Renovating with Efficiency in Mind
If you’re planning or undergoing a home renovation or upgrade, include energy performance enhancements to improve your project’s return on investment and save you time and money in the future. Energy-efficient homes lower your total cost of ownership and are more comfortable year-round.
Benefits for Homeowners
Making a home renovation or upgrade with efficiency in mind offers many benefits:
- Save money on future energy bills
- Reduce maintenance time and costs
- Enjoy year-round comfort with consistent temperatures and better air quality
- Improve the health and safety of your home with a reduced risk of allergens
Follow the renovator’s efficiency steps below before and during your project.
Get a free professional home energy assessment
In coordination with your renovation or upgrade, get a free professional home energy assessment. An assessment will help you better understand your home’s energy performance. This includes where your home is efficient and where it is wasting energy, which systems are working properly and which are not, and which upgrades may be needed.
Make sure the auditor knows about your renovation plans. The auditor can help you understand and prioritize what energy efficiency upgrades to make in coordination with your planned renovation. Ask the auditor what upgrades will help you get the greatest return on investment out of your renovation—helping lower the total cost of ownership of your home.
Schedule your free energy assessment
Determine whether your heating, cooling, or hot water system needs to be replaced or upgraded to support your renovation
Depending on the type of renovation you are planning, it could be a good time to consider upgrading your home’s heating, cooling, or hot water system. For example, a new addition will increase the demand on your heating and cooling systems. Similarly, new plumbing fixtures and appliances may increase your home’s hot water demand. Ask your contractor or an energy auditor if you should consider upgrading any of your systems.
You can also view NYSERDA’s Heating and Cooling Guide [PDF] to determine whether any of your systems need to be replaced. If one does, consider replacing it with newer energy efficient clean heating and cooling heat pumps. Heat pumps are a safer, more efficient choice for your home with no burning of fossil fuels, no need for fuel storage tanks, and no potential for carbon monoxide emissions. Heat pump water heaters are also available to provide a clean energy option to meet your home’s hot water needs. Work with a professional contractor to determine whether a heat pump is right for your home.
The benefits of heat pumps and heat pump water heaters, incentives, tax credits, financing options, and the ability to compare your options are available on the NYS Clean Heat website.
Visit NYS Clean Heat to learn more 
Ask your home renovation contractor about incorporating weatherization upgrades
If you are adding, removing, or altering floors, ceilings, or exterior walls during the renovation, ask your contractor about making weatherization upgrades. This could include upgrading insulation and sealing any air leaks. Air sealing and insulation are two of the most cost-effective ways to save energy in a home.
Also consider improving the energy efficiency of your existing windows, skylights, and doors by upgrading to ENERGY STAR® certified windows. You can also add insulated shades to retain heat in winter or exterior shading devices to keep cool in the summer. Heat gain and loss through windows is responsible for 25–30 percent of residential heating and cooling energy use. If you are replacing or adding windows and doors, look for ENERGY STAR certified products. These products can reduce energy bills by an average of 10 percent in New York compared to non-certified products.
Learn more about air sealing and insulation.
Upgrade to energy-efficient appliances and lighting
If your appliances are old and inefficient, consider upgrading to ENERGY STAR® certified appliances. ENERGY STAR® certifies efficient appliances for every room that you may be remodeling or upgrading. During your renovation, it’s also a great time to make lighting system upgrades, such as installing LEDs, timers, or smart switches. Energy-efficient light bulbs use less energy, cost less to operate, and can last up to 25 years longer than conventional lighting options.
Learn more about energy-efficient appliances and lighting.
Take the first step—use NYSERDA’s Renovation Guide [PDF] for a full list of energy efficiency considerations during a project.
Ride into the Future in an Electric Car
If you are researching or actively shopping for an electric vehicle (EV), your timing is excellent. New York’s Drive Clean Rebate offers up to $2,000 for new car purchases or leases. Federal Tax Credits of up to $7,500 may also be available to you.
Benefits for Electric Vehicle Drivers
With more than 60 models to choose from that qualify for the Drive Clean Rebate, you’ll find an electric car that fits your style, budget and driving needs:
- Save money by leveraging NYS and Federal incentives
- Reduce maintenance time and costs. No oil changes or trips to the gas station
- Be inspired by the quiet ride, fast and smooth acceleration
- Improve the air quality in your neighborhood with reduced greenhouse gas emissions
Learn more about electric vehicles.
Charge Overnight and On-the-Go
New York State is actively investing in charging station infrastructure. Electric car drivers are typically charging overnight at home, while out and about at public and private locations in their community, and more and more are even able to charge at their place of work.
Charging Information
Charging up an electric car is meant to be convenient and easy. Charging stations are popping up all over the State, from one’s home or apartment to where they dine, where they shop, and where they conduct business and are employed.
- Thousands of charging stations are available throughout all part of New York State with more on the way all the time
- Incentives are available to site owners of commercial properties, public facilities, and similar sites to increase the number of charging stations in the future
- Satisfy electric vehicle drivers of all types who are out and about, taking in the sights and getting errands and business done at locations where they can “top off” with a charge
- Change the way you fuel your car, it will change your life, and make your community a better place in which to live, work and play