NYSERDA has $34 million to promote Net Zero houses

ALBANY, NEW YORK — The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority has announced  that significantly higher incentives are now available through its Low-Rise Residential New Construction Program to encourage construction of highly energy-efficient homes. NYSERDA will, for the first time, offer incentives for homes designed to achieve net zero energy performance.

Qualifying technologies and techniques includes solar PV and solar thermal for both space heating and domestic hot water; ground- and air-source heat pumps and energy recovery ventilators; increased insulation along with air sealing and better weatherstripping; building orientation, glazing and shading to either encourage helpful solar gain or shade unwanted solar gain; integrated lighting including LEDs; and high efficiency appliances.

Over the past 13 years, NYSERDA has supported the construction of more than 25,000 energy-efficient homes, garnering practical experience in achieving increasingly rigorous standards to reduce energy consumption, airborne carbon emissions and dependency on imported fossil fuels. NYSERDA has also worked extensively with builders, and materials and equipment suppliers to advance the state of building science, and provides detailed technical support along with financial incentives that reflect and support increasing efficiency standards.

NYSERDA says that its Energy Star Certified homes will serve as the baseline while it pursues the more ambitious Net Zero initiative.