NYSERDA and Con Edison Select JouleSmart Solutions and Lime Energy to Provide Energy Efficiency Upgrades for Staten Island and Westchester Businesses

Innovative Energy Efficiency Solutions Will Help Small Businesses Improve Building Operations, Save Energy Costs, and Reduce Their Carbon Footprint as Part of the State’s Economic Recovery

July 12, 2021

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), in partnership with Con Edison, today announced the selection of JouleSmart Solutions (JouleSmart) and Lime Energy to deliver energy efficiency upgrades for businesses in Staten Island and Westchester County, as part of Business Energy Pro, an innovative Pay for Performance pilot program designed to transform the way the state invests in energy efficiency. The energy efficiency solutions offered through this public-private collaboration will help New York businesses improve building operations, save on energy costs, and reduce their carbon footprint in support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s nation-leading goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 85 percent by 2050 as outlined in the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (Climate Act).

Janet Joseph, Senior Vice President of Strategy and Market Development, NYSERDA said, “As part of New York’s aggressive strategy to fight climate change, Business Energy Pro provides greater access to innovative energy efficiency solutions that will help commercial customers improve the comfort of their buildings, decrease their energy use and lower greenhouse gas emissions. We are eager to work with Con Edison and our partners, JouleSmart and Lime Energy, in launching this novel pilot program and look forward to realizing its success as we advance energy efficiency and help reduce the carbon footprint of businesses in New York.”

"Working with our customers to reduce their energy usage is a key part of our commitment to helping the state meet its environmental goals,” said Vicki Kuo, Con Edison’s Vice President, Energy Efficiency and Distributed Resource Planning. “Business Energy Pro is an innovative way for commercial customers to upgrade their lighting and equipment to save money, make the work spaces more comfortable for their workers and customers, and reduce emissions.”

Through this pilot program, JouleSmart, working through its market partner mCloud Technologies, and Lime Energy will offer a free facility assessment to eligible small-to-medium sized businesses in both Westchester and Staten Island to provide energy efficiency solutions that are tailored to each individual customer. These solutions, including but not limited to lighting, refrigeration, heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) upgrades and controls, and Wi-Fi thermostats, will help businesses upgrade their buildings and increase comfort to better serve their customers, save on operational costs, and reduce electricity and natural gas use. Both service providers will also offer innovative financing options to help customers offset the costs of energy upgrades.

“Advances in technology have created opportunities to harness the power of data and connectivity to create operational efficiencies across the energy system,” said Maria Fields, president and co-founder of JouleSmart. “JouleSmart was built to leverage these advances to deliver results-based benefits to small and medium businesses, Con Edison, and New York state alike – we are thrilled to be implementing this transformational program.”

“Lime Energy is proud to be working with NYSERDA, Con Edison, and Joule Smart to implement this important and innovative program,” states Tom Pirone, Program Manager for Lime Energy. “By offering customers a more comprehensive energy efficient project that does not require the customer to pay any out-of-pocket expenses is a win-win. The customer improves the look and comfort of their facility and reduces their operations and maintenance costs. Con Edison and NYSERDA incentivize a portion of the project and the remaining project costs are recouped through reduced energy bills.”

Business Energy Pro incentivizes reductions in energy consumption over time as they occur and provides flexibility for solution providers to tailor their services to meet the needs of small business customers. JouleSmart and Lime Energy will be compensated through the program for total energy savings realized over a three-year performance period, with a special emphasis on natural gas reductions in Westchester County. The recurring nature of payments from the program enables service providers to seek continuous improvement by incorporating new solutions that yield impactful results.

This Pay for Performance model pays for actual savings delivered by energy upgrades, an approach that has begun to emerge nationally with significant potential benefits to customers, energy efficiency service providers, and utilities. Traditional energy efficiency incentive programs have fixed rebate structures that are typically based on the type of upgrades installed.

This innovative program is funded through NYSERDA’s $5.3 billion Clean Energy Fund, a core component of New York State’s strategy to achieve a clean, resilient, and affordable energy system for all New Yorkers. For more information, please visit NYSERDA’s website or Con Edison’s website.

Senator Kevin Parker, Chair, Senate Energy and Telecommunications Committee, said, “As we work to support small businesses recover from the pandemic initiatives such as these are imperative to help small businesses recover, saving both their energy expenses and our environment. I applaud NYSERDA and Con Edison for curating a partnership that helps the State reach it’s clean energy goals while making small businesses a priority”

Assembly Member Michael Cusick, Chair, Assembly Energy Committee, said, “The state is working with our local businesses to improve energy efficiency while also working toward our ambitious energy goals. I am glad to see that Staten Island businesses will be directly benefitting from the state’s efforts to improve energy efficiency and decrease emissions.”

Westchester County Executive George Latimer said, “Westchester County has been a leader in reducing its carbon footprint. The Business Energy Pro program puts an emphasis on Westchester County to help businesses improves operations, minimize costs and most of all preserve our environment. These solutions will enable facilities to have access to a safer, responsible source while continuing our effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”

Staten Island Borough President James Oddo said, “When there is a chance to help small businesses on Staten Island, that's always a step in the right direction. Energy costs for businesses are typically high, therefore this program would alleviate the many burdens small to medium businesses have faced since the beginning of the pandemic. It is crucial to provide any assistance possible, and I applaud the efforts of this partnership between NYSERDA and Con Edison to think about the small business owners who truly are the backbone of Staten Island's economy."

New York State's Nation-Leading Climate Plan

Governor Cuomo's nation-leading climate agenda is the most aggressive climate and clean energy initiative in the nation, calling for an orderly and just transition to clean energy that creates jobs and continues fostering a green economy as New York State recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic. Enshrined into law through the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, New York is on a path to achieve its mandated goal of a zero-emission electricity sector by 2040, including 70 percent renewable energy generation by 2030, and to reach economy wide carbon neutrality. It builds on New York's unprecedented investments to ramp-up clean energy including over $21 billion in 91 large-scale renewable projects across the state, $6.8 billion to reduce buildings emissions, $1.8 billion to scale up solar, more than $1 billion for clean transportation initiatives, and over $1.2 billion in NY Green Bank commitments. Combined, these investments are supporting more than 150,000 jobs in New York's clean energy sector in 2019, a 2,100 percent growth in the distributed solar sector since 2011 and a commitment to develop 9,000 megawatts of offshore wind by 2035. Under Governor Cuomo's leadership, New York will build on this progress and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 85 percent from 1990 levels by 2050, while ensuring that at least 35 percent with a goal of 40 percent of the benefits of clean energy investments are directed to disadvantaged communities, and advance progress towards the state's 2025 energy efficiency target of reducing on-site energy consumption by 185 trillion BTUs of end-use energy savings.

About NYSERDA

NYSERDA, a public benefit corporation, offers objective information and analysis, innovative programs, technical expertise, and funding to help New Yorkers increase energy efficiency, save money, use renewable energy, and reduce reliance on fossil fuels. NYSERDA professionals work to protect the environment and create clean-energy jobs. NYSERDA has been developing partnerships to advance innovative energy solutions in New York State since 1975. To learn more about NYSERDA’s programs and funding opportunities, visit nyserda.ny.gov or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, or Instagram.

About Con Edison

Con Edison is a subsidiary of Consolidated Edison, Inc. [NYSE: ED], one of the nation’s largest investor-owned energy companies, with approximately $12 billion in annual revenues and $62 billion in assets. The utility delivers electricity, natural gas and steam to 3.5 million customers in New York City and Westchester County, N.Y. For financial, operations and customer service information, visit www.conEd.com.