NYSERDA - Grants for Public and Non-Profit Energy Conservation Projects

April 28, 2010

Summary

The New York State Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) has issued a competitive grant solicitation for energy conservation projects undertaken by municipal governments; public schools (K-12); public colleges and universities; public and private hospitals; and non-profits. Funding for the grant program comes from State Energy Program project implementation funds provided to New York under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Eligible projects include energy efficiency improvements, on-site renewable energy projects, and clean vehicle fleet projects. Details of the program as it applies to each sector are below.

• Energy Efficiency: Funding is available for up 100% of project costs with a maximum of $1 million. Total projects costs must be less than $900 per 10 million BTUs of energy saved annually. Eligible measures include lighting, heating and cooling, building envelope improvements, combined heat and power (CHP), motors, building or facility optimization, geothermal technologies and other energy efficiency equipment.
• Renewable Energy: Funding is available for up to 100% of project costs with a maximum of $1 million. Total project costs must be less than $8,000 per 10 million BTUs of energy generated or saved annually. In addition, projects must be located on the customer's premises, be used primarily to serve on-site energy needs, and be designed such that energy generation does not exceed annual on-site energy consumption. Solar electric (PV); wind energy systems; solar domestic hot water and space heating; high efficiency, indoor, wood-fueled boilers; and fuel cell systems are all eligible for grants. PV systems must be 50 kilowatts (kW) or less, must use NYSERDA approved equipment and be installed by a NABCEP certified NYSERDA (or LIPA) approved installer. Wind equipment must be 20 kW or less, be approved by NYSERDA, and be installed by a NYSERDA (or LIPA) approved installer. Wood-fueled boilers must meet a minimum thermal efficiency standard of 83%.
• Clean Vehicle Fleets: Funding is available or up 75% of project costs with a maximum of $500,000. Total project costs must be less than $5,000 per 10 million BTUs of energy saved annually. Eligible measures include a variety of light, medium, and heavy duty alternative fuel vehicles; fueling, refueling, and recharging equipment for alternative-fuel vehicles; and anti-idling equipment.

A total of $74 million was originally scheduled to be available for grants under this program with specific amounts allocated to different regions. As of Round 3 solicitation, a total of roughly $8.3 million in funding remained for projects within two regions: New York City and Western New York. Grants are scheduled to be awarded competitively in up to four rounds of solicitations for as long as funding lasts. Application deadlines for each round are as follows:

• Round One: August 24, 2009
• Round Two: November 23, 2009
• Round Three: April 7, 2010
• Round Four: TBD (pending funding availability)

Projects that already have a fully executed contract to be funded or partially funded by other NYSERDA programs (e.g., the Customer-Sited Tier renewable energy incentives programs) or any utility funded program, are not eligible for funding under this grant program, nor is new construction or new construction commissioning. Please see the Request for Proposals (RFP) for a detailed list of ineligible activities, additional program criteria, and application materials.