NYSERDA Selects Home Inspections By The Fulmer Group and National Property Inspections to Provide Home Energy Ratings for Homebuyers in Monroe County

Supports Governor Cuomo’s Green New Deal and State Mandate for a 40 Percent Reduction in Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 2030

January 13, 2020

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) today announced that it has selected Home Inspections By The Fulmer Group (Fulmer Group Inspections) and National Property Inspections to deliver home energy ratings for homebuyers in Monroe County, as part of the second phase of the Home Energy Ratings Pilot. The pilot supports the State mandate for a 40 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and Governor Andrew M. Cuomo's Green New Deal, the most aggressive climate change program in the nation, which puts New York State on a path to economy-wide carbon neutrality.

Alicia Barton, President and CEO, NYSERDA said, “Under Governor Cuomo’s leadership, New York is investing in innovative ways for families to reduce energy use and costs in support of the State’s ambitious clean energy goals. Congratulations to Fulmer Group Inspections and National Property Inspections for being chosen to provide homebuyers in Monroe County with home energy ratings that will help them improve the energy performance and comfort of their new home while lowering energy costs and reducing harmful emissions in their community.”

Home Energy Ratings are similar to a “Miles Per Gallon” rating on a car, providing easy-to-understand visual reports that give the homebuyer insight into how a home performs in areas like insulation, air leakage, heating and cooling efficiency, and water heating. Energy costs can make up a large portion of monthly household expenses and when shopping for a new home, it’s important to learn about the home’s energy performance to avoid unexpected costs after moving in. Keeping efficiency in mind can help new homeowners plan for future home improvements that will reduce energy bills and ensure a more comfortable home with year-round comfort.

NYSERDA launched the second phase of the pilot in August seeking applications from licensed home inspectors to deliver ratings to homebuyers as part of a pre-purchase inspection to support homebuyer remodeling of a newly purchased one- to four-family home. Providing ratings as part of a home buyer’s pre-purchase inspection can help guide renovation and upgrade decisions that many new homeowners make within the first year of ownership.

Selected through a competitive process, Fulmer Group Inspections and National Property Inspections will provide Monroe County homebuyers with ratings from Pearl Home Certifications. Each report comes with a list of recommendations that helps homebuyers plan upgrades to increase the efficiency and comfort of their home. For more information on Pearl Certification, and home buying with energy efficiency in mind, visit NYSERDA’s website.

Mark Fulmer, President, Fulmer Home Inspections said, “Fulmer Home Inspections is excited to begin this new opportunity with NYSERDA in Monroe County. Scheduling an energy rating to document the energy features of the home and identify investment areas to help make it more marketable and appealing can help increase the value, comfort and efficiency of the home.”

Tom Sansone, Owner, National Property Inspections said, “National Property Inspection is thrilled to be working with NYSERDA to deliver Peal Certification Ratings in Monroe County. This pilot is an opportunity to help local homebuyers in Monroe County better understand the energy value of their future home and identify areas to make it more energy efficient.”

In an effort to make ratings accessible to more residents, NYSERDA expanded the pilot from the Town of Irondequoit to include all of Monroe County, which is one of four New York communities along with Tompkins County, Erie County and the borough of Queens, where homeowners and homebuyers will be eligible to receive a home energy rating at no cost. The next phase of the pilot is expected to launch in the coming months.

This pilot supports Governor Cuomo’s New Efficiency: New York 2025 energy efficiency target to reduce energy consumption by 185 trillion BTUs below forecasted energy use in 2025. Meeting the target will accelerate achievement of energy efficiency in the next seven years by more than 40 percent over the current strategy and will set New York State on a path to achieve annual electric efficiency savings of three percent of investor-owned utility sales in 2025.

Funding for this program comes from the state’s 10-year, $5.3 billion Clean Energy Fund.

New York State's Green New Deal

Governor Cuomo's Green New Deal is the most aggressive climate and clean energy initiative in the nation, putting the state on a path to being entirely carbon-neutral across all sectors of the economy and establishing a goal to achieve a zero-carbon emissions electricity sector by 2040, faster than any other state. It builds on New York's unprecedented ramp-up of clean energy including a $2.9 billion investment in 46 large-scale renewable projects across the state, the creation of more than 150,000 jobs in New York's clean energy sector, a commitment to develop nearly 1,700 megawatts of offshore wind by 2024, and 1,700 percent growth in the distributed solar sector since 2012.

The recently passed Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) mandates the Green New Deal's national leading clean energy targets: nine gigawatts of offshore wind by 2035, six gigawatts of distributed solar by 2025, and three gigawatts of energy storage by 2030, while calling for an orderly and just transition to clean energy that creates jobs and continues fostering a green economy. The CLCPA also directs New York State agencies and authorities to collaborate with stakeholders to develop a plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 85 percent from 1990 levels by 2050 and aim to invest 40 percent of clean energy and energy efficiency program resources to benefit disadvantaged communities.

About NYSERDA

NYSERDA, a public benefit corporation, offers objective information and analysis, innovative programs, technical expertise, and funding to help New Yorkers increase energy efficiency, save money, use renewable energy, and reduce reliance on fossil fuels. NYSERDA professionals work to protect the environment and create clean-energy jobs. NYSERDA has been developing partnerships to advance innovative energy solutions in New York State since 1975. To learn more about NYSERDA’s programs and funding opportunities, visit nyserda.ny.gov or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, or Instagram.