NYSERDA Programs Receive National Honor:

October 2, 2007

The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy Recognizes several Programs as “Exemplary”

Albany, NY —The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) announced today that the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), a nonprofit research group based in Washington, D.C., has recognized 7 NYSERDA Programs as “exemplary programs” as part of a national awards program to honor America’s leading energy efficiency programs. These programs are funded by the New York State Public Service Commission through the New York Energy $mart^SM program, administered by NYSERDA, which offers a wide range of consumer education and assistance programs to bring energy efficiency to homes, businesses and industry.

Paul D. Tonko, President and CEO of NYSERDA said, “NYSERDA provides a wealth of information to all sectors of New York State to assist them with their energy needs. NYSERDA is honored to have been recognized for our energy programs, which are supporting the efforts of Governor Spitzer’s ambitious strategy to reduce statewide power consumption 15% by 2015.”

The Small Commercial Lighting Program (SCLP) promotes, The Right Light^SM, an effective energy-efficient lighting solution that results in better lit spaces that cost less to operate. The Right Light^SM can help New York businesses save 20-30 percent on the lighting portion of their electricity bills by reducing maintenance costs and installing lighting systems that last longer. In addition, SCLP assists lighting professionals-contractors, product distributors, and lighting designers-in implementing lighting improvements in small commercial spaces by providing the necessary tools and resources to leverage effective, energy-efficient lighting designs as a profitable business strategy.

The Energy Smart Schools Program is a comprehensive program that consists of various outreach efforts to raise awareness to energy efficiency and sustainability issues among school managers and maintenance personnel. Because energy costs are the largest controllable budget item for school districts, the program assists district managers in benchmarking their energy use to monitor electricity consumption and possible way to reduce future consumption. The Program also provides one-on-one technical assistance to help school districts initiate energy efficiency projects, as well as knowledge of other NYSERDA programs and financial incentives that can facilitate the efficiency or sustainability project.

EmPower New York^SM is a program for income-eligible households to implement cost-effective electric reduction measures, particularly lighting and refrigerator replacements, as well as other cost-effective home performance strategies such as insulation, and health and safety measures. On-site energy use education provides customers with additional strategies for managing their energy costs.

New York’s Home Performance with ENERGY STAR® Program provides a network of participating Building Performance Institute (BPI) Accredited Home Performance contractors who perform home assessments including health and safety testing, offer recommendations for energy improvements, and provide a cost estimate to do the work. Low-interest financing is also available to help make the improvements more affordable. This Program received honorable mention recognition in 2003 by the ACEEE.

The New York Energy $mart^SM Multifamily Performance Program harnesses the latest in building science technology and applies it specifically to a building's design and daily operation. The Multifamily Performance Program uses a partner network, made up of engineers, energy consultants, and other industry professionals, to provide a customized approach to address the specific energy and operational needs of a building. This Program received honorable mention recognition in 2003 by the ACEEE.

The ENERGY STAR® Products Program is a partnership between the New York Energy $mart^SM Program and retailers in New York State. The Program strives to encourage participating retailers to display, stock and sell more ENERGY STAR compliant products, to help increase consumer awareness of energy efficiency and ENERGY STAR, as well as educate consumers about the multiple benefits of ENERGY STAR.

Under NYSERDA’s Flex Tech program, a business or organization looking to identify cost-effective energy efficiency measures or energy purchasing strategies, may receive a 50% cost share on the price of these services. In addition, NYSERDA staff work with the client and the FlexTech consultant to ensure the energy study meets the needs of all parties. Services that are provided on a cost-shared basis include detailed analysis of the specific energy efficiency project, rate analysis, load shapes and energy services aggregation, retro-commissioning of energy efficiency measures in existing building, and many other services. The Flex Tech Program was previously recognized by the ACEEE as an exemplary program in 2003.

Programs selected for this honor were judged especially noteworthy for their effectiveness and innovation in helping customers achieve greater levels of energy efficiency in their homes and business facilities. “These programs are delivering energy savings that are critical in helping customers cope with today’s high energy costs, plus they make an important environmental contribution because they help reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” noted Martin Kushler, Ph.D., ACEEE’s Utilities Program Director. He added, “This is truly a ‘win-win’ situation.”

“ACEEE conducted this national review to recognize outstanding energy efficiency programs and honor the people and organizations responsible for their success,” explained Dan York, Ph.D., the Project Director for this effort. He added: “Programs such as NYSERDA’s Small Commercial Lighting Program demonstrate the very real value of energy efficiency to the customers it serves.”

About ACEEE
ACEEE is a nonprofit organization dedicated to research and policy development to advance energy efficiency as a means of promoting both economic prosperity and environmental protection. For more information, visit aceee.org.

About NYSERDA
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) was established by law in l975 as a public benefit corporation. NYSERDA provides energy-related technical and financial packaging assistance to businesses and institutions to promote energy efficiency and economic development, as well as providing energy research and development programs that promote safe and economical energy production efficiency technologies in New York State. NYSERDA also analyzes the effect of New York’s energy, regulatory and environmental policies on the State’s business, institutional, and residential energy consumers. To learn more about these and other NYSERDA programs, please visit http://www.NYSERDA.ny.gov.

Contact:

Colleen Ryan, NYSERDA
(518) 862-1090 ext 3359
cqr@nyserda.ny.gov