Description

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) released PON 1101 on February 26, 2007, establishing a wide variety of incentives for energy efficiency through their Enhanced Commercial/Industrial Performance Program. This program offers three tiers of financial incentives for energy efficiency projects. The first tier (formerly Smart Equipment Choices) offers eligible customers financial incentives for the purchase and installation of pre-qualified electric and gas energy efficiency measures. The second tier offers eligible customers financial incentives for energy efficiency improvements based upon a technical engineering analysis. The third tier (formerly Commercial/Industrial Performance Program) offers performance-based incentives to contractors for energy efficiency projects in eligible utility service territories, and for CHP Systems in the Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc, electric service territory.

Tier I provides prescriptive rebates for a variety of pre-qualified equipment to be used in either new or existing commercial, industrial, institutional, agricultural, governmental and multifamily buildings. The rebates are limited to a maximum of $10,000 for electric equipment and $25,000 for gas equipment.

Tier II offers rebates on for custom measures based upon kilowatt-hours (kWh) saved or therms saved for the installation of energy efficiency measures after performing a technical engineering analysis of the electric or gas energy savings of the efficiency project as determined by NYSERDA. The rebate amount is $0.02 per kWh saved for electric efficiency measures, capped at $100,000 or 75% of project cost. ConEd natural gas customers can recieve a rebate of $1.50 per therm saved, capped at $500,000 or 75% of project cost. National Fuel gas customers with an annual demand of 12,000 Mcf or less are eligible for a rebate of $40 per Mcf saved, capped at $25,000 or 50% of the project cost.

Tier III awards performance-based incentives to Energy Service Companies (ESCOs) for implementing cost-effective energy efficiency measures and CHP systems that deliver verifiable energy and demand savings through measurement and verification. The incentive provided for gas efficiency measures is $2.00 per therm saved, and electric efficiency measures can yield between $0.05 and $0.20 per kWh saved, depending on the type of equipment. Bonus incentives are provided to Con Edison customers who reduce the summer on-peak demand through an efficiency measure or CHP.

See the program website and corresponding applications and manuals for complete details and restrictions. As of July 30, 2007, $33 million remained for energy efficiency improvements, and $11.5 million remained for CHP.