rare that a week goes by without our team uncovering insulation problems. We frequently find:

• Uninsulated knee walls
• Open chases
• Fiberglass or cellulose insulation tapering down to bare drywall

Julia’s attic insulation was also defective. Insulation tapered down to bare sheetrock in places, leaving her with an estimated insulation value of just R-15 or less when an R-30 or R-38 was probably specified when her house was originally built. In the photo below you can see the 2×6 bottom chords of trusses. These trusses are 5.5” tall and for an R-38 with blow fiberglass, we would expect to see 14” of blown-in fiberglass.

Rebate Eligibility & Strategic Choices

Julia used the Area Median Income tables for Tucson—available on the Efficiency Arizona website—to confirm her eligibility. As a moderate-income household, she qualified for 50% of the total project cost, up to $14,000.

Instead of opting for a lower-cost ENERGY STAR certified unit (which would have yielded around $4,000 in rebates), Julia wisely chose to invest in a premium variable-speed heat pump, which significantly increased her rebate and her comfort.

A State-of-the-art Variable Speed Heat Pump

Efficiency Arizona offers historic, point-of-sale rebates—up to $8,000 for ENERGY STAR-certified heat pumps.

Heat pumps provide both heating and cooling, offering year-round comfort with far greater efficiency than traditional systems. In fact, heat pumps outsold gas and oil furnaces by 30% in 2024.

Julia chose a top-tier Trane variable-speed heat pump, which offers:

• Ultra-quiet operation
• Continuous low-speed operation for consistent temperatures
• Minimal temperature swings
• Exceptional energy efficiency

“Variable-speed compressors adjust in 1% increments, rather than just ON/OFF cycles or two speeds. This allows the system to run longer at lower speeds—delivering optimal comfort and energy savings.”

Whole Home Upgrades for Maximum Impact

Just upgrading to high-efficiency equipment isn’t enough. That’s why Efficiency Arizona promotes a whole-home approach. HVAC equipment must be paired with an optimized envelope and distribution system to deliver real performance.

Julia followed all our recommendations:

• Repaired the disconnected duct
• Sealed and pressure-tested the entire duct system
• Air-sealed and re-insulated the attic to R-49

The result? Comfort issues resolved, energy waste eliminated, and a 34% utility bill reduction within a year.

Julias Review: “A Dream Come True”

Here is the best part: Advantage Home Performance transformed her home.

Ok, this is all a dream… But Advantage Home Performance was recommended to us by Efficiency AZ, and the rest is history. Extremely pleased with their Heat
Pump installation, insulation, and ductwork repairs. After interviewing HVAC companies for 2+ years, I finally found a guy who could answer my questions. Matt
knew what we needed without us even knowing what we needed. The install crew was amazing, and they upgraded our environmental conditions ten thousand percent. We no longer hear the freight train sounding AC, and no more hot spots. The house is so comfortable and quiet … It must be a dream… Seriously TY

Energy Savings That Last

Julia’s utility bill went down 34% between June 2024 and June 2025. The size of the utility bill reduction is directly related to the severity of the problems we encounter. The duct leakage and insulation issues we found in Julia’s house were pretty typical.

This is an additional benefit that will yield dividends as long as she lives in the house. When she puts her house on the market some day in the future, the home inspector will be impressed with the duct sealing and insulation.

Choose Advantage Home Performance

At Advantage Home Performance, we install heat pumps, insulation, and other energy-saving measures across Phoenix, Tucson, and Prescott. We are proud participants in the Efficiency Arizona program and firm believers in the whole-home approach.

Julia’s story is one of transformation. Let us help you transform your home next.

Learn more at: efficiencyarizona.com