Program/s: EmPower+ To: Participating Contractors Summary: Building Airflow Standard Calculator Questions: Please contact Contractor Support at 1-800-284-9069.
In response to a recent suggestion from a program contractor, for EmPower+ Contractors using the Comfort Home Building Airflow Standard Calculator, an ACH50 calculation has been added to the tool. The inputs remain the same as the prior version; however, the calculated values now include the number of air changes per hour at 50 pascals. We hope that you find this addition helpful. A copy of the tool can be found on the contractor support site, in Section 8 of the Program Manual.
Programs: EmPower+ To: Participating Contractors Summary: Heat Pump Project Requirement Changes Questions: Please contact Contractor Support at 1-800-284-9069.
Section 5.10 of the EmPower+ Program Manual has been updated to provide additional clarification on the project requirements for heat pump projects. Participating Contractors installing heat pumps should review the updated guidance in its entirety. A summary of the significant changes is provided below.
Manual D is only required if substantial (50%) new duct work is installed
Drawings of the house should be accurate enough for verifying the Manual J but, exact window locations don’t need to be shown- only sq/ft and type per side. Room by Room or block drawings are acceptable. Location of heat pumps are required at final project submission.
The proposed heat pump system may include use of a supplemental heating source to reach 100% of the building heating load. Supplemental heat sources may be designed to provide up to 20% of peak heating load up to 5kw or equivalent supplemental.
Customer attestations will be allowed when delivered fuel bills are not available.
Photos requiring the location of the heat pumps are not required until final project submission.
CLEAResult is now reviewing to these standards. They will be reaching out to contractors who have had projects returned more than once to assist with project submittal. They are also working up a list of common roadblocks that they are seeing and will distribute to contractors.
If there are any questions, please contact Contractor Support at 1-800-284-9069.
Program/s: EmPower+ Contractors To: EmPower+ Contractors Summary: Launching of Quality Home Contractor Contact with Questions: Amy Kasson-Muzio at [email protected]
Dear Stakeholders,
NYSERDA is in the process of establishing a Quality Home Contractor (QHC) designation aimed at highlighting exemplary performance among Single Family Residential EmPower+ participating contractors.
The Quality Home Contractor designation will help New Yorkers during the contractor search and selection process, by identifying EmPower+ contractors who consistently achieve high standards of quality. The designation will help lessen the search and selection burden on customers and lend confidence that the job will be well-done when a QHC is chosen. The designation will also help contractors to differentiate themselves by the quality of their work.
Eligibility criteria for determining which contractors will receive NYSERDA’s QHC designation are:
Must be an active full status EmPower+ contractor,
Must complete at least 12 full comprehensive projects within the past calendar year (2024 for the initial designation), and
Must have at least a 4.0 (no rounding up) average in-field inspection QA score for the past calendar year.
Must not have been on any disciplinary action, either probation or suspension, within the past calendar year.
The designation will be valid for one calendar year and will be re-evaluated annually using the same criteria.
Contractors that meet the eligibility criteria will be identified on NYSERDA platforms (e.g., website) and listed as a NYSERDA Quality Home Contractor. These contractors will also be provided with a NYSERDA Quality Home Contractorlabel/logo to use in their own marketing and customer communications as a third-party differentiator and validation of their work quality.
With the addition of the QHC designation, we do not anticipate any other changes to the Quality Assurance inspection guidelines within the overarching Quality Assurance program for EmPower+.
Program/s: EmPower+ To: Participating Contractors Summary: Switching OTDA 2024 Projects with ASHP/GSHP to IRA Questions: Please contact Contractor Support at 1-800-284-9069.
If an OTDA eligible project meets ALL the following requirements, a contractor can request the NYHEP enrollment to be switched to an IRA funded project.
Enrollment Incentives exceed $20,000
Includes an ASHP/GSHP
Note requesting $5,000 expended Value Engineered Incentive
Review the current enrollment for IRA eligibility prior to completing work in NYHEP and BEFORE submitting for approval at Workscope Submission*. Follow the path based on IRA eligibility (A or B).
A.Customer Address Eligible for IRA field is Yes
1. Contractor: For each enrollment submit as support ticket and include
Enrollment ID
Reason for change “OTDA project exceeding cap, requesting change to IRA”
2. CLEAResult will review request and update NYHEP as needed
If necessary, roll back to Workscope Submission
3. Contractor: Review enrollment
Ensure IRA incentives are enabled
Rework project cost allocation
Indicate in notes that project is seeking the Value Engineered Incentives
*If the enrollment is currently in Workscope Review and the OTDA project exceeds $20,000, CLEAResult will automatically send the project back and include the instructions.
Program/s: All To: Participating Contractors Summary: Retail Point-of-Sale Program Survey for Single-Family contractors Contact with Questions: [email protected].
NYSERDA will be administering a Retail Point-of-Sale program using funds from the Inflation Reduction Act’s (IRA’s) Home Electrification and Appliance Rebate (HEAR) Program, with an anticipated October 2024 launch. We kindly ask our current Single-Family contractors to complete this short survey aimed at gauging interest in participating in the HEAR Retail Point-of-Sale program. Please Note: Completion of the survey will not automatically enroll contractors in this program.