Program Announcements from 1/29/2026 to 2/12/2026

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, February 6, 2026
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.

Programs: EmPower+
To: Participating Contractors; Clean Energy Hubs
Summary: Pending Program Changes
Questions: If there are any questions, please contact 1-866-NYSERDA

In accordance with the New York State Department of Public Service Energy’s Low-to Moderate-Income Efficiency & Building Electrification (EE/BE) Order and as part of NYSERDA’s efforts to maintain program continuity and ensure equitable access to incentives, the Empower+ Program will be making a number of updates currently planned for release in mid-March of 2026.

NYSERDA will be providing an overview of these changes as part of the monthly Home Modernization webinar, which will be held at 8:30 a.m. on February 6, 2026. If you are interested in attending, please complete the registration link. If you cannot make the webinar, a recoded copy will be made available on the contractor support site.

Programs: Comfort Home
To: All Comfort Home Contractors
Summary: Program Announcements
Contact with Questions: Keith Bohling

1. Pilot/Program Manual Update

The January 2026 Comfort Home Pilot Program Manual is now available from the NYSERDA program support website at https://hpwescontractorsupport.com/.  At the top, point to Program Resources then click on Comfort Home Resources.  The Pilot/Program manual is available as the first link on that page.  Page 4 includes a list of the changes made in this version.

2. Contract Requirements

Please ensure that your process is aligned with the Comfort Home requirements.  Section 3.3 of the Pilot Program Manual states that:

Participating Contractors are free to use their own standard contract; however, any contract must be signed and dated by both the Participating Contractor and the homeowner/representative. The signed contract must be submitted to the Program. The Electronic Signature Policy is shown in Appendix A. The contract must include:

·         Total job cost

·         Comfort Home incentive labeled as “NYSERDA Comfort Home”

·         Other incentives (if applicable)

·         Net customer cost

The signed contract needs to align with approved work scope and be signed prior to the start of work. Any work scope changes from the contract must be included in a change order or new contract.

An invoice signed after the work is completed does not meet the program requirements.

3. Suggestion: Use a Note to describe project conditions and scope

A best practice that some contractors have adopted is proactively entering a note that in just a few sentences explains in plain English what’s happening in the home.  This note can help the reviewers easily understand the project and can significantly help when troubleshooting is needed.  Here are a few examples of actual notes from recent projects:

• Attic is fully insulated and air sealed. Proposing to spray foam basement rim joist with 2″ CCF (R-14). Submitting for package A, $2,500 incentive.
• Attic flat is fully insulated with R-49 of cellulose insulation. Proposing to spray foam basement rim joist with 2″ CCF (R-14). Proposing to dense pack all exterior walls with 4″ of cellulose (R-14). Submitting for package B, $3,000 incentive.
• Proposing to air seal all attic penetrations and open blow attic space with an additional 12″ of cellulose (R-42) over existing R-21 batts to bring attic insulation above an R-49. Proposing to spray foam basement rim joist and crawlspace foundation walls with 2″ CCF (R-14). Submitting for package A, $2,500 incentive.

4. Case Study Opportunity

NYSERDA is looking for your most impactful projects with happy customers to be featured in a few case studies.  We’re looking for projects to highlight the benefits for contractors and customers to participate in Comfort Home.  Case studies are no longer a static PDF file – they are colorful stories with photos, quotes, and can include video.  If you have a candidate project, please email details to Keith Bohling at Keith.Bohling@nyserda.ny.gov. 

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