Podcasts Technology AWESome EarthKind Power of Earth - Ep 4 - Clean Heat: Accelerating the Decarbonization of Buildings in New York State - with Scott Smith, NYSERDA

Power of Earth - Ep 4 - Clean Heat: Accelerating the Decarbonization of Buildings in New York State - with Scott Smith, NYSERDA

Published: Feb. 10, 2021, 5 a.m.

Quantum Quote: \u201cThe People who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world\xa0 - are the ones who do.\u201d\xa0 \u2013 Steve Jobs

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In the quest for the clean energy transition to a low-carbon economy, what do we consider a triple win? How about... customers save money, more jobs are created, AND we reduce carbon emissions?

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Scott Smith is the Clean Heating & Cooling Program Manager for the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). He manages the Clean Heating and Cooling Community Campaigns, helps electrify New York\u2019s Low- & Moderate-Income Housing stock, and is currently promoting clean energy solutions to communities throughout New York State.

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Scott considers himself a thermodynamics geek and a heat pump advocate. He decided to focus the remainder of his career on building electrification, a hard choice but super important work.\xa0

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In this episode, Scott talks about the mission at NYSERDA and New York State Clean Heat\xa0 to accelerate the decarbonization of heating of buildings in New York to help achieve the state\u2019s energy savings, greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets, and\xa0increase the pool of skilled labor for clean energy opportunities through heat pumps.

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Sign up for a free webclass to discover how easy it is to get ultra-efficient geothermal heating and cooling installed in your home \u2013 without the pain of emptying your savings account.

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In \u201cThe Power Of Earth with Comfort\u201d From ClimateMaster\xa0 free webclass\xa0 you\u2019ll discover the answers every homeowner needs to know, including:

  • How geothermal heating and cooling can draw energy from the ground beneath our feet (for pennies)
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  • The secrets to securing utility incentives and tax credits to pay for a large portion of your new geothermal system

and much more \u2026




Why is New York State moving to clean energy? Why are you personally involved with this program?

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Clean Energy is a win-win-win.\xa0 Customers save money, we create jobs and reduce our carbon emissions.\xa0

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Governor Andrew Cuomo\u2019s nation-leading climate and clean energy agenda outlined within the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) requires a 40 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and an 85 percent reduction by 2050 as well as a transition to a carbon-neutral economy across all sectors.\xa0

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In order to accomplish this, we must drive electrification into our new and existing building stock, which is one of the leading sources of greenhouse gas emission in New York State. We have to switch buildings\u2019 heating and cooling to energy-efficient electric heat pumps to replace fossil fuel heating and reduce the number of harmful carbon emissions, especially as we reduce the carbon output from the electric grid and/or when we combine heat pumps with on-site renewables.



What types of clean energy actions is New York State involved with?

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We\u2019re ramping the installation of large scale renewables to achieve a zero-emissions electricity sector by 2040 as mandated by the CLCPA. We\u2019re investing in the infrastructure needed for the vast majority of vehicles in New York to be all-electric, and increasing our investment in building electrification.

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What are the goals of the New York State Clean Heat Program?

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Beginning April 1, 2020, the NYS electric utilities launched the NYS Clean Heat Statewide Heat Pump Program to administer over $450 Million in available incentives. Visit your local utility\u2019s website for more details on heat pump incentives.\xa0

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NYSERDA is also investing $230 Million in Heat Pump Market Development including consumer awareness, workforce and supply chain development, and technology innovation and development.

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New York State Clean Heat helps achieve the state\u2019s energy savings and greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets using the installation of heat pumps.\xa0 Increase the pool of skilled labor needed to grow a quality-oriented industry, training 14,000 workers across the heat pump supply chain by 2025 and reduce the cost of heat pump installations to increase affordability to drive adoption.\xa0

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Between the $450 Million+ the utilities are investing in projects and the $230 Million that NYSERDA is investing in market development, our collective goals are to:

  • Achieve 3.6 TBtu of energy savings through the installation of heat pumps in approximately 130,000 buildings
  • Create 14,000 jobs across the heat pump supply chain
  • Reduce the installed costs of heat pumps by 25%
  • Increase shipments of heat pumps to NY by 50% with 90% of those shipped being cold climate

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How do New York State residents access the programs? Where can people find information?

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NYS Clean Heat Incentives are provided to qualifying contractors.\xa0 Each of the utilities has program information on its website.\xa0 There\u2019s also a page on our website nyserda.ny.gov. Choose \u201cFind a Program\u201d and look for \u201cNYS Clean Heat\u201d.\xa0 That page has a statewide list of eligible contractors and links to the utility program pages.

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One BIG and UNIQUE Value SUPER NOVA

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Heat pumps are super-efficient and the future of heating because they don\u2019t create heat.\xa0 They concentrate heat and move it around, thereby eliminating losses due to combustion, and are 2 to 4 times more efficient than the most efficient fossil fuel system.

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Heat pumps not only provide environmental benefits, they can provide energy bill savings, increase comfort levels, and provide health benefits compared to conventional heating and cooling technologies. All are priorities for us as we look to give consumers smarter, cleaner energy choices.

What is the one thing you are most ENERGIZED about today?

I\u2019m pretty energized by the heat pump I got for Christmas.\xa0 My family room, which had baseboard electric heat, was never comfortable in the winter.\xa0 Now it\u2019s comfortable AND I\u2019ve already saved $100!

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A parting piece of guidance: \u201dIt\u2019s important to insulate and air seal your house when you get your heat pump system!\u201d

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Important Links:

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Connect with Scott Smith:

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