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Tag: Announcement

New Date for Contractor Portal Launch

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To: Contractors and Stakeholders
Regarding Programs: EmPower New York & Assisted Home Performance
Summary: New Date for Contractor Portal Launch
Contact: Please contact your Account Manager

NYSERDA would like to inform you that the launch of the New York Home Energy Portal (NYHEP) and EmPower+ has been delayed and will not be released on July 10, 2023. This modified timeline will allow additional time to address any remaining technology challenges and ensure an improved crossover experience from the current portal (Uplight) to NYHEP. Additional information will be provided on the June 2, 2023, monthly contractor check-in webinar.

We recognize this postponement may cause some inconvenience to participating contractors and vendors; however, it is necessary in order to ensure a smooth system transition. Prior to the transition, we encouraged you to close out as much in-progress work as possible to minimize the impacts of this transition.

To help ensure contractor staff are fully prepared for the transition, we will take advantage of the additional time to provide additional training opportunities and office hours in the upcoming weeks to allow contractors more time to experience the new system, to answer questions, and ensure all impacted contractor staff have sufficient time to become familiar with the new system before the transition. A sandbox version of the NYHEP will remain open through July, allowing contractors to practice on sample projects and attend open ended Office hours to address any issues that may be found. If additional support is needed, contractors are encouraged to reach out to their account managers for assistance.

We recognize this postponement may cause some inconveniences to participating contractors; however, it is necessary in order to ensure a smoother system transition.

Additional Training and Office Hours are scheduled in May to allow contractors more time to experience the new system and ensure all impacted contractor staff have sufficient time to become familiar with the new system before the transition. A sandbox version of the NYHEP will be available April 10 through June, allowing contractors to submit sample projects and attend Open Office hours to address any issues that may be found.

Our current NYHEP launch timeline is as follows:

For EmPower/Assisted Home Performance Projects:

  • 6/23/23- Applications in Salesforce will be held for the new portal
  • 7/7/23- Contractor Access to Uplight is closed- All projects must be updated by 5 PM
  • 7/10/23- NY Home Energy Portal Opens, Applications previously held from Salesforce will migrate to NYHEP
  • 7/12/23- Payment of all closed projects from Uplight
  • 7/17/23- Projects from Uplight with status of project acceptance, audit claim or earlier will be available in NYHEP at enrollment acceptance step.
  • 7/18/23- Payment begins of projects completed in NYHEP
  • 7/28/23 Remaining open projects from Uplight available in NYHEP
  • 9/1/23-References to EmPower and Assisted Home Performance on websites and printed materials must be updated for EmPower+
  • 9/11/23- Last day for accepting the Combined Residential Application paper version.

For Residential Energy Assessments:

  • 7/7/23- Contractor Access to Uplight is closed- All completed assessments must be submitted by 5 PM
  • 7/10/23- NY Home Energy Portal Opens for new energy assessment submissions
  • 7/12/23- Payment of all closed projects from Uplight
  • 7/18/23- Payment begins for assessments completed in NYHEP

If you have any questions about this transition, please contact your account manager (for EmPower and AHP contractors) or [email protected] (for REA contractors).

IRA Working Group

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To: Contractors and Stakeholders
Regarding Programs: EmPower New York & Assisted Home Performance
Summary: IRA Working Group
Contact: Please contact [email protected]

NYSERDA will be administering funding from the Inflation Reduction Act to help electrify and make home electrification ready. As part of this process, NYSERDA will be engaging with participating contractors on program design and outreach strategies through the IRA working group. This group with meet 4 times on a bimonthly basis starting in May. If you are interested in being considered for this group, please email Scott Oliver at [email protected] .

Correction to the BPI Certifications Announcement

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To: Contractors and Stakeholders
Regarding Programs: EmPower New York & Assisted Home Performance
Summary: Correction to the BPI Certifications Announcement
Contact: Please contact your Account Manager

Correction to the BPI Certifications Announcement.

In the original announcement, it was stated that BA-P will replace the BPI Envelope certification, it should have stated BA-T. The announcement below has been updated to reflect the correct certification.

BPI new certifications and Program requirements

Building Performance Institute (BPI) will be replacing the BPI Building Analyst (BA) and BPI Envelope Professional certifications with the BPI Building Analyst Technician (BA-T) and the BPI Building Analyst Professional (BA-P) in early 2023.

Due to these changes, starting January 1, 2023, NYSERDA’s Single Family Residential Programs will continue to accept the BPI BA and Envelope certifications until the certification’s expiration date. When an individual’s certifications expire, they will be required to hold one of the BPI certifications listed in the program manual to perform energy assessments and BA-T will replace BPI Envelope as the requirement for a contractor to do building shell work.

If you have any questions on certifications, please contact your account manager.

Certification requirements to complete energy assessments in the Single Family Residential Programs

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To: Contractors
Regarding Programs: All Residential Programs
Summary: Certification requirements to complete energy assessments in the Single Family Residential Programs
Contact: Please reach out to your account manager

Starting April 1, 2023, NYSERDA will require that all contractor staff completing energy assessments through EmPower+ will be required to hold at least one of the following certifications. This will continue to be a requirement of the Residential Energy Assessment and Comfort Home Programs.

  • BPI Building Analyst
  • BPI Building Analyst Technician
  • BPI Energy Auditor
  • BPI Multifamily Building Analyst
  • AEE Certified Energy Auditor
  • ASHRAE- Building Energy Assessment Professional
  • HERS Rater
  • LEED Rater
  • ICP Quality Assurance (QA) Assessor

If you have any questions, please reach out to your account manager.

Refrigerator/Freezer Deliveries

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To: Contractors and Stakeholders
Regarding Programs: EmPower New York & Assisted Home Performance
Summary: Refrigerator/Freezer Deliveries
Contact: If you have any questions, please reach out to your account manager or contact us at [email protected].

When discussing no-cost refrigerators/freezer replacements with EmPower households, Participating Contractors should make their customers aware at the time of the energy assessment that the delivery of refrigerators/freezers could be delayed.

Program staff have been informed by Participating Vendors that supply chain issues are impacting the availability of certain makes and models of refrigerators/freezers. In some cases, it could take 2 to 6 months before the vendor receives the unit from the manufacturer.

Participating Contractors should set expectations with the household that appliances may be delayed. If a household reaches out to a Participating Contractor regarding their appliance delivery, please remind the customer of the delays discussed above. If the appliance was ordered more than 90 days ago, the household can request additional information regarding their appliance by calling the customer support line 1-877-697-6278. If you have any questions, please reach out to your account manager or contact us at [email protected].