Under RetrofitNY, a $30 million program funded over 10 years and made available through the State’s Clean Energy Fund, the state is working aggressively to bring a substantial portion of New York’s affordable housing units to or near net-zero energy over the next decade. Net-zero energy buildings consume no more energy, on an annual basis, than they produce onsite through renewable energy technologies like solar panels or other distributed energy resources. These retrofit solutions will also serve as an important tool to help preserve a large number of affordable housing units throughout the State, and improve their residents’ health, comfort and quality of life.
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority has issued a Request for Proposals seeking experienced design/construction teams to develop very high performance retrofit solutions for up to six multifamily affordable housing buildings across the State. Design solutions will be required to exclude the use of fossil fuels onsite, demonstrate they are cost-effective, be standardized, scalable and aesthetically pleasing.
As part of the RFP, NYSERDA will establish separate scoring committees to qualify solution-provider teams to design high-performance retrofit solutions, and to qualify buildings to serve as models for those prototype retrofit designs. Six awards of $75,000 will be given to qualified solution-provider teams to design net-zero (or near net-zero) energy retrofits for six selected prototype buildings.
To be qualified, buildings must be affordable housing multifamily buildings no taller than seven stories for which a substantial rehabilitation or comparable work is already being planned within the next 12-24 months. Buildings for which a retrofit design is completed may also be eligible for project funding through a separate solicitation NYSERDA plans to issue later this year for the construction and implementation of the prototype retrofits.
