FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
• New Construction Program • Eligibility and Participation • New Construction Program Assistance • Application Questions • NCP Technical Assistance Services • Incentives • Green Buildings • New Construction Program Process
NEW CONSTRUCTION PROGRAM (NCP)
What is the New Construction Program’s (NCP) objective?
The New Construction Program’s objective is to affect a permanent transformation in the way buildings are designed and constructed. The NCP meets this objective by providing technical assistance and financial incentives to design teams and building owners. NCP offers direct Technical Assistance (TA) design incentives, incentive, and capital cost incentives based on improved building energy efficiency performance. Incentives are also available for building commissioning services, green buildings, peak load reduction, energy benchmarking and advanced solar and daylighting systems.
What is the source of funding for the NCP?
Funding for the NCP comes from a Systems Benefits Charge paid by the electriccustomers of certain investor-owned utilities in New York State.
How long is the NCP available?
The current round of the NCP (PON 913) is available on a first-come, first-served basis until December 31, 2005, or until funding in the program is exhausted, whichever comes first
ELIGIBILITY AND PARTICIPATION
1. What types of projects are eligible for incentives?
The following two types of building projects are eligible for incentives under the program: NEW CONSTRUCTION PROJECT: A New Construction Project is one where a licensed professional architect or engineer has prepared and certified the building plans for a new building, or a portion within a new building; and/or SUBSTANTIAL RENOVATION PROJECT: A Substantial Renovations Project is one where a licensed professional architect or engineer has prepared and certified the building plans for: A change of use and reconstruction of an existing building or space within; or • Construction work of a nature requiring that the building or space within be out of service for at least 30 consecutive days (if only part of the building or space is out of service for at least 30 days, approval must be obtained through NYSERDA to be eligible); or • Reconstruction of a vacant structure or space within a building. There is no limit to the size of the project that is eligible for the program, either in terms of energy usage or building square footage.
2. How do I qualify for participation in NCP?
To qualify for participation, you must be an electric service customer of Consolidated Edison, Central Hudson, Niagara Mohawk, New York State Electric & Gas, Orange and Rockland Utilities, or Rochester Gas and Electric and pay the New York State Systems Benefits Charge (SBC).
3. How do I know if I am paying the SBC?
To determine if you pay SBC, look at your electric bill from Consolidated Edison, Central Hudson, Niagara Mohawk, New York State Electric & Gas, Orange and Rockland Utilities, and Rochester Gas and Electric and see if SBC is listed as a charge. If you do not see it, you may contact NYSERDA, which will assist you in determining whether you pay SBC. Customers of NYPA, LIPA, and municipal utilities are not eligible to participate in NCP; but may be eligible to participate in other NYSERDA programs that are open to customers throughout New York State. Please contact NYSERDA at 1-866-NYSERDA to determine if any energy efficiency programs are available to you.
4. What do I do once I have determined I am an eligible Applicant and have an eligible project?
After you have determined that you are an eligible Applicant and have an eligible project: 1. You obtain an application from NYSERDA’s website, www.nyserda.org, or call 1-866-NYSERDA to have an application mailed to you. You then submit your completed application to NYSERDA.
2. You will be asked to select which incentives you want to request: the technical assistance incentive, the design team incentive, the capital cost incentive which may be the pre-qualified, the custom, or the whole building incentive, the building commissioning services incentive, the green buildings incentive, or the advanced solar and daylighting system incentive.
5. How many times can I participate in this program?
Under the current Program Opportunity Notice (PON 869), in order to make program funds accessible to as many eligible Applicants as possible,participation is limited to one project per Applicant. The maximum combined incentive from all categories for a project under current PON 913 is limited to $500,000 per Applicant.
6. Am I eligible for any other NYSERDA program?
Yes, you may also be eligible for reduced interest financing through the New York Energy $martSM Loan fund program http://www.nyserda.org/814pon.html for measures that are eligible for NCP incentives. If you obtain direct capital cost incentives through this current PON, you may not obtain incentives for the same energy measure through any other New York Energy $martSM program.
NEW CONSTRUCTION PROGRAM ASSISTANCE
1. What is an Outreach Project Consultant (OPC) and what services does an OPC provide?
1. OPC’s are engineers/architects under contract to work directly with Applicants and their projects. 2. An OPC assists application completion and reviews them for accuracy. 3. An OPC will also schedule and participate in Scoping Meetings, i.e., meetings to define what is to be included as part of the project. An OPCcoordinates the activities of the Technical Assistance (TA) providers, reviews technical assistance scopes of work, and reviews all technical assistance studies and discusses them with the Applicant. Once the project is completed, an OPC may inspect and verify installation of the energy efficiency measures. In addition, the OPC provides NYSERDA with photographs of completed projects and develops case studies. Most importantly, OPCs promptly and effectively respond to Applicant questions and requests for assistance. In addition to these services, OPC coordinators also assist NYSERDA project staff with program development and may conduct LEED® charrettes. 4. NYSERDA assigns OPCs based upon where a building is located. OPC Services are provided free of charge.
2. Where are OPCs located and how can I contact one?
OPCs are conveniently located in six different zones of New York State. Contact information is listed below.
Services (see figure 1)
Western Region Zone 1 - Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Niagara, Orleans, and Wyoming Zone 2 - Chemung, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben, Tioga, Tompkins, Wayne, and Yates Upstate/Southern Tier Region Zone 3 - Broome, Cayuga, Chenango, Cortland, Jefferson, Lewis, Madison, Oneida, Onondaga, Oswego, and St. Lawrence Zone 4 - Albany, Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Hamilton, Herkimer, Montgomery, Otsego, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Washington, and Warren Downstate Region Zone 5 - Columbia, Delaware, Dutchess, Greene, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Westchester, and Ulster Zone 6 - Bronx, Kings, New York, Richmond, Queens
Outreach Project Consultant Contact Information
Erdman, Anothy and Associates, Inc. - Zones 1 + 2 Phone: (585) 427-8888 - Rochester (716) 631-1241 - Buffalo Phone: (315) 463-7208 - Syracuse Phone: (518) 452-8800 - Albany (914) 993-3382 - White Plains Phone: (212) 400-3700 - New York City
Honeywell DMC - Zone 3 SAIC - Zones 4 + 5
Horizon Engineering Associates, LLC - Zone 6
APPLICATION QUESTIONS
1. How do I get a NCP application?
Program applications are available for the NCP on NYSERDA’s website http://www.nyserda.org/programs/New_Construction/default.asp, or you can call 1-866-NYSERDA to have an application mailed to you.
2. At what phase of my project should I submit an application?
To ensure eligibility to participate in the entire program and maximize program benefits, NYSERDA recommends that applications be submitted in the early schematic design phase or sooner. If you wait to submit your application in the design development phase, you may be limited to only pre-qualified program measures.
3. What specific paperwork needs to be submitted?
The paperwork that needs to be submitted to NYSERDA is a completed Part 1 of the NCP application, which reserves a space in the NCP. Parts 2 and 3 can be filled out to the best of your ability, but do not delay sending in the application because you do not have all of the information in order to complete Parts 2 and 3. After you apply, Parts 2 and 3 can be updated with the help of the OPC assigned to your project.
4. Where do I send my application?
The original signed and dated application should be sent to: New York State Energy Research and Development Authority Attn: New Construction Program Manager 17 Columbia Circle Albany, NY 12203-6399
5. Can my application be faxed to NYSERDA?
Faxed applications are not accepted. Applications, with an original signature, are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis until December 31, 2005, or until funds are fully committed, whichever comes first.
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE SERVICES
1. Who are NYSERDA’s NCP Technical Assistance (TA) providers?
NYSERDA has retained several energy consultants to provide Technical Assistance (TA) services to eligible NCP Applicants. TA providers are assigned by NYSERDA based on availability, location, and project-specific needs.
2. What does the Technical Assistance (TA) Provider do and how does NYSERDA provide an incentive with respect to the use of the TA Provider?
1. Under NYSERDA direction, TA providers conduct assessments of potential energy savings measures and design features to limit energy usage, peak demand electric loads, and integrate solar and daylighting technologies. They conduct computer energy modeling of the building project designed to standard practice (base case), compare it to a more energy efficient improved building design, and calculate the energy savings. TA providers may also be asked to conduct benchmarking of the proposed project performance for comparison to ENERGY STAR® or other similar national standards. 2. NYSERDA pays the first $5000 of the cost of TA services and pays half of the cost in excess of $5000, up to a maximum NYSERDA contribution of $100,000. An Applicant may request NYSERDA to direct a TA provider to prepare a scope of work and budget for review and approval by the Applicant prior to delivery of TA services.
3. Do you have a list of Technical Assistance (TA) providers and the services they provide?
Yes, NYSERDA maintains a list of TA providers with experience on NCP projects. The names of current TA providers and their areas of expertise are listed below.
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROVIDER Steven Winter Associates Phone: (203) 857-0200 Location: Norwalk, CT Regions: A, B, C
BUILDING TYPES Office Buildings, Multi-family Housing, Hotels, Schools, Universities, Laboratories, Museums, Aquariums & Zoos, Airports, Subways, Prisons, and Conference Centers
EXPERIENCE WITH LEED® and Green Building Design, Audits and Energy Analyses, Thermal Bridging Analyses, Analysis of Airflows, Lighting Analysis, Commissioning
Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) Phone: (518) 452-8800 Location: Albany, NY Syracuse, NY Regions: A, B, C Einhorn Yaffee Prescott Architecture & Engineering, P.C. Phone: (518) 431-3409 Location: Albany, NY Regions: B, C Erdman, Anthony and Associates, Inc. Phone: (585) 427-8888 Location: Rochester, NY Region: B Ambrosino, DePinto & Schmieder Consulting Engineers, P.C. Phone: (212) 645-6060 Location: New York, NY Region: C
School, Office Buildings, Industrial Facilities, Universities, and Medical Facilities
Building Energy Simulation, Commissioning Services, Green Building Assistance, Real-Time Metering Utilization, Design Assistance Services, General Feasibility Studies Building Modeling, Architecture & Engineering Services, Green Building Services, Lighting Design and Control, Water and Steam Distribution Systems Commissioning, Green Building Design, and Lighting Design
Schools, Universities, Office Buildings, Medical Facilities, Industrial Facilities, Community Buildings, and Laboratories
Laboratory and Medical facilities, Industrial facilities, Office Buildings
Museums, School and University Buildings, Laboratories, Hotel/Residential Buildings, Entertainment (theaters, auditoriums, concert halls, etc.)
Lighting Systems, Energy Analysis, Green Building and LEED® Services, Commissioning Services, HVAC Design and Environmental Control, Building Engineering Services, Building Automation System Design LEED® Certified Professionals, Building Modeling, MEP Engineering Design, Engineering Services Building & Retro-commissioning
EME Group Phone: (212) 529-5969 Location: New York, NY Regions: A, B, C
Athletic and multipurpose facilities, Office Buildings, Health Care & Assisted Living Facilities, Educational Facilities, Ice Rinks & Commercial Refrigeration Facilities, Industrial Facilities, and Housing Office Buildings, Sports Arenas, Universities, Libraries, Residential Buildings and Medical Facilities
Flack + Kurtz Phone: (212) 532-9600 Location: New York, NY Region: C
LEED® and Green Building design, Energy Analysis and Audits, Engineering Services, Commissioning Services, Trace 700 and DOE-2 building simulation programs, Fluent Computational Fluid Dynamics program, Radiance, Lightscape, and Lumen-Micro Lighting software
Robson Woese, Inc. Phone: (315) 445-2650 Location: E. Syracuse, NY Regions: A, B, C
University dormitories & Academic buildings, Retail facilities, Telecommunication facilities, Hospitals & Laboratories, Military facilities, Prisons, and School Houses Hospitals, Universities, Schools, Industrial Facilities, Office Buildings, and Residential Buildings
LEED® and Green Building design, Commissioning, Building Modeling
Novus Engineering, P.C. Phone: (518) 439-8235 Location: Delmar, NY Region: B Community Environment Center, Inc. Phone: (718) 784-1444 Location: Long Island City, NY Region: C
Engineering Services, HVAC and Heat Recovery, Geothermal, Lighting, Cogeneration, and Commissioning Cogeneration, Solar: PV, BIPV, water, air-preheat, Passive Design Features; envelope optimization, natural ventilation and light, Environmental Analysis: Life Cycle Assessment, local impacts, IAQ, LEED® Commisssioning through PowerConcepts, LLC
Residential facilities of all sizes, Not-for-Profit and Community Development facilities
4. How do I know how much it will cost for a Technical Assistance (TA) provider to perform an energy analysis of my project?
Technical Assistance (TA) costs vary from project to project. The fee for the technical analysis is based on the methods of analysis being used as well as how many measures are being analyzed. If an Applicant is interested in obtaining a Technical Assistance provider, NYSERDA will conduct a scoping meeting at the onset of the process to determine the scope of work of the Technical Assistance and the cost of proposed work for an Applicant’s review and approval, prior to proceeding with the assistance.
5. Can my design team submit documentation on energy savings instead of using a NCP Technical Assistance provider?
Yes, NYSERDA allows the design team to prepare energy analysis, but will engage one of its Technical Assistance (TA) providers to review the final report for conformance to program criteria.
6. When will I be required to pay my share of the Technical Assistance study cost?
NYSERDA invoices the Applicant approximately 90 days after the incentive offer and analysis have been submitted to the Applicant.
INCENTIVES
1. What kinds of incentives are available through the NCP program?
There are several types of incentives available under the program: • Technical assistance incentives, which are described above, capital cost incentives (described below) • A design incentive, which provides assistance with the cost of outside design professionals for Whole Building Design Projects and LEED® Rated buildings (described below) • The building commissioning services, which provides a detailed assessment of building systems and their performance to ensure that they are operating at optimal capacity(described below) • The green buildings incentive, which provides an incentive or meeting various national green building standards (described below), • Advanced solar and daylighting incentive.
2. What is a capital cost incentive?
A capital cost incentive can be a pre-qualified measure, which provides a flat monetary incentive for specific types of equipment purchased and installed, or be a Custom Project or Whole Building Project, where the incentive is based upon an escalating payment scale for kWh and kW savings. The pre-qualified measures and Custom and Whole Building Design incentives defray a portion of the incremental cost to purchase and install more energy-efficient or advanced technology equipment and may cover up to 75% of the incremental costs.
3. What is the process for receiving a capital cost incentive?
Once an Applicant completes and submits an application, NYSERDA will review the application and provide written pre-approval of the eligible incentives. Custom and whole buildings incentives usually require a TA study. This pre-approval authorizes the Applicant to proceed with the design of the building and the purchase and installation of the specific equipment and building features outlined in the approved application. If incentives are provided for the installation of pre-qualified or Custom and Whole Building Measures outlined in the approved application, the Applicant will be asked to provide written certification that the energy efficient equipment and building features have been installed. Upon NYSERDA review and approval of the completed project and any other required information, a check will be issued to the Applicant. NYSERDA may elect to inspect any and all projects prior to final approval, and the Applicant must provide access to NYSERDA staff or contractors after project completion for measurement and verification. Additional incentives are available for Peak Load Reduction strategies, and monitoring and benchmarking.
4. What are the design incentives?
On projects under the Whole Building Design method that exceed the performance requirements of the Energy Conservation Construction Code of New York by a minimum of 15.1%, design team (architect and/or engineer of record) incentives are available. Incentives start at $0.01/KiloWatts per Hour (kWh) saved and increase up to a maximum of $0.04/kWh saved for projects that exceed the Energy Code by 30.1% or more. The maximum design team incentive under this approach is $15,000.
5. Who are the design team incentives paid to and when are they paid?
Design team incentives are paid to the Applicant after the incentive offer is made and the technical study is complete and approved by NYSERDA.
6. What are building commissioning services?
Building commissioning services consist of a detailed assessment of building systems and their performance to ensure that they are operating at optimal capacity. NYSERDA requires commissioning on all projects receiving incentive awards over $100,000. NYSERDA may require on-site verification of project performance after a one-year period of operation. Applicants are eligible for up to $5,000 of commissioning services provided by TA consultants retained by NYSERDA at no cost to the Applicant. NYSERDA will cost-share 50% of the commissioning services costs in excess of $5,000, up to a maximum NYSERDA contribution of $50,000. Applicants may elect to have another company conduct required commissioning, however, cost sharing will not be available from NYSERDA.
GREEN BUILDINGS
1. What is a Green Building?
A “Green Building” is a building that has addressed and integrated into its general operations and design: sustainable site planning, safeguarding water and water efficiency, energy efficiency, conservation of materials and resources, and indoor environmental quality.
2. What is the LEED® rating system and how does a building become certified?
The LEED® rating system is a rating system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council. This rating system is divided into five categories: sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, and indoor environmental quality. These five categories are further broken up into “credits”. One or more points are available within each credit and are awarded based on achieving specific requirements. To become certified, a building must achieve a set number of points within each category. For a more detailed description of the LEED® rating system, please refer to the U.S. Green Building Council’s website – www.usgbc.org
3. Does NYSERDA provide Green Building incentives?
NYSERDA provides incentives for Green Building analysis on a 50% cost-shared basis, up to a maximum NYSERDA contribution of $50,000. To qualify for a Green Building incentive, NYSERDA directs a TA consultant with Green Buildings experience to prepare a scope of work and budget for review and approval by the Applicant. The scope of this work can, at a minimum, cover materials analysis and selection recommendations. If requested, the scope may include identification of LEED® requirements and ENERGY STAR® benchmarking. Additional capital cost incentives are available for LEED® Certified projects achieving between 2–4 points under the energy optimization category of the LEED® rating system. On any project that is LEED® rated by the US Green Buildings Council as a Green Building, Applicants are eligible for a flat-rate incentive in the amount of $7,500 for projects under 50,000 square feet in area and $15,000 for projects of 50,000 square feet or larger.
NCP PROCESS
1. Is there any assistance available to help guide me through the NCP process?
Questions about the NCP process can be directed to either NYSERDA staff or one of its OPC identified in the New Construction Program (NCP) Assistance section. At no cost to the Applicant, the OPCs will work directly with program Applicants to determine eligibility, explore participation options, identify technical assistance needs, and assist the Applicant in completing program applications.
2. How long does the process take for completing a TA study?
Average Process Length: Total of 17 - 20 Weeks It usually takes two weeks from the time the application is received to assign a Technical Assistance (TA) provider and to schedule a scoping meeting with all involved parties. Then typically, it takes another two weeks to develop the scope of work and up to one week for the review of the scope of work by the Applicant, TA provider, OPC, and NYSERDA. Two more weeks are required for getting all the documentation in place and 8 - 12 Weeks for the TA study. Finally, an additional two weeks are needed to review and issue the final report to the Applicant.
3. Is there any way for me (the Applicant) to speed up the process?
The most effective way to speed up the process is to provide the information required by the application or the TA provider as quickly as possible.
4. What happens if I don’t want to install recommended measures?
The Applicant makes the final determination on whether or not to install the recommended measures. There is no penalty for not installing recommended measures; NYSERDA will pay its agreed upon share of the TA study, even if the measures are not installed.
5. When would I purchase and install the equipment?
Purchase and installation of equipment can begin after the Applicant receives the incentive offer from NYSERDA.
6. Must I purchase equipment from a particular manufactures?
NCP does not endorse any particular product or company, however, a list of energy-efficiency improvement options are included in section 3 of the NCP application packet. The capital cost incentives are performance based and there are a number of manufacturers and/or equipment distributors from which Applicants may purchase the equipment.