Programs: EmPower+ To: Participating Contractors Summary: Income Verification Updates Questions: 1-866-NYSMART
Updates to the EmPower+ Income Guidelines have been made and will be effective with the launch of My Energy for EmPower+.
Please review Section 3.6 in the Program Manual in its entirety.
Updates and clarifications include the following:
Address and Income Documentation
The address on all proof of income must match the application address
If a customer has recently moved, they need to provide either a lease with their name on it, deed, or a driver’s license/non-driver ID listing the application address as their address.
If an applicant provides multiple income documents to the Program, NYSERDA will use the most recent for purposes of determining income eligibility.
Full time Students
Full time students who are members of the household but who are not dependents of the applicant must list all sources of income. Loans (including student loans) will not be counted as income.
For students residing in rental housing, income documentation must be provided (income from student loans is excluded.)
Students who can be claimed as a dependent on another’s tax return are not considered part of the household for the rental unit, and any countable income would be counted at their parent/guardian’s home.
Households that consist solely of a single full time student occupant with no proof of income may be required to show proof of full-time student status.
If there are any questions, please contact application support at 1-866-NYSERDA.
Programs: EmPower+ To: Participating Contractors Summary: Energy Education and Project Look Back Updates Questions: Reach out to Contractor Support
Energy Education
Starting February 1, 2025, NYSERDA will cease to provide an incentive for energy education during the home energy assessment. Instead, NYSERDA will attach a link to the email notice for approved applications on different ways customers can save on their utility bills through actions they can take in their homes. The information is also mailed to potential applicants in the mailing to utility and OTDA referrals. The ability to claim the measure will be removed from NYHEP on February 1, 2025. This will impact enrollments submitted in NYHEP for Workscope Review for the first time on or after February 1, 2025.
Project Look back
Starting February 1, 2025, NYSERDA will reinstitute a project lookback for EmPower+ customers. Customers who have an approved EmPower+ application dated June 1, 2024, or later and completed a project up to Program incentive caps, will be required to wait one year from the NYHEP Funding Allocation date of their project before they can apply again to receive additional funding.
Contractors with projects that require over the current $5,000/10,000 from standard EmPower+ for moderate and low income incentives and the additional $14,000 from IRA funding (especially those requiring whole home insulation) are encouraged to submit their whole-home work scopes to NYSERDA for secondary reviews. Projects with an approved EmPower+ Application date prior to February 1, 2025, will be allowed to be completed.
These updates will be covered as part of the January 10, 2025, Contractor check in call. To register, please click here.
Programs: EmPower+ To: Participating Contractors Summary: Participation Agreement Changes Questions: If there are any questions or you would like to change your participation status send an email to [email protected]
The following changes have been made to the Residential Contractor Participation Agreement and are applicable to all current participating contractors. These changes are effective January 1, 2025. The Participation Agreement will be updated to reflect these changes and can be found in Section 2 of the Program Manual. For existing contractors, no action is required on your part to continue your participation.
Below is a summary of the PA Updates:
Sections 3.8 and 3.9: Added “The obligations of the Participating Contractor under this Section shall survive any expiration or termination of this Agreement.”
Section 4.4: Removed Post Termination Obligations
Section 7.2: Removed “To the greatest extent practicable, all equipment and products purchased with funds made available for the Program should be American made.”
Added Exhibit A “Standard Terms and Conditions for All NYSERDA Agreements” and Exhibit B “NYSERDA Prompt Payment Policy Statement”
Should you no longer wish to participate in the Program, or if you have any objection to continuing participation in the Program under these terms and conditions, please provide notice to NYSERDA by emailing [email protected] no later than January 20, 2025.
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.
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.