Energy Efficiency & Building Decarbonization

Redesigning Buildings for the Clean Energy Transition

New York’s six million buildings are of the largest contributors of statewide greenhouse gas emissions. Advancing building energy efficiency and electrification is a cornerstone of the State’s efforts to achieve carbon neutrality and meet emissions reduction goals.

Modernizing New York’s buildings will also create healthier living and working environments, reduce consumer energy costs, and add thousands of local clean energy and energy efficiency jobs.

How We’re Transforming Buildings for Electrification & Energy Efficiency

Building electrification and moving toward energy efficiency requires a transformation in how we design, heat, and power our homes, workplaces, schools, and industrial facilities. NYSERDA is directing investment in energy efficiency, especially in Disadvantaged Communities and for low-to moderate-income (LMI) New Yorkers, to ensure affordability and grid reliability as beneficial electrification of buildings advances statewide.

NYSERDA is working with affordable housing providers, utilities, and innovators to go beyond building-by-building solutions to strategies that can work block-by-block and community-by-community to achieve the level of decarbonization needed to address the climate crisis. Here are some of ways we’re pushing this effort forward:

• Delivering policy and strategic leadership on energy efficiency and building electrification through the Carbon Neutral Buildings Roadmap, Building Electrification Roadmap, Two Million Climate Friendly Homes Action Plan and decarbonization partnerships with other State agencies.
• Providing technical and regulatory assistance to advance codes and standards that send a clear signal to the market that New York State is phasing out the use of fossil fuel in buildings and moving to cleaner, healthier options.
• Developing and managing programs to eliminate barriers and increase adoption of carbon neutral building strategies, provide financial and technical assistance to solution providers and consumers, and prioritize LMI homes, schools, and other buildings located in Disadvantaged Communities.
• Supporting low-carbon product innovation to deliver better solutions for the New York State market, lowering the cost of the transition away from fossil fuels, and building a local clean energy industry.
• Providing financing for energy efficiency improvements and building electrification and enabling private financing of clean energy projects on a larger scale.
• Helping advance and implement new policy directives in the building sector, such as zero-emission new construction, fossil fuel heating equipment phaseout, and letter grades for large buildings’ energy consumption.

Achieving Climate-Friendly Buildings

Our building decarbonization and energy efficiency efforts will advance the health and well-being of New Yorkers while enhancing resiliency and lowering greenhouse gas emissions.

These clean and resilient buildings will be designed and constructed to use energy more efficiently and incorporate flexible loads or storage to respond to grid conditions and maintain service reliability. Clean energy incentives, financing, and product innovation will continue promoting building electrification and energy efficiency as a cost-saving investment for homes and businesses alike. Capitalizing on key points in the building cycle, such as renovations, heating equipment replacement, and property transfer, will streamline energy efficiency and building electrification opportunities.

Transforming New York’s buildings will require a skilled clean energy workforce and the State is poised to continue expanding access to high-quality and family-sustaining jobs statewide.