Program/s: EmPower+ To: Participating Contractors Summary: Project Photo Requirements Update Questions: Please contact Contractor Support at 1-800-284-9069.
Effective for EmPower+ project enrollments accepted by contractors on or after January 1, 2025, all pre and post installation pictures submitted as part of an EmPower+ project will need to be time-stamped and geo-tagged.
Section 8.2 of the Program Manual will be updated to reflect this change.
NYSERDA is considering investing in an enterprise subscription with CompanyCam which would enable contractors to produce geo-tagged pictures based on provided templates for program submission. It is intended that this service will be provided to you at no cost and if you are using other software options to create geo-tagged photos, you would not be required to switch to CompanyCam.
If there are any questions, please contact Contractor Support at 1-800-284-9069.
To: Participating Contractors Regarding Programs:EmPower+ Summary:Staff Hours for Thanksgiving Contact: See below
NYSERDA wishes you and your family a happy and safe Thanksgiving. Please see below for EmPower+ program staff and implementation staff hours for the Thanksgiving Holiday.
NYSERDA: Closed Thursday, limited staffing Friday
CLEAResult: Closed Thursday and Friday
TRC Call Center: Closed Thursday, open Friday, EmPower+ Application Processing Closed Thursday and Friday
Participating contractors working in the field in need of emergency approval may contact Pete Hoke (518-409-5938) on Thursday, November 28 and Friday, November 29. For non-urgent matters, contact Contractor Support or (800) 284-9069; requests will be returned following the holiday in the order they were left.
The 1-866-NYSERDA /1-877-NYSMART number will not be staffed on Thursday, November 28, but will be open for regular hours on Friday November 29.
With the holiday, there will only be one EmPower+ incentive invoice processed during the week of November 25. Incentive invoicing processing will return to twice per week beginning the week of December 2.
SUBJECT: Appliance Upgrade Program Launch Program/s: All To: Participating Contractors Summary: NYSERDA is seeking to sign up contractors to participate in this program. Contact with Questions: Please contact [email protected] or 518-862-1090 x3267
The Appliance Upgrade Program recently launched to help New Yorkers save money on the purchase of an ENERGY STAR® certified heat pump clothes dryers from participating retailers. Heat pump dryers offer superior efficiency in a self-contained system that doesn’t require ventilation – allowing them to be installed in various locations of a home or apartment. NYSERDA is seeking contractors that can offer installation services, such as installing the appliance or performing the necessary electrical upgrades to accommodate the new electrical load from the dryer.
As an existing NYSERDA contractor in good standing with your respective program, you can be fast-tracked for approval and do not need to submit customer references. Participating contractors can receive the following installation incentives (up to $500) for this program.
Any questions, feel free to contact [email protected] or 518-862-1090 x3267
Program/s: EmPower+ To: Participating Contractors Summary: EmPower+ Program Prior Services Check Questions: Please Contact Contractor Support at 1-800-284-9069
In May 2024, in conjunction with the launch of IRA incentives, NYSERDA removed the three-year look back requirement as part of the EmPower+ application process. The three-year look back was initially established to limit a household that had reached the Program incentive cap from participating in EmPower+ again until three years had passed. The removal of the look back requirement allows households to realize more energy savings in a shorter time frame by removing the three-year wait between EmPower+ projects.
With the removal of the three-year look back, NYSERDA has implemented a prior services check. The purpose of this check is to ensure that the measures a participating contractor is proposing on an EmPower+ project are not duplicative of work that has been recently completed. Upon submission of an EmPower+ Application, TRC will note in the application file if an EmPower+ project was recently completed. When the application information is sent to NYHEP, CLEAResult will be notified that a recent EmPower+ project has been completed and they will ensure that the measures being proposed on the new project were not incentivized on a recently installed project.
If a participating contractor is planning on multiple projects at a household, the expectation is that the projects will follow a logical progression. For example, if the initial project includes $3,000 in air-sealing measures to prepare the home for a heat pump, the follow up project should not include an additional $6,000 in air-sealing, it should be focusing on the heat pump equipment. In addition, the participating contractor should not be charging for an additional audit. If the follow-on project is occurring within a reasonable time frame and there has been no significant changes at the residence, the contractor should be using the test-out information from the previous project. Likewise, energy education and direct install measures should not be charged to the second project as these measures should have been covered in the first project.
In addition, when multiple projects for the same address are to be submitted to the Program each individual project must stand on its own. Savings from the previous project cannot be leveraged to make the subsequent project meet Program requirements.
Finally, there can be only one open EmPower+ project at a residence at any given time. If a project is open and an EmPower+ Application is received for the residence from either the existing participating contractor or a new participating contractor the application will be denied until the existing EmPower+ project is completed. If there are any questions, please contact Contractor Support at 1-800-284-9069.
Program/s: EmPower+, Comfort Home To: Participating Contractors Summary: EmPower+ and Comfort Home Program Dense Packing Wall Cavity Updates Questions: Please Contact Contractor Support at 1-800-284-9069
Beginning December 1, 2024, the EmPower+ and Comfort Home program will no longer provide incentives for the dense packing of wall cavities or ceiling slopes in instances where the cavity includes pre-existing insulation that does not allow for the proper installation of the proposed material to achieve the final R-value according to the insulation manufacturer specifications and workscope submitted to program.
To be eligible for EmPower+ and Comfort Home incentives wall cavities proposed for insulation upgrades must have a minimum void depth of 2 inches.
Building component example that does NOT qualify:
2×4 wall cavity that has 2 inches (or more) of pre-existing fiberglass insulation.
Building component example that DOES qualify:
2×6 wall cavity that has 3 inches (or less) of preexisting fiberglass insulation.
Floor cavities located above an attached or tuck-under garage, above unconditioned spaces, and cantilevers are exempt from this Program rule. Contractors still must verify there is space in the existing cavity to add the proposed insulation upgrade by providing photos of the available space in the floor cavities.
Assessment Contractors must conduct a thorough assessment of wall cavities or ceiling slopes before proposing these areas for additional insulation work through EmPower+ and Comfort Home.
The assessment must document the type, condition, and R-value of the existing insulation and be included in the Existing Conditions section of the Workscope Submission step in NYHEP.
Compliance Workscope submissions that include the dense packing of wall cavities or ceiling slopes where the proposed cavity includes pre-existing insulation must include photos of the existing wall cavity conditions to support that the combined R-value and density of new and existing insulation will meet manufacturer installation specifications.
NYHEP Workflow
Workscope Submission All wall cavity or ceiling slope insulation proposals involving pre-existing insulation must be submitted for approval as part of the workscope submission. NYHEP will be updated so wall insulation measures are not auto approved. At the Workscope Submission step, contractors must submit clear photos of the open space in the cavity, via a borescope or other industry practice(s). IR camera images alone will not be accepted.
Final Project Submission Geo-tagged post-installation photos must be provided in the single PDF submitted in NYHEP at the Final Project Submission workflow step to verify compliance with the approved proposal and manufacturer specifications. Photos must include clear detail of installed insulation prior to sealing off wall cavity or ceiling slope access point.
Expected Outcomes Program expects contractors to fill 100% of each cavity achieving the final R-value included in the workscope submission while meeting the required insulation manufacturer specifications.
As best practice, contractors are advised to provide the customer with a dated manufacturer insulation receipt signed by the installer that minimally includes Installed insulation type, coverage area, installed thickness, minimum settled thickness, installed R-value, and number of bags installed at the home at time of final project completion.
Contractors are asked to keep a record of this on hand for any projects that include this type of measure receiving incentives through the program.
Non-Compliance Contractors installing insulation in wall cavities or slope surfaces that included pre-existing insulation and are non-compliant with the updated guidelines will be required to cover the cost of the insulation.
Charging the customer for the non-compliant measure will not be permitted. Incentives paid for the non-compliant measure will be reimbursed by the contractor.
Additional disciplinary action may be taken against the contractor according to the current Program Manual.
This update was covered in the November 1, 2024, Contractor Webinar which can be found here. Prior to the effective date, Sections 5.18 and 8.2 of the Program Manual will be updated to reflect these program changes. If there are any questions, please reach out to Contractor Support at 1-800-284-9069.
