NYSERDA has reached a major milestone, completing 50,000 home energy efficiency projects under the ENERGY STAR Program.

On August 26, 2013, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) announced the completion of the 50,000^th project under the ENERGY STAR Home Performance Program.  The achievement marks a major milestone for the program, which was founded in 2001 to provide comprehensive home energy assessments, incentives, and low-interest loans for residential energy efficiency improvements.

Home Energy Usage (ENERGY STAR)

The Home Performance Program, funded by Green Jobs-Green New York, provides free energy assessments to identify energy savings opportunities.  Under the program, contractors accredited by the Building Performance Institute assess home energy performance for insulation, air filtration, heating and cooling equipment, appliances, and lighting, including possible leaks of harmful combustion gases.  Homeowners can initiate energy improvement tasks based on recommendations in the assessment report.

NYSERDA provides cash-back incentives and low-cost financing to pay for energy improvement projects.  The On-Bill Recovery Financing, a part of the 2011 Power NY Act, allows building owners to pay for efficiency projects through utility bills.  The Assisted Home Performance with ENERGY STAR qualifies income-eligible households for a grant of up to 50 percent of the approved project costs.  It provides up to $5,000 for a single family household and up to $10,000 for two- to four-unit residential buildings with additional income-eligible households.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) launched the ENERGY STAR program in 1992 to identify and promote energy-efficient products to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.  Through 1995, EPA expanded the program to office equipment and residential heating and cooling equipment, and in 1996, EPA partnered with the Department of Energy to expand to additional product categories.  In 2012, ENERGY STAR enabled consumers to save approximately $24 billion in energy-related cost savings.