Program Announcements from 6/12/2025 to 6/25/2025

Program/s: EmPower+, Residential Energy Assessments, Comfort Home 
To: Participating Contractors 
Summary: Monthly Contractor Update 
Contact with Questions: residential.programs@nyserda.ny.gov  

NYSERDA Home Modernization Monthly Contractor Webinar   
Friday, July 11, 2025 
8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. ET
 
Webinar number: 2538 916 5659
Event Password: Energy1

All attendees must register prior to joining the event. This process will allow you to add the meeting to your calendar and provides each individual with a custom link to join the meeting. Please do not share your link with anyone. To register, please click here. 

All webinars are recorded and links to the recordings are available on the Contractor Support site. 

Program/s: EmPower+, Residential Energy Assessments, Comfort Home
To: Participating Contractors 
Summary: Training Videos – Installing a Cold-Climate Air Source Heat Pump
Contact with Questions: wfinfo@nyserda.ny.gov

NYSERDA is pleased to announce a new series of videos and a supplementary course created in collaboration with industry experts at Steven Winter Associates (SWA). For new learners or as a refresher, these videos demonstrate the critical steps for a top-quality installation of a cold-climate air source heat pump for good performance and happy customers.

The stand-alone videos and accompanying course take a close look at the installation of an inverter-driven cold-climate air source heat pump in a New York home, with a deeper dive course offered through the SWA Academy, free to New Yorkers. The videos in the series run two to five minutes each and can easily be viewed on a desktop or mobile device in the office or in the field and focus on the key installation steps below:

1. Planning
2. Installing the Indoor Unit
3. Installing the Outdoor Unit
4. Line Set Covers
5. Condensate
6. Line Sets
7. Flare Connections
8. Pressure Testing
9. Evacuation
10. Charging
11. Electrical
12. Startup
13. Odds and Ends
14. Handoff

There are two ways to watch:

Program/s: EmPower+, Residential Energy Assessments, Comfort Home
To: Participating Contractors
Summary: NYSERDA Participating Contractor Heat Pump Training Series II
Contact with Questions: max.ciovacco@nyserda.ny.gov 

NYSERDA Heat Pump Training Series 
Fridays 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. ET 
To register for the series, please click here.

Please reach out to Contractor Support at 1-800-284-9069 with any questions

Program/s: EmPower+ 
To: EmPower+ Participating Contractors and Hubs
Summary: Updates to Multi-Unit Enrollment Submissions
Contact: Contractor Support at 1-800-284-9069 or support.residential@nyserda.ny.gov

Updates have been made to the requirements for EmPower+ multi-unit enrollment submissions in the New York Home Energy Portal (NYHEP). The updates are as follows:

• Measures must be specific to the individual unit and modeled on the unit that is receiving the benefit of the installed measure.
• NYHEP modeling should be accurate to the unit, not the entire building.
• All units in a multi-unit building should be submitted at the same time, and addresses should be accurate, including unit numbers where applicable. Any additional information contractors can provide is encouraged to be included. This will ensure a comprehensive project is proposed for the whole property, and limit processing delays.

This was discussed during the monthly contractor webinar on June 6th. Please reach out to Contractor Support at 1-800-284-9069 with any questions.

Programs: EmPower+
To: Participating Contractors; Clean Energy Hubs
Summary: Building Type and Unit Numbers
Questions: If there are any questions, please contact 1-866-NYSERDA

For two- to four-family homes, the EmPower+ program has identified a significant number of enrollments with incorrect, missing, or mismatching building type and/or unit numbers. It is important that these fields are correct as they impact NYSERDA’s mandatory reporting requirements. An example of incorrect building type can include an application with a building type listed as “single-family” and an address indicator of “Unit-2”.

It is understood that many of these are the result of applicants incorrectly identifying the building type or omitting unit numbers. NYSERDA is asking for Clean Energy Hubs and Participating Contractors working with applicants to ensure these fields are correct prior to application submission.

In the event an incorrect building type or unit number is encountered, please take action per the project stage as follows:

Stage: Application Not Approved

• For applications that have not been approved, in Salesforce: Navigate to application Step 1, enter unit number under Address 2 and amend property type at the bottom of step 1

Stage: Application Approved, Workscope Not Submitted

• Email info.residential@nyserda.ny.gov with the updates so the processing team can update in the portal on your behalf. Provide the unit/apartment number, how many units are in the building, and if any of those units have existing applications (if known)

Stage: Workscope Submission

Updating Building Type

1. Open the enrollment workflow, and navigate to the Workscope Submission Step.
2. Open the Existing Conditions tab.
3. In the Dwelling Information section, update the “Dwelling Type” using the dropdown menu.

4. Click Save. 
5. Add a note explaining that the dwelling type was updated. Save the note.

Stage: Workscope Submission

Updating Unit/Apt/Floor Numbers

1. Open the enrollment workflow and navigate to the Workscope Submission Step.
2. Open the Applicant Information tab.
3. In the Installation Address section, enter the appropriate unit/apt/floor number in the Unit Field.

4. In the Mailing Address section, enter the appropriate unit/apt/floor number in the Unit field.

5. Click Save.

6. While still in the Workscope Submission Step, open the Notes tab and enter a note that the unit/apartment/floor number was updated. Save the note.

OR

7. Email support.residential@nyserda.ny.gov or call Contractor Support to request that the team update the customer’s account to show the correct unit/apartment/floor number.

Programs: EmPower+, Weatherization Assistance Program
To: Participating Contractors; Clean Energy Hubs
Summary: Combined EmPower+/WAP Application
Questions: If there are any questions, please contact 1-866-NYSERDA

NYSERDA and New York State Homes and Community Renewal have made available an updated joint application to allow for households to apply to both EmPower+ and Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) using a single application. Contractors with households looking to apply for both programs should begin using this updated version immediately. The application can be found in Section 3 of the Program Manual. This joint application is only available in hardcopy and must be mailed in for processing to the address on the cover page.

Program will continue to accept previous versions of the joint application through the end of June.

Beginning July 1, 2025, only the updated version of the application will be accepted.

If there are any questions, please reach out to 1-866-NYSERDA

Program/s: EmPower+, Appliance Upgrade (AUP) 
To: EmPower+ Participating Contractors
Summary: Updates to QMS Inspection Checklist
Contact with Questions: david.houle@nyserda.ny.gov

The EmPower+ and Appliance Upgrade Program Quality Assurance (QA) inspection checklists have been updated to include verification that electrical work requiring a permit and inspection by the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) have been completed.

For example, in homes where a panel upgrade was provided the inspectors will be looking for a sticker on the new panel, indicating the equipment has been inspected. Should the AHJ inspection sticker not be affixed to the new electrical equipment at the time of the QA inspection the installing contactor or customer can provide evidence a permit was obtained and the AHJ inspection is pending.

Please note that section 5.15 of the EmPower+ Program Manual includes Permits as an enabling measure.  The updated checklist is now available on the contractor support site.

Sincerely,

The Quality and Market Standards Team

No Announcements

Program/s: Comfort Home 
To: Comfort Home Participating Contractors
Summary: Program Updates
Contact with Questions: Keith.bohling@nyserda.ny.gov

Revised Comfort Home incentives went into effect on June 1st:

1. Completing a blower door test at the time of assessment qualifies contractors for an additional $100 incentive.  On the Existing Conditions page, be sure to select “Yes” for Pre-Work Blower Door Test Complete? and select that measure on the Measures page.
2. A new Comfort Home Fact Sheet is available for download from Comfort Home SharePoint site and the Comfort Home Resources page on the Contractor Support site at https://hpwescontractorsupport.com
3. A new Comfort Home Program Manual is available for download from Comfort Home SharePoint site and the Comfort Home Resources page on the Contractor Support site at https://hpwescontractorsupport.com.  Page 3 contains a list of the changes made in this version.
4. Minimum production requirements ensure that participating contractors are familiar with offering the program to the customers, proficient with the workflow, and aren’t creating excessive support needs.  In 2025, Participating Contractors are required to complete a minimum of 12 projects.  Starting January 1, 2026, Participating Contractors are required to complete a minimum of 24 projects per year.  For Participating Contractors performing work in both Comfort Home and EmPower+, projects completed in either program count toward the minimum production requirement.
5. After a standard load reduction package is completed in the home, the participating contractor will conduct a post-work blower door test, then enter the installation details into NYHEP and produce a Comfort Home Post-Install Measure Report for discussion and signature by the customer. The contractor must keep a copy of the signed Post-Work Completion Form on file for audit or inspection.
6. Contact information for Comfort Home support is now the same as for REA and EmPower+.
   • Call:  800-284-9069
   • Email: support.residential@nyserda.ny.gov
   • On the Contractor Support site, use the Web Chat or Book Appointment links.

No Announcements