Maybe it”™s the oil. Maybe it”™s altruism. Green is hot.
But figuring out what to do and how to pay for going green isn”™t easy.
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) helps by providing technical assistance such as building audits and low-interest loans and grants.
Patrice Courtney, coordinator of the Mid-Hudson Energy Smart Communities, a regional arm of NYSERDA, explained some of the ways NYSERDA can help at a recent meeting of the New Paltz Regional Chamber of Commerce.
According to Courtney, the U.S. comprises 5 percent of the world”™s population, but it accounts for 25 percent of the world”™s oil consumption. In 2005, buildings accounted for 40 percent of energy consumption. Vehicles consumed 28 percent.
Courtney said businesses can take advantage of the “low-hanging fruit” by buying Energy Star rated lighting and energy-efficient office equipment, turning off lights and computers at night, using setback thermostats, insulating pipes and ceilings and upgrading and maintaining heating and cooling systems.
NYSERDA”™s Energy Smart program has a five-year budget of $875 million, which is funded by a fee added onto utility bills.
Courtney said that besides promoting energy efficiency, the program also aims to spur economic development by making energy costs more affordable for small businesses, which then can reinvest the savings, encouraging development of renewable energy, such as solar, wind, and geothermal, and creating jobs (two examples would be home energy auditors and solar installers).
Courtney said one case study was the town of Greenburgh, which faced rising energy costs and intense development pressure. Five years ago, the town council passed a law requiring all new homes to be Energy Star certified. The town also hired a part-time energy conservation coordinator to assist developers and monitor the new building.
Courtney said NYSERDA has hosted energy seminars targeted at architects, engineers and home owners. It has worked on municipal photovoltaic installations and also tries to help municipalities leverage its incentives with other state and federal funds, such as Main Street grants.
For a fee ranging from $100 to $400, depending on electrical usage, NYSERDA will conduct an energy audit for any small-business owner, nonprofit, house of worship or municipality that pays $75,000 or less in energy bills a year. Courtney handed out the audit results from a 5,500-square-foot pizzeria. The chart compared the cost of installing more efficient lighting, improving the air conditioning, installing programmable thermostats, and replacing the electric booster heater with a gas-fired booster, with the annual savings, energy savings and time of payback the changes brought about. The improvements cost a total of $15,284, with an annual savings in energy costs of $5,806 ”“ translating to a three-year payback on investment. In some instances, the payback is two-and-a-half years.
NYSERDA audits typically find an 8 percent to 23 percent savings on total annual heating and electricity costs, Courtney said.
Once a business completes an audit, it can apply for rebates on light fixtures through the Energy Smart program. Low-interest loans are also available for energy improvements. The Energy Smart loan fund provides up to $1.5 million in financing per project. More than 100 New York banks participate in the loan program, with payback stretched over 10 years.
Courtney also outlined some of the incentives for building green. She said building-related illnesses have been estimated to cost $60 billion a year in annual productivity losses. Buildings with efficient energy and water systems can save up to 50 percent in operating costs, and indoor environments that feature ample natural lighting and use of non-toxic materials can improve employee productivity by 16 percent.
To qualify for NYSERDA assistance, architects or contractors should submit their plans early, before the schematic design stage, said Courtney. NYSERDA will pay for the first $5,000 in technical assistance for designs that exceed the standard energy code and pay 50 percent on additional expenses, up to $100,000 ($150,000 for custom measures). It will pay up to 60 percent of the difference in costs for implementing energy efficient systems and products over the standard and 10 percent more if the project is certified LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). The amount of incentives is limited to $500,000 per applicant.
Courtney displayed a chart showing the features of Energy Star homes, such as those that the town of Greenburgh is now requiring. They include enhanced insulation and air sealing, energy saving lights and appliances, high efficiency doors and windows, and high efficiency heating and cooling systems.
Before being certified, the homes are tested and inspected by a specialist called a home energy rater (HER). “Think of the home as a system,” Courtney said. “It”™s tested as a system.” The HER rating of the home is compared with the national Model Energy code; buildings that score 86 on the rating qualify as Energy Star. Such homes save 30 percent on the typical energy bill, Courtney said.
Existing homes also qualify for NYSERDA incentives, including low-interest loans or a 10 percent cash back, under the Home Performance program, Courtney said. Qualified contractors are listed at www.GetEnergySmart.org. Contractors, who are certified by the Building Performance Institute, use a blower door test to identify air leaks. A home assessment takes from three to four hours.
Courtney said additional assistance is available to owners or renters whose income is below 80 percent of the state median. (The New York family-dependent median-income scale begins at $41,554.)
NYSERDA also provides assistance on installation of solar energy systems. Courtney said the potential for solar energy is huge. New York City receives 1642 full sun hours per year. That”™s more than the amount in the two countries that are in the forefront of photovoltaic installations: Germany gets 1500 full-sun hours, while Japan gets 1175.
She said a PV system installed in a home in Westchester County produced 8.16 KW of electricity, covering 72 percent of the owner”™s electricity needs and avoiding 14,000 pounds of carbon emissions.
Courtney said a 5 KW system, adequate for a 2,000-square-foot home, costs $41,500. However, after figuring in all the NYSERDA incentives, the system would cost $14,500 and pay for itself in 10 years.
