Solar Tompkins - HeatSmart Tompkins - News

January 2019 ESCO Update

1/14/2019

Renewable Electricity ESCOs

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.

January 2019 ESCO Chart

Solar for All

1/10/2019

The Solar for All program helps renters and homeowners get solar energy at no-cost. Program eligibility is based on your location and household income. More info on the Solar for All program.

December ESCO Update

12/14/2018

A few days ago, the 2017 NYGATS report was finalized. "How exciting!," you say.

What’s a NYGATS report? The New York Generation Attribute Tracking System is an auditing system that verifies electricity generated, imported, and consumed in New York State.

Why should you care? NYGATS spells out each utility’s and ESCO’s “Environmental Disclosure Label”, showing fuel sources and air emissions to generate your electricity. You don’t like what you see? You’re in luck…You can change it!

What are NYSEG’s fuel sources and air emissions? Take a look at the table. Stunning, yes? Over the past decade, our electricity supply continues to be dominated by natural gas, and even with the blessing of our New York hydroelectric power, renewables supply less than 18% of our electricity.

Why not change this to 100%? You CAN! How? Simply by obtaining your supply from an ESCO supplying 100% renewable electricity. See this month’s 100% renewable energy ESCO update.

Can you still do this if you've purchased your own solar panels at your home or in a community solar garden or you subscribe to community solar program? Yes!

You already subscribe to a 100% renewable ESCO? Then please share this link with your climate-smart friends who may not.December ESCO Update.

Information provided by Gerri Wiley, a volunteer with HeatSmart, who provides us with regular reports on vetted suppliers.

Time is still on your side to beat the HeatSmart 2018 Enrollment Deadline on December 15th!

12/14/2018

Yes! Time is still on your side, but don’t let it slip away! Enrollment for the 2018 HeatSmart program continues until midnight tomorrow, Saturday, December 15th. And doing the enrollment form only takes a couple minutes!

Perhaps you have already opened this message and made your own decision to act. But have you shared it with your friends? They deserve HeatSmart too! So please please be our ambassador and forward this message to your friends and acquaintances.

Remember, enrollment carries no obligations and provides a free assessment of the benefits of heating and cooling smart in your home.

Yes, I want to enroll!

Local Activists Promote ‘Energy Smart Community’

12/1/2018

The Ithaca Week at Ithaca College featured a story on how people in Tompkins County are greening up their homes while staying cozy. HeatSmart program director Jonathan Comstock was interviewed for this story.

Fall Update: HeatSmart Tompkins upcoming meetings, home tours, and how to help spread the word!

10/22/2018

Thank you for being a part of the HeatSmart community. Whether you have started on the path to switch from space and water heating fueled by oil, propane, and natural gas to high-efficiency heat pumps, or you are just learning about it, we want to remind you that we are here to help you with information, education, home tours and access to vetted installers. We know how important it is to keep your home warm and cozy while keeping costs down!

The good news is the time is NOW to make the switch to heat pumps, the prices are lower and the incentives even higher.

We have a favor we would like to ask of you: We need your help in bringing more people to HeatSmart meetings to learn about how they can make these improvements.

As you are already “HeatSmart” you are the perfect ambassador to share our meeting notices and home tours to your friends and networks. And if you didn't get a heat pump system installed yet, you can still do it too.

Would you visit our Facebook events section on Facebook and share an upcoming HeatSmart meeting with your friends, especially ones who may be interested in learning more about the benefits of heat pumps? Even if you can’t attend an event, showing you are interested helps create more buzz. Just click “interested.”

Events section: https://www.facebook.com/pg/SolarTompkins/events/

We would also ask if you could share out our events on relevant email listservs and Facebook groups. See below for information we have prepared that you can copy and share.

Every little bit helps! Thank you for helping to spread the word!

Email a friend! Use this template to help more people get HeatSmart.

Suggested email:

SUBJECT HEADLINE: HeatSmart Tompkins Community Meeting – Heat Pumps for home heating and cooling – attend an upcoming program on _____

[Please ADD an UPCOMING DATE] 10/23, 11/1, 11/8, 11/20

BODY TEXT:

Are you looking to save on your home heating and cooling bills? Do you want to improve the comfort and air quality in your home? Are you trying to reduce reliance on fossil fuels?

HeatSmart Tompkins is a non-profit community organization that helps you navigate the heat pump technologies, answer your questions, and introduce you to vetted partner installers. They host community meetings and home tours to help people get informed.

HeatSmart Tompkins is holding community meetings and home tours in Tompkins County, Tioga County, and Chemung County. Visit their schedule online and find one convenient for you: http://www.solartompkins.org/community-meetings.html

Upcoming Meetings

Oct 23 (Tues) — Dryden
Varna Community Center
943 Dryden Road, Ithaca, NY 14850
6:30pm-8:30pm
Join and share our Facebook event.

Nov 1 (Thur) — City of Ithaca
Tompkins County Public Library, Borg Warner Room
101 E Green St, Ithaca, NY 14850
6:30pm-8:30pm
Join and share our Facebook event.

Nov 8 (Thur) Van-Etten (Chemung County)
Van Etten Community Center
6 Gee St./NY34, Van Etten, NY
6:30-8:30pm
Join and share our Facebook event.

Nov 20 (Tues) - Groton
Groton Public Library
112 E. Cortland St., Groton, NY 13073
Join and share our Facebook event.

Upcoming Tours

Saturday, Oct. 27th, 10am-noon
David Weinstein and Christina Stark
Heat Pump(s): 5-ton GSHP for space heating & cooling and hot water. Solar tracking solar panel array.
51 Freese Road, Ithaca, NY 14850
(Please park across the street from the house)
Join and share our Facebook event.

Saturday, Nov. 10th, 10am-noon
Charlie and Kathy Woodcock
Heat Pump(s): 3-ton Air source heat pump whole-home system; includes both multi-zone and single-zone units
167 Crescent Place, Ithaca, NY 14850
Join and share our Facebook event.

Geothermal Tax Credit and Incentive

10/22/2018

This year is perhaps the Best Year Ever for installing geothermal. Last year, people who bought geothermal systems got a wonderful surprise just before tax time. The federal 30% tax credit was restored and they got an unexpected $10 thousand dollars or more to subtract from their tax bills.

If you didn’t buy your system last year, it’s not too late to get a great deal, but act this year. Only for this next year do we have the combination of the NYSERDA incentive AND the federal tax credit, because the NYSERDA incentive will expire in 2019. So don’t miss out. There are some great deals to be had by acting now!

Go to link: NYSERDA incentive
Go to link: Federal Tax Credit

Meeting Our Climate Goals - with geothermal energy expert Jay Egg

9/28/2018

Jay Egg of Egg Geothermal discusses the basics of geothermal and examines how far geothermal can go towards a renewable energy future.

Presented by the Tompkins County Environmental Management Council and HeatSmart Tompkins.
Co-sponsored by Campaign for Renewable Energy, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County, Sustainable Tompkins, Tompkins County Climate Protection Initiative (TCCPI).

Workshop 10/24: Commercial Energy

9/26/2018

Commercial Energy Workshop
Wednesday, October 24, from 3 – 5 PM
BorgWarner East Room, Tompkins County Public Library (101 E. Green St., Ithaca)

Join us at the Commercial Energy Workshop, a FREE two-hour workshop intended to introduce various programs that can help businesses save energy and money.

For more information, please see the attached workshop flyer, and RSVP to Andrea Aguirre (gaguirre@tompkins-co.org) by Monday, October 15. Light refreshments will be provided.

Workshop 10/10: Clean Heating & Cooling for your Building

9/26/2018

Clean Heating and Cooling Workshop
Wednesday, October 10, from 5 – 7 PM
REV Ithaca Startup Works (314 E. State St., Ithaca)

Do you own or manage a business or rental units? Come learn how heat pumps can heat and cool your building at this FREE event. These super-efficient systems can save you money and keep your building occupants more comfortable all year long!

Presenters include representatives from Energize NY, NYSERDA, Mitsubishi, Empower Equity, and the Tompkins County Department of Planning and Sustainability. Brought to you by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County, the Landlords Association of Tompkins County, and HeatSmart Tompkins.