Archives for ‘NYSERDA’

Starting January 30, New Yorkers will be able to conveniently finance energy-efficient upgrades to their homes through a charge on their electric bill. On average, this charge will be less than the money saved by the improvements, so participants should not see their bills rise on a yearly basis. And if you act soon, you won’t have any payments due until June 2012.

This is the new On-Bill Recovery Loan Program, which we explained in November. The program will be available to homeowners who are customers of Central Hudson Gas and Electric, Con Edison, Long Island Power Authority, New York State Electric and Gas Corporation, National Grid (upstate NY customers only), Orange and Rockland, and Rochester Gas and Electric Corporation. The program will soon be offered to small businesses, not-for-profits, and multifamily building owners, although it is not yet available for these groups.

NYSERDA recently released the details of the On-Bill Recovery program, which offers lower interest rates than its current financing programs.  For a rundown of the newly released details and an explanation of how the program will benefit you, continue reading after the jump.

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Following Governor Cuomo’s creation of 10 Regional Economic Development Councils in July last year, the newly created New York City Economic Development Council developed a plan to stimulate economic development and job growth in the region. On December 8, state agencies announced the funding awards that will put the plan into action, and New York City received over $66 million.

Many of the projects that received funding in New York City and around the state will reduce electricity use and promote sustainability. We are pleased to announce that Solar One received $229,000 for its Solar 2 project. The funding will go toward installing a green roof on Solar 2, a new energy positive and net-zero water use environmental learning center that will replace Solar 1 in Stuyvesant Cove Park.

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Is NYC on the brink of a cleantech revolution?

We at Solar One think so. New York City, with abundant human, financial, and institutional capital, is well positioned to become a global center in clean technology.  However, with all this potential, New York still ranks behind Boston, San Franciso, and Austin as a leader in cleantech.  New York has all the right pieces to create a successful industry but there needs to be an underlying network that can connect those pieces, engage the community, and spark a movement that can surpass the current frontrunners. Solar One and the New York City Accelerator for a Clean and Renewable Economy (NYC ACRE) are partnering to create that catalyst with Clean Energy Connections.

Clean Energy Connections is a new year-long discussion series and online platform intended to stimulate dialogue on NYC’s clean energy economy, highlight its innovators and visionaries, and provide a forum for the industry to meet, collaborate and grow. This series will bring together professionals, policymakers, investors, entrepreneurs, and students to explore major topics related to cleantech, and debate how New York can play a bigger role.

For our first event, we ask a simple question that could result in many complicated answers: Can NYC Have a Wind Industry? With a 27.8% increase in installed capacity annually for the past five years, wind is fastest growing energy technology in the world (BTM Consult 2010). The United States is only getting 1.3% of its energy from wind power, a measly number compared to the 20% that the US DOE says is possible. With these numbers demonstrating current success and potential for growth, how does the NYC cleantech community capitalize on this opportunity.

To answer these questions, we hear from the experts;  industry leaders and innovators who are already making strides in wind, and can give us the best view of where wind power stands, where it is going, and how NYC as a cleantech community can be apart of it.

Our panel consists of:
-        David Bragdon, Director of the Mayor’s Office of Long-Term Planning and Sustainability
-        Jonathan Milley, Vice President, Northeast Region, NRG Energy
-        Jacob Susman, CEO of OWN Wind Energy
-        Russell Tencer, CEO of Wind Products, Inc., a recent graduate of the NYC ACRE incubator

The first Clean Energy Connections event, Can NYC Have a Wind Industry? will be held on April 14, 2011 from 7:00-9:00pm at the Jerome L. Greene Performance Space, 44 Charlton Street (at Varick Street), New York, NY, 10014. Doors open at 6:30pm, and a networking reception will follow the event.

General admission is $25, and student admission is $10.  Advanced registration is required at www.cleanecnyc.org.