NYSERDA Programs for P-12 Schools

NYSERDA Programs for P-12 Schools

NYSERDA's P-12 Schools Initiative promotes clean energy efforts by educating, guiding, and assisting school staff with clean energy projects and encouraging sustainability principles at facilities and in classrooms. Please see current P-12 programs below along with a list of additional resources that schools can take advantage of to help reduce their energy bills and emissions. Please contact P12Schools@nyserda.ny.gov with any questions.

Free Benchmarking

P-12 Benchmarking Program provides free energy benchmarking services to pre-kindergarten through grade 12 (P-12) schools for up to three years. These benchmarking services provide schools with a mechanism to measure, track, and assess their energy use and greenhouse gas emissions to help them better understand their energy usage and to improve energy efficiency and performance.

Schools will receive benchmarking reports outlining trends in energy use, water use, and greenhouse gas emissions to demonstrate how buildings perform over time. An optional Operational Assessment is available for eligible schools interested in receiving building-specific energy and cost-saving recommendations.

Green and Clean Energy Solutions

The P-12 Schools: Green and Clean Energy Solutions Program provides funding for eligible pre-kindergarten through grade 12 (P-12) schools to reduce school energy loads and assist in the conversion to carbon free fuels.

NYSERDA will provide a cost-share up to 75% for Energy Studies and Clean Heating and Cooling and Net Zero Design projects. Schools categorized as High-Need Link opens in new window - close new window to return to this page. may receive up to 100% of the cost. Cost-sharing for each of these efforts is capped at $250,000 per project. Additionally, NYSERDA will provide Direct Incentives for energy savings associated with installed projects that result in an energy load reduction. A list of pre-qualified Direct Incentives is available on NYSERDA’s P-12 website.

The Program will also provide easy enrollment in complimentary services such as the free P-12 Benchmarking Program described above, and free Clean Heating and Cooling Technology Screenings.

Clean Heating and Cooling Screenings

Clean Heating and Cooling Technology Screenings are available at no cost to eligible schools to evaluate the installation of ground source heat pumps (GSHP), air source heat pumps (ASHP), or variable refrigerant flow (VRF) systems.

Clean Heating and Cooling

P-12 Schools: Green and Clean Energy Solutions Program provides up to 75% cost-share for the design of clean heating and cooling projects. Participants are eligible for a free Clean Heating and Cooling Screening, which evaluates the installation of ground source heat pumps, air source heat pumps, and variable refrigerant flow systems

Ground source Heat Pump Utility Incentives my be available to support the installation of ground source heat pump systems, which help lower energy costs and emissions while making schools more comfortable for students and staff.

Renewable Heat New York provides incentives toward the installed costs of high-efficiency, low-emission wood heating systems for homeowners and businesses without access to natural gas.

Cleaner, Local Power Generation

NY-Sun offers performance-based incentives to install of new grid-connected solar panels that helps lower energy costs while generating clean, local power. P-12 schools are eligible under NY-Sun's small commercial program.

Clean Transportation

Drive Clean RebateLink opens in new window - close new window to return to this page. offers a point-of-sale rebate of up to $2,000 towards the purchase of a new plug-in electric car.   

Charge Ready NYLink opens in new window - close new window to return to this page. provides $4,000 per installed electric vehicle (EV) charging port to applicants who purchase and install qualified Level 2 EV charging equipment at New York State locations that provide public charging and/or workplace charging. 

New York Truck Incentive Program provides vouchers that discount the cost of purchasing all electric school buses. Electric school buses are less expensive to operate and often far less noisy than diesel buses, and dramatically reduce or eliminate tailpipe pollution. 

Energy Efficiency and Management

P-12 Benchmarking Program provides free energy benchmarking services to pre-kindergarten through grade 12 (P-12) schools for up to three years. Benchmarking provides schools with a mechanism to measure, track, and assess their energy use and greenhouse gas emissions to help improve energy efficiency and building performance

P-12 Schools: Green and Clean Energy Solutions Program provides cost-sharing and direct incentives to help reduce energy loads and assist in the conversion to carbon free fuels.

On-site Energy Manager (OsEM) Program covers up to 75% of costs for hiring an on-site energy manager. The OsEM will inform efficient day-to-day operation, behavioral changes, improved occupant comfort, and longer-term capital planning of your facility, focusing on the site-specific needs and priorities.

Real Time Energy Management (RTEM) Program helps cover costs for technology that sends your building’s energy usage data in real time to a cloud-based or on-site system. Analyzing data from these systems can provide actionable insights that lower operating costs and emissions, smarter buildings with improved comfort, and improved management and tracking of building operation.

Green Buildings

P-12 Schools: Green and Clean Energy Solutions Program provides a cost-share of up to 75% for the design of Net Zero projects and Net Zero design charettes

Commercial New Construction Program: The Commercial New Construction Program offers objective technical and financial support to commercial building owners and tenants to effect a permanent transformation in the way buildings are designed and constructed in New York State.

Workforce Development

Building Operations & Maintenance Program provides funding to help develop trainings that create the educational strategy, on-site training framework, and tools needed to advance the skills of building operations and maintenance workers and prepare new workers beyond conventional classroom training. Schools with a building, or group of buildings, with annual energy expenditures of $1 million or more are eligible.