Do you live in a natural gas constrained area? Now may be a great time for a free Clean Heating and Cooling screening! NYSERDA’s Clean Heating and Cooling screening provides the information needed for building managers to evaluate the feasibility of Air Source Heat Pump (ASHP), Ground Source Heat Pump (GSHP) and Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) technologies. NYSERDA is here to assist you in finding ways to reduce energy usage and costs in this tumultuous time.

In these uncertain times, it is hard to imagine the return to normalcy. As buildings sit empty and economic conditions remain uncertain, it may be a good time to do an energy study and look into ways you can save money and reduce energy through energy conservation measures.

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) is providing free Clean Heating and Cooling (CHC) technology screenings via a select group of consultants. The CHC Screening evaluates HVAC systems and provides high-level feasibility (energy and economic) results to the customer. It provides a feasibility analysis of Air Source Heat Pump (ASHP), Ground Source Heat Pump (GSHP) and Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) technologies without having the consultant on site. The screenings can be completed 100% remote.

Here’s how it works: the consultant, who is an engineering professional with an understanding of CHC technologies, will send you an email that includes a list of data points necessary to conduct a screening. Subsequently, the consultant will schedule a kick-off call to fill in any gaps in the data and fill you in on the process and the timeline. The consultant is there to work with you to make sure that the data inputs are as accurate as possible, the more detail in the inputs, the more detailed the outputs and recommendations will be. NYSERDA has a list of recommended consultants to work with, including Gotham 360 partnering with EME Group.

After the data is gathered, the consultant will generate a final report and set up a debrief with you to discuss the results of the screening and next steps. The report will provide a snapshot of potential energy savings, Greenhouse Gas (GHG) impacts, project costs, payback, and technology recommendations. The reports can be very helpful in determining your next steps forward towards energy efficiency.

If you’ve been affected by a natural gas moratorium that went into effect in parts of Westchester County in March 2019, there is even more of an incentive to act quickly to implement efficiency measures or electrification to move away from the usage of natural gas. Approximately, $250 million dollars in funding has been allocated to the Clean Energy Plan to provide immediate relief to the county’s businesses and residents impacted by Con Edison’s moratorium. These funds are available to assist you with the screening tool mentioned above, as well as other options for your facility, to evaluate and deploy energy conservation measures in affected areas.

Program assistance will be focused on reducing dependence on natural gas via efficiency and/or electrification. We have access to an implementation assistance cost share, to help you bridge the gap between energy study and the implementation of energy conservation measures. The implementation assistance is a 50% cost-share on activities including:

• Provide detailed technical support for decisions regarding the purchase of energy-efficient equipment
• Prepare documents to facilitate the implementation of energy conservation measures
• Identify eligible implementation incentives (utility or NYSERDA Clean Heating and Cooling (CHC) offerings), or financing options such as Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) and NYSERDA Green Jobs Green New York (GJGNY) financing

Virtual screenings are a great way to adapt to the so-called “new normal”. With this new option, building managers can assess their clean energy options from the comforts of their own home and plan for the implementation of clean heating and cooling measures. NYSERDA is here to assist you with the Clean Heating and Cooling screenings, bridging the gap between energy study and implementation, and with funding options.

Contact us for more information regarding this opportunity!