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Tag: EmPower+

Heat Pump Water Heater/Natural Gas Clarification

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Program: EmPower+
To: EmPower+ Participating Contractors
Summary: Heat Pump Water Heater/Natural Gas Clarification
Contact with Questions: Contract support at (800) 284 – 9069 or email at support.residential@nyserda.ny.gov

Below is a clarification on the replacement of natural gas-fired domestic hot water heaters with Heat Pump Water Heaters. In the EmPower+ Program Manual, it was indicated that natural gas to Heat Pump Water Heaters was not eligible for Program incentives; however, this is an allowed measure through EmPower+.

If you have an open project that you wish to add a Heat Pump Water Heater to, please submit an email to support.residential@nyserda.ny.gov with the enrollment number and water heater details so the project can be rolled back to work scope submission.

Section 5.15 of the Program Manual has been updated to reflect this clarification.

If you have any questions, please contact Contractor Support at 800- 284–9069 or email at support.residential@nyserda.ny.gov.

NYSERDA Participating Contractor Heat Pump Training Series II

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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.

DateTopicPresenter
03/14/25 
Manual J – Overview, including inputs & data gathering 
-Take offs 		Matt Christie/TRC+ 
03/28/25 Equipment Selection/ Manual D & S (NEEP tool) 
-Determine design heating capacity, select equipment 
-Avoiding oversizing 
-When/how to use supplemental systems- guidelines of minimum size 		NYSERDA/Max Ciovacco or TRC – Manual D 
04/11/25 Over-sizing, Over-zoning, under-sizing with back up heat (5kw up to 20% of heating load) SWA – Robb Aldrich 
04/25/25   Design and placement of the system, Value engineering principles and practices TRC – Matt Christie 
05/09/25 Office Hours/feedback TRC – JJ Sawicki 
05/23/25 Ancillary/Miscellaneous –  
Exterior Equipment Placement 
Snow shields 
Condensate lines 
Dehumidification 
Avoiding mold growth in heads 
Manufacturer commissioning checklist 		TRC – Chrissy Thisse 
06/13/25 Using Manual J in Design- Putting it all together TRC – TBD

EmPower+ Vendor Agreement Changes

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Programs: EmPower+ 
To: Participating EmPower+ Appliance Vendors 
Summary: Vendor Agreement Changes 
Questions: If there are any questions or you would like to change your participation status send an email to empower.residential@nyserda.ny.gov 

The following changes have been made to the EmPower+ Appliance Vendor Agreement and are applicable to all current Vendors. These changes will become effective February 15, 2025. The Vendor Agreement can be reviewed in full in Section 2 of the Program Manual and should be reviewed in its entirety. For existing Vendors, no action is required on your part to continue your participation. 

Below is a summary of the changes: 

  • Section 2.C- Removed the “American-Made” requirement 
  • Section 2.U- Updated the Dispute Resolution Policy 
  • Added Exhibit A: Standard terms and Conditions  
  • Added 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 empower.residential@nyserda.ny.gov no later than February 28, 2025 

Energy Education and Project Look Back Updates 

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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.  

Participation Agreement Changes

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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 empower.residential@nyserda.ny.gov 

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 empower.residential@nyserda.ny.gov no later than January 20, 2025.