Program Announcement from 7/11/2024 to 7/25/2024

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

NYSERDA Single Family Programs Update

Friday, July 12, 2024

8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. ET

Webinar number: 2534 916 7188
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.

Programs: EmPower+
To: Participating Contractors
Summary: Heat Pump Additional Incentive Requirement Change
Questions: Please contact Contractor Support at 1-800-284-9069.

For heat pump projects where the Participating Contractor is looking for the additional incentive, there has been an update to the requirements for existing ducted systems.

In Section 5.10 of the Program Manual under Additional Incentive Project Requirements, the existing language for: 2. Static pressure test for existing ductwork as per ANSIRESNETACCA_310-2020_v7.1.pdf. is being replaced with the following: 2. For existing ducted systems, accurate measurements of the supply/return and any runoffs from those plenums is required. Along with the measurements, we will need proof that the new system will work effectively with the existing ductwork by providing us with ductolator or equivalent measurements based off the CFM of the proposed unit and the size of the existing ductwork. For test out, we will require static pressure testing of the system with the new unit in place.

If there are any questions, please contact Contractor Support at 1-800-284-9069.

Program/s: EmPower+
To: Participating Contractors
Summary: EmPower+ Project Contract Requirement
Questions: Please contact Contractor Support at 1-800-284-9069.

Effective August 1, 2024, Participating Contractors must generate a project contract for all EmPower+ projects, even if the Program is paying for 100% of the project cost. Contracts must be drafted in accordance with the requirements set forth in the Residential Contractor Participation Agreement in Section 2.3 of the Program Manual.  A copy of the contract must be included as part of the final project submission paperwork. Program will be reviewing this in more detail on the July 12 contractor check-in webinar. Section 8.1 will be added to the Program Manual and will provide an overview of the project paperwork required for each project type.

If there are any questions, please contact Contractor Support at 1-800-284-9069.

Program/s: EmPower+
To: Participating Contractors
Summary: OTDA/IRA Assignment
Questions: If there are any questions on the application process, please call us at 1-866-NYSERDA. For project related questions, please contact contractor support at 1-800-284-9069.  

Enrollments are being created in the New York Home Energy Portal (NYHEP) from NYSERDA Portal applications with “Yes” selected for both Customer Address Eligible for IRA and Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) eligible. This designation is being automatically assigned by the NYSERDA Portal. Until this is resolved, Enrollments with these designations will be considered to be OTDA projects with a maximum incentive amount of $20,000.

OTDA projects are determined based on the information provided during the application process and projects cannot be switched from OTDA to IRA HEAR funding. At the work scope review stage, these projects will include the following note to the contractor:

“This is an OTDA enrollment with a Maximum Incentive of $20,000. OTDA projects are determined based on the information provided during the application process. Projects cannot be switched from OTDA to IRA.”  

NYSERDA is internally tracking OTDA spending and once it is determined that sufficient enrollments are in process to fully commit the budget, future enrollments will stop getting assigned as OTDA.

If there are any questions on the application process, please call us at 1-866-NYSERDA. For project related questions, please contact contractor support at 1-800-284-9069.  

Program/s: EmPower+
To: Participating Contractors
Summary: EmPower+ Program Manual Updates
Questions: For project related questions, please contact contractor support at 1-800-284-9069.  

EmPower+ Program Manual Updates

Along with the launch of the IRA Hear incentives comes an important policy change with heat pumps. Effective June 24, 2024, and in alignment with New York’s priority to ensure energy affordability for low-income households, homes that heat with delivered fuels and electric resistance heating will be prioritized for funding in the initial rollout of IRA HEAR Rebates as they present the most advantageous economic case for conversion to heat pumps. As a result, IRA HEAR heat pump incentives will not initially be available for homes with natural gas as the primary existing heating fuel. NYSERDA will continue to assess this policy and provide updates as indicated by evolving market conditions.

The program team reviewed the updated heat pump rules along with the heat pump submission process during the June 21 Single Family Residential Program webinar. A recording of the webinar and Q&A document will be posted here once available. These changes have been captured as part of Section 5.10 of the Program Manual.

If there are any questions, please contact contractor support at 1-800-284-9069 or submit a case to support.residential@nyserda.ny.gov.

No Announcements

No Announcements

No Announcements

Program/s: EmPower+ Contractors
To: EmPower+ Contractors
Summary: Launching of Quality Home Contractor
Contact with Questions:  Amy Kasson-Muzio

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.

Final criteria for determining which contractors will receive NYSERDA’s QHC designation are still under development. The likely eligibility criteria are:

• Must be an active full status EmPower+ contractors,
• 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.

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+. 

Sincerely,
 The Standards and Quality Assurance Team