Energy Matters

For New Yorkers looking to make the buildings they own, rent or manage energy-efficient, Energy Matters is the one-stop shop for energy-saving resources

Typically, 25-50% of the energy used in buildings is wasted due to easily correctable problems like inadequate insulation, wasteful appliances and inefficient lighting and heating equipment. Making buildings energy efficient:

• Saves money on fuel bills
• Makes buildings healthier and more comfortable to live in
• Makes New York a much greener place, and
• Reduces the emissions that cause global warming!

Buildings generate 79% of New York City's carbon emissions through their energy consumption, and residential buildings alone account for 30% of the city's greenhouse gases.

Buildings that house low- and moderate-income people, including subsidized affordable housing, tend to be among the city's least energy efficient.  In these homes, rising fuel costs pose an especially serious threat. The Pratt Center is committed to educating affordable housing operators about the energy efficiency resources available to them.  We aim for every NYC home to run at its maximum energy efficiency.

Financing for energy improvements for residential buildings:

• Income eligibility guidelines 
• One- to four-family homes financing sources
• Multifamily financing sources
• Retrofit basics
  

Financing for energy improvements for commercial buildings:

• NYSERDA's Commerical and Industrial Programs
• Con Edison's Programs: Small Business, Commercial/Industrial, Demand Response
• February 2010 Report by the Center for an Urban Future on why so few companies have taken advantage of conservation programs
• Additional resources from NYC's Economic Development Corporation
  

Other resources:

• Learn to conduct building energy assessments and upgrades: for contractors, building professionals and managers.
• Energy efficiency calculator: Use your energy bills to figure out how efficiently your building is operating.
• Financing solar power in NYC: New York is now one of the most financially friendly places to install electric solar systems. Learn about solar power, and currently available financial incentives.
• NYSERDA updates: More information about New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) incentives and programs supporting energy retrofits of small homes, apartment buildings, community facilities and commercial spaces.
  
• Managing Lean & Green Workshop materials: Slideshows, applications, manuals, and other resources from energy efficiency workshops in and around New York City.

NYSERDA's Energy $mart^SM Communities Program creates networks of organizations and agencies that contribute to energy-focused neighborhood projects. The program shares economic, environmental and social benefits through energy efficiency and the diversifying of energy resources. Pratt Center is the Energy $mart Communities Coordinator for Brooklyn and Queens.

New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) is a public benefit corporation that strives to reduce energy consumption and improve New York State's economic and environmental wellbeing through the widespread development and use of innovative technologies. The agency is primarily supported by a small fee charged to all consumers on our utility bills. This fee, called a systems benefits charge, was established in 1996 by the Public Services Commission, which regulates electric companies. More information about NYSERDA's programs can be found on www.getenergysmart.org, www.powernaturally.org  and www.nyserda.org .