By Gay Nicholson, Sustainable Tompkins

For a long time, there’s been a presumption that getting off fossil fuels was something only the wealthy could accomplish. But that is changing, and there are growing opportunities for lower-income residents to lead the way by making their homes zero carbon via air-source heat pump heating systems and signing up for solar electricity.

The mission of the Finger Lakes Climate Fund (FLCF) run by Sustainable Tompkins is to make sure that nobody is left behind in the transition to a clean energy economy. And one of the best ways to do that is to lower the cost barriers for access to high-efficiency equipment that can be run on renewable energy. The Climate Fund has been doing that since 2010 by giving grants to those who need help making energy improvements.

Together, donors to the Climate Fund have funded 32 awards worth more than $53,000 that will prevent almost 2,500 tons of CO2 from entering our atmosphere. Of course, the benefits to the grant recipients are multiple – safer, healthier, more comfortable homes with lower energy bills. Not to mention the green jobs that are supported locally by making the projects possible.
From 2019-2021, Sustainable Tompkins is partnering with HeatSmart Tompkins and NYSERDA to bring the positive benefits of heat pump technology to low-to-moderate-income (LMI) families throughout our community.

Over the past three years, the ultra-high efficiency of heat pump technology has been funded in over 70% of the Climate Fund grants awarded. But the upfront price of this technology still remains out of reach for many. A two-year grant from NYSERDA will provide funds to combine additional incentives for heat pumps with carbon offset grants to bring down the price and help dozens more families make their home energy clean, green and affordable.

Heat pumps operate just like a refrigerator – but in reverse. Instead of burning a fuel, they simply extract heat out of the air or ground and transfer it via a heat exchanger, where it is compressed to reach the desired temperature for heating a home or to make hot water.

This results in significant energy savings because there isn’t as much work to do to heat the air or water. As a result, a heat pump water heater uses only about one third as much energy for your hot shower. The savings just keep accumulating with each year. A big bonus is that heat pumps can also cool your house in the summer – just by operating in reverse, like your refrigerator.

While funding lasts, Sustainable Tompkins will be offering a substantial additional incentive of $2,000 per air-source heat pump system and $300 per heat pump water heater. This incentive will be combined with a carbon offset grant for the entire work scope of energy improvements being made on the home (such as insulation, air sealing, and replacement of existing equipment).

The size of the grant depends on the amount of carbon that will be kept out of the atmosphere by making the improvements but typically runs between $1,500 and $2,500. For those who are just in need of a new water heater, the carbon offset grant will be standardized at $200 – providing a total of $500 toward the price of a heat pump water heater.

Who qualifies for these incentives from Sustainable Tompkins? Anyone making 80% or less of the county median income for their household size.
How do you apply? Simply enroll at the HeatSmart Tompkins website where you can pick one of the certified contractors and ask that they apply on your behalf to Sustainable Tompkins for the extra incentives. You can also read about the other incentives that everyone gets from NYSERDA and from NYSEG on their site. Applicants from Tompkins County and the adjacent towns of the surrounding counties are invited to apply.

If your water heater is more than a few years old, and you are income qualified, the cost to you for having a heat pump water heater installed will be less than buying a fossil fuel model and having to install it yourself.

The air-source heat pumps are most cost-effective for lower-income residents when they are used to replace propane, fuel oil or electric resistance heating systems.

Sustainable Tompkins has already given out two incentive packages to households in the villages of Spencer and Trumansburg for new heat pump systems and insulation packages, and two more are in the works.

Ready to study up on heat pumps? There’s a wealth of information on the HeatSmart website about this evolving technology that is allowing New Yorkers to make their entire home clean, green, and affordable. Anyone with an aging water heater or a propane, fuel oil, or electric resistance heating system should enroll and get a free energy assessment of what can be done to make your home climate smart. Check it out at HeatSmartTompkins.org/climatefund.

If you have questions about the program that can’t be answered by a HeatSmart contractor, email Marisa@sustainabletompkins.org or leave her a message at 607-272-1720 to find out more.

​Gay Nicholson is the president of Sustainable Tompkins, where this article was first published in December of 2019. This is the latest installment of the Signs of Sustainability series produced by Sustainable Tompkins. For more information about the organization, visit their website at SustainableTompkins.org.

By Gerri Wiley, Energy Navigator and HeatSmart Volunteer

Note: To power your home with renewable energy, see the most recent Subscription Community Solar update and 100% Renewable Electricity update.

Hello Green Beings 

You’ll note no significant changes this month.
You may have been receiving this monthly update for quite some time now. Thus, you may be thinking, “Why would I want to continue to receive these updates when I’ve already made a decision on an ESCO and/or Subscription Community Solar plan?
-          If you now have a fixed term ESCO, it’s a good idea to learn what’s out there at the end of that term at which point it changes to a variable rate. If you have a variable term ESCO, it’s good to stayed tuned to what’s out there in the fixed term world (if anything), if for no other reason than to reassure yourself that you’re on the right track.
-          If you now subscribe to a Community Solar project, it’s a good idea to learn what’s out there so that you can share information with a friend and thus, increase the impact of your personal efforts.

I’m here for any and all energy questions you may have. If I don’t have an answer, we can learn together!

By Gerri Wiley, Energy Navigator and HeatSmart Volunteer

Note: To power your home with renewable energy, see the most recent Subscription Community Solar update and 100% Renewable Electricity update.

Happy February, Green Beings! 

Do you know people who’d like to help push renewables forward by subscribing to a community solar project and/or contracting with a renewable electricity ESCO, yet they’re stuck? Confused? Still receiving NYSEG’s fracked shale gas-dominant default plan?

In this post, I plan to accomplish the following:
1 - Clarify some points of confusion
2 - Tell you what is new in ESCO and Subscription Solar-land
3 - Ask for your assistance

So let’s not waste any time:

1 - Clarifications

Unless you have purchased your own solar panels on your property or someone else’s property, you are eligible to subscribe to a Community Solar project.

Everyone is eligible to contract with a 100% Renewable Electricity ESCO, whether or not they have purchased solar panels or subscribed to a Community Solar project. Any kilowatt-hours not covered by your solar panel allocation will be covered by your ESCO.

Your fixed rate ESCO will change to a variable rate at the end of the contract period.

It is a good idea to ‘go shopping’ ( i.e. review your ESCO options) annually, particularly before the end of a fixed contract. When you’re ready to do that, locate the most recent ESCO update under the Renewable Energy resource tab here on the HeatSmart Tompkins website. 

There are renewable options for churches and small businesses. Call me: 607-342-3159.

2a – What is NEW this month in ESCO-land?
Following the New York Public Service Commission’s December ESCO order, utilities and ESCOs have filed requests for extended time for compliance. In a few months, we should learn the outcome and which ESCOs are able to comply with the order and thus able to serve us. At this time, the sole surviving ESCO offering a 100% Renewable Electricity plan at a reasonable rate is Energy Cooperative of America (ECA).

2b – What is NEW this month on the Subscription Community Solar chart?
First, there are several new categories to help folks see how the various companies differ. Second, Solar Farms NY and Blue Rock Solar have been added. Why? Improved customer service plus the fact that DRS and Nexamp’s current projects are filled…Yes, you can still sign up for their next projects.

3 - Could I have your assistance please? Are you signed up with an ESCO or Subscription Solar project? If so, which one(s) and what has been your experience? If not, what is holding you back? Do you have questions? Concerns? May I help?

By Gerri Wiley, Energy Navigator and HeatSmart Volunteer

Happy December, Green Beings! 
Visit our Community Solar and 100% Renewable Electricity ESCO pages for the latest updates.

This month, let’s review why you, your family and friends, may wish to sign up for either or both options:
Why would you want to subscribe to a Community Solar Project?
1 - You’ll save money!
2 - You’ll green the grid.
3 - You’ll support local jobs.
What’s not to like here?!
For those who’ve purchased solar panels on your property or on a solar farm, that’s fantastic! Unfortunately, you can’t also subscribe to a community solar project as you electrify your home and car. However…do not fret! Consider a 100% renewable electricity ESCO to supplement your needs.
Why would you want to subscribe to a 100% Renewable Electricity ESCO?
1 - NYSEG’s default electricity purchase on our behalf consists of less than 19% renewables. The most recent NYGATS (New York Generation Attribution Tracking System) report, published November 22, 2019: 41% methane gas, 35% nuclear, 15% hydro, 4% coal, 3% wind, <1% solar, 1% other.
2 - During the shorter days of winter, your solar panels on your property or at a community solar project may not cover your entire electricity usage. Or perhaps you purchased solar panels before your electrified your heating system or purchased an electric vehicle and have insufficient space for additional solar panels to cover the increased electric usage. ESCO to the rescue!
3 - If you subscribe to a community solar project, your discount is off both NYSEG’s supply AND DELIVERY cost! If your electricity ESCO is included on your NYSEG bill, your community solar discount is applied to your ESCO.
4 - Yes, it personally feels good to go green, but NYSEG’s electricity sources have been essentially the same since 2006 LINK and unless we, the people, green the electricity grid, it’s not going to happen. Let’s do it!
Electricity ESCOs must meet the following criteria to appear on the chart:
-100% renewably-sourced electricity
-Produced in New York State, as documented by the most recent NYGATS report
-No substantive negative practices by the company
-12 month fixed rate or variable rate
-Fixed price (or 12 month average price for companies with variable rates) is less than one cent/kWh higher than NYSEG’s default 12 month average variable rate for its ‘traditional mix’
In summary, since I have my two front teeth, all I want for Christmas is for you to sign up for a 100% renewable electricity ESCO AND (if you have not purchased solar panels), subscribe to a Community Solar project. As Greta Thunberg would say, “Don’t listen to me…Listen to the science!”

Here's our October 100% Renewable Electricity ESCO and subscription Community Solar updates from HeatSmart Tompkins volunteer and Energy Navigator Gerri Wiley.

Take a look at the opportunities to select a 100% renewable electricity supplier at great rates. Note, not all ESCOs are 100% renewable, but these selections are.

​As a reminder, New Yorkers have had the opportunity to shop for their electricity supplier since the late 1990s. The New York Public Service Commission (PSC) started by ‘unbundling’ your energy bill, separating charges for delivering energy to your home from charges for the energy itself. 

What’s up this month? See updates: 
COMMUNITY SOLAR INFORMATION & LATEST CHART
RENEWABLE ELECTRICITY ESCO INFORMATION & LATEST CHART

In the ESCO world
The only change this month are the prices. The two strongest and lowest cost 100% Renewable Electricity Suppliers continue to be Energy Coop of America (ECA) and Clearview. Be sure to check the attached update for details so that you can acquire the correct plan at the lowest cost.
Reminder: ECA continues to offer a fixed low rate to organizations and commercial NYSEG customers, so let me know if you would like ECA to quote you a price for your organization or business.
​
In the Community Solar world
No changes at all this month. Delaware River Solar and Nexamp continue to lead the pack in terms of continued development and consumer discounts.

What’s new for the month? 
See September updates:
COMMUNITY SOLAR INFORMATION & LATEST CHART
RENEWABLE ELECTRICITY ESCO INFORMATION & LATEST CHART
 
​In the ESCO world
Clean Choice Energy, after several months ‘on probation’, is off the chart. Why?
It has priced itself out of the market. After 3 months with a cost (by phone) of 5.1 cent/kWh, it is now 9.2 cents/kWh! 

Note: Prices listed on the chart are quotes for new customers. If you now contract with Clean Choice Energy at a fixed rate, your rate won’t change. 

Reminder: ECA continues to offer a fixed low rate to organizations and commercial NYSEG customers. So contact Gerri if you would like ECA to quote you a price for your organization or business.

In the Community Solar world
Flyers, robocalls, and social media posts, oh my! Some Subscription Community solar companies are bombarding us with ads asking us to choose them as electricity supplier. I’ve been receiving countless requests for my thoughts on these companies. Let me simply say that if a company is not listed on the Subscription Community Solar chart, (just as with the ESCO chart) there is a reason. In the case of Solar Farms NY, it is the amount of discount off your NYSEG bill. The companies on the chart offer 10%. Solar Farms, NY offers 5%.

Reminder: Take a look at the bottom of the FAQ sheet. Know that you can save even more money than you can with subscription solar. How? By purchasing solar panels…either on your own property or on a solar company’s property. This month, ETM Solar Works is moving to stage II of its Five Star Storage rooftop community solar project in Johnson City and they are signing up customers now.

​All in all
As always, your feedback is a tremendous help to me. I have several ways to evaluate ESCOs and Community Solar companies and one of them is via your personal experience.

August 100% Renewable Electricity ESCO and Subscription Community Solar Updates from HeatSmart Tompkins volunteer Gerri Wiley:

Gerri asks that you share details of your experiences with ESCOs and community solar developers. Use our contact form to drop a line.

Note: Low, fixed ESCO rates are available to businesses and non-profits from Energy Cooperative of America, located in Amherst, NY. If you know of a business or non-profit organization wanting a fixed low 100% renewable energy rate, let Gerri know. 

HeatSmart Tompkins is excited to celebrate the launch of its Lansing program!
Please join us for a fun and informative afternoon.


When: Sunday, August 4th, 2019 | 3:00-6:00 pm

Where: Myers Park in Pavilion E, 1 Lansing Park Rd., Lansing, NY 14882

What: Spend an afternoon by the lake getting to know the HeatSmart coordinators and trusted installers, and enjoy the opportunity to familiarize yourself with special NYSERDA incentives currently offered to Lansing residents that make air and ground source heating so attractive and attainable.  Bring your friends and your neighbors to explore the possibilities of comfortable, cost-effective, and climate-friendly home heating and cooling. There will be tasty snacks, refreshments, and door prizes.

How Much? The Launch Party is FREE and you can enroll for a FREE home assessment too.

Let HeatSmart be your guide!

HeatSmart Tompkins, a non-profit community organization that advocates for greener and cheaper home heating and cooling systems, offers community education, home tours, access to vetted installers. and home assessments to help homeowners navigate these technologies.

1)      You’ll see that Clean Choice Energy remains on July’s chart, even though it is still on my ‘probation list’. Why consider this company? Because TODAY, they still offer a 12 month fixed low price of 5.1 cents per kWh. Granted, we don’t know how long that price will hold. Also, note that their online price is 8.0 cents per kWh, so you’d want to nab the 5.1 cent price by calling them.

2)      Very exciting news on the Energy Coop of America (ECA) front. Along with offering a variable, but reasonable residential rate, they can offer non-profit organizations a FIXED low rate for the same 100% renewable electricity product. So, listen carefully: If you are a board member of a library, municipality, museum, or church or simply wish to offer their board the opportunity for a fixed low rate on renewable electricity, please let me know!

3)      We have a new Subscription Community Solar company offering 10% reduction from NYSEG’s supply and delivery price: Common Energy. Their current solar project is in Catlin, Chemung County and they welcome sign-ups.

A few comments from HeatSmart volunteer Gerri Wiley:

​ESCO or Subscription Community Solar…Which should you sign up with?
You can sign up with both unless you have your own solar panels, in which case you may not subscribe to Community Solar. A 100% Renewable Electricity ESCO can cover those extra kilowatt-hours that your solar panels may not be producing.  

When your ESCO is removed from the list
Some of you were disappointed to see that your current 100% renewable electricity ESCO was no longer on the list. A few wondered if they should shift to another ESCO. My advice in regard to a fixed rate ESCO with a cancellation fee? Wait until the end of your contract. There's no need to make an emergency switch. 

Mark your calendar
Fixed price ESCOs turn into variable rate ESCOs at the end of the contract period. Therefore, note the end date of your contract and renew your contract with the same ESCO or decide on another. To help you decide, call your ESCO and ask their renewal price. Compare it with others on the 100% renewable electricity ESCO chart.
For the most up-to-date renewable electricity ESCOs and subscription community solar updates, go to the ESCO page or the Community Solar page and download the latest charts.

Power on…
(renewably, of course!)

Shut the refrigerator door! There's a refrigeration summit coming to Tompkins County Public Library on May 23.

Hosted by KeepItCoolTompkins.org a student-run organization dedicated to mitigating the effects of hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) gas in Tompkins County.

Find out more about the future of sustainable refrigeration at this summit.

We have a new resource for you! Just like our ESCO resource to help you navigate renewable electricity suppliers, we have an FAQ for community solar subscription projects available to you, a chart detailing what's available, and information about how you can choose both a renewable energy supplier and subscribe to a community solar project.

Visit the Community Solar FAQ page and download the handy chart.
Hat tip to HeatSmart volunteer Gerri Wiley for providing this resource!

Here is the monthly update on 100% renewable electricity ESCOs (Energy Supply Companies). Visit our ESCO resource page for the April chart.

Our HeatSmart volunteer Gerri Wiley, who provides this information for your consideration, has removed Clean Choice Energy from the ESCO list.

Why? This month Clean Choice Energy advertises four different prices for exactly the same 12 month fixed rate 99% wind/1% solar plan: 5.90 cents/kWh by phone, 6.40 cents/kWh stated on the New York State Power to Choose website, 7.50 cents/kWh on their own website, and 10.8 cents on their mailed flyer. 

Thus, we are left with two 100% renewable electricity ESCOs: 

1) the reasonable, but variable rate Energy Coop of America (who will make this a fixed rate - budget billing - if you ask. You also need to let NYSEG know to coordinate and fix the their delivery price) and

2) Clearview Energy with an online fixed rate of 5.09 cents/kWh that matches Municipal Electric and Gas Alliance's (MEGA) fossil-nuke plan if your municipality is one of those aggregated (and aggravated) by this supposed CCA venture. Yes...that's right...Clearview's 100% hydropower rate is the same as MEGA's 86% fossil-nuke plan.
​
Note...With fixed price ESCOs, mark your calendar. When the 12 month contract period expires, your fixed rate becomes variable. To avoid surprises, re-evaluate your choices at the end of the contract period. 
​
View our FAQ page for more information about ESCOs.

By Jonathan Comstock, Director, HeatSmart Tompkins

You already loved Purity Ice Cream, but now you can love them even more. When the owners of the iconic Ithaca institution renovated their shop, they decided to scoop out a little happiness for the planet, too. Today, Purity heats and cools its entire operation with high-efficiency ground source heat pumps, and it powers those pumps – not to mention its lights, machinery, and appliances – entirely with solar energy.

When we at Solar Tompkins considered nominees for our first HeatSmart Award for Outstanding Earth Stewardship, Purity was a natural choice.
For co-owner Bruce Lane, ground source (also known as geothermal) heat pumps were the perfect answer for a year-round business that consumes a considerable amount of energy. Not only have the heat pumps drastically reduced the company’s greenhouse gas emissions, but they have also made life more comfortable for customers and employees alike.

“Geothermal is almost like magic,” Lane marveled. “Most of the energy for heating comes from the earth and is available for free. And cooling with geothermal is so inexpensive that we could even afford to air-condition the kitchens, something that restaurants rarely do because of the cost.”

Solar Tompkins created the earth stewardship award to help spread the news about the magic of heat pumps and related technologies.

“People are taking action in both the private and commercial arenas all over our county, and we all need to know about it, and celebrate it, and think about how we can each be part of this progress,” said Brian Eden, chair of the Solar Tompkins Board.

Solar Tompkins is a local nonprofit led by volunteers and funded by donations and grants. The award, and indeed all our work, is intended to accelerate the global process of “beneficial electrification,” which combines renewable electricity generation with high-efficiency electric alternatives for heating and cooling buildings, fueling vehicles, and powering industry.

Beneficial electrification is the path we urgently need to take if we are to reduce climate-damaging greenhouse gas emissions. The good news is that it is a broad one with room enough for all of us.

Solar Tompkins has been traveling this path since our founding five years ago. We began by facilitating the adoption of solar panels by local homeowners and businesses. In just two years, the program more than tripled the number of photovoltaic installations in Tompkins County. Our success can plainly be seen today on rooftops and in yards throughout our region, and in the number of companies now offering solar services.

As awareness of solar technology grew, and as community and commercial solar farms began to flourish, we decided to shift our focus to heating and cooling. After all, most of us heat our homes by burning fossil fuels in our basements, and those of us who use air conditioning tend to power it with electricity from fossil fuel-burning plants. In fact, heating and cooling together account for roughly 70 percent of all residential greenhouse gas emissions in Tompkins County.

HeatSmart Tompkins organizes publicity campaigns, community meetings, and public tours of homes and businesses with heat pump systems. We vet installers who work one-on-one with property owners to assess and improve the efficiency of their buildings, and then, where appropriate, install air or ground source heat pumps for heating, cooling, and even hot water. We make no money on the installations we help to arrange.

Heat pumps aren’t as visible as solar panels, but more and more area homeowners, developers, and business owners are making the switch, just as Purity Ice Cream did.

And with good reason. Heat pumps are clean, healthy, safe, and highly efficient. They provide cooling and dehumidification as well as heating. While sizing, cost, and other specifications will vary from building to building, business owners and homeowners with oil, propane, or electric baseboard systems can often save money by switching over. When powered by renewable electricity, heat pumps are virtually emissions-free.

Our innovative HeatSmart program has not just begun to move the home heating and cooling market in Tompkins County and surrounding areas; it has also become a model for organizations in other communities across the Northeast.

We hope the HeatSmart Award for Outstanding Earth Stewardship will help raise awareness even further. If you own or know of a business or facility that might qualify, send me your story at jonathan@solartompkins.org. And keep your eyes out for our next HeatSmart campaign, which will launch after May 1. For more information, visit us at solartompkins.org.

Remember, there’s no sense in waiting for solutions to climate change. The solutions are waiting for us!

Here is the monthly update on 100% renewable electricity ESCOs (Energy Supply Companies). There are no major changes this month...just the usual price updates for new customers. 
​
Note...With fixed price ESCOs, mark your calendar. When the 12 month contract period expires, your fixed rate becomes variable. To avoid surprises, re-evaluate your choices at the end of the contract period. 
​
View our FAQ page for more information about ESCOs.

See our resource and FAQ page for more info. ​

New Yorkers have had the opportunity to shop for their electricity supplier since the late 1990s. The New York Public Service Commission (PSC) started by ‘unbundling’ your energy bill, separating charges for delivering energy to your home from charges for the energy itself.

Although you are able to shop for your electricity and select your favorite ESCO, about 80% of residential customers allow NYSEG to supply their electricity. No matter from whom who you choose to buy energy, your local utility will continue to deliver your electricity and respond to service interruptions and outages. You will still pay your utility for these services.

​See our resource and FAQ page for more info.