NYSERDA Announces Benchmarking Initiative

Long Island Exchange
April 20, 2011

To Help Commercial and Multifamily Building Owners Reduce Energy Use, Control CostsMore Than $7 Million Available to Support Energy Benchmarking Services That Will Help Building Owners Reduce Energy Costs

(Long Island, N.Y.) The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) today launched a pilot to help the commercial building sector and multifamily buildings reduce their energy use, save on operating costs and cut greenhouse gas emissions.  

Under the FlexTech Benchmarking Pilot, eligible customers will receive energy benchmarking and onsite energy assessments that will provide recommendations on low-cost building system upgrades. 

“As energy prices continue to rise, benchmarking a building’s energy consumption is an important tool for building owners to help control costs and protect our environment,” said Francis J. Murray Jr., President and CEO of NYSERDA. “We encourage building owners to participate in this pilot.”

Benchmarking can be a gateway to engaging in energy efficiency and can enable building owners, property managers and facility operators to better understand and manage energy consumption. It will also help applicable New York City facilities comply with Local Law 84, a component of the Greener, Greater Buildings Plan that requires building owners to benchmark energy consumption.  
 
The pilot augments traditional NYSERDA FlexTech incentives by providing commercial, industrial and institutional applicants up to $7,000 in benchmarking services per site with no cost-share. For larger projects, the costs above $7,000 will be shared by NYSERDA and the applicant. Multifamily applicants may receive up to $3,000 in benchmarking services per site with no cost-share.

Commercial, industrial and institutional facilities equal to or greater than 50,000 square-feet that pay into the electric System Benefits Charge are eligible to participate in the pilot program. For more information visit,http://www.nyserda.org/programs/flextech.asp.

Multifamily buildings that pay into the electric System Benefits Charge are also eligible to participate in the benchmarking pilot. Visit NYSERDA’s Multifamily webpage,http://www.getenergysmart.org/MultiFamilyHomes/Default.aspxf, for more information....