On-site Power Applications

On-site Power Market Development activities include the installation of new electric power generators on the customer’s side of the meter in Combined Heat and Power (CHP) applications, and certain Renewable Portfolio Standard Customer-Sited Tier technologies consisting of Anaerobic Digester Gas-to-Electricity (ADG), Fuel Cells, On-Site Wind, and larger-scale (greater than 200 kW) solar photovoltaic (PV) under the NY-Sun Competitive PV Program.

Program Availability:

Certain programs are open continuously and receive applications on a first-come/first-served rolling admission basis. Other programs are offered periodically through a competitive format, where proposals received in response to a given due date will undergo a “merit review” by NYSERDA’s Technical Evaluation Panel (TEP); these programs typically have one or two due dates per year.

Combined Heat and Power (DG-CHP) Acceleration supports the production of electric power at or near the point of use (often called on-site power) through a technique that improves the system’s fuel-efficiency by recycling the exhaust heat from the generator for useful purposes. Often called Cogeneration, this simultaneous production of useful heat and power is more efficient, and can be more economical than the traditional model of buying central-station-produced electric power and making one’s own heat in an on-site furnace or boiler. Typically, a CHP system is used to displace a portion of the electricity purchased from the utility grid, as it is rare that a site has the ideal electric-to-thermal ratio and usage patterns where a CHP system could be efficient at displacing all services from the utility grid. This program replaces NYSERDA's decade-long CHP Demonstration Program which stimulated the DG-CHP marketplace in New York State by funding the demonstration of high-efficiency CHP systems in industrial, institutional, commercial, and residential applications, and thereby created models for others to replicate. Those demonstrations also addressed hurdles to widespread deployment of CHP imposed by previous siting and permitting regulations, utility interconnection rules and standby service tariffs. After analyzing the rigorously-documented lessons learned and vetting them through conferences and workshops, hosting of tours at CHP demonstration sites, and display of monitoring data showing actual CHP system performance, NYSERDA has identified proven configurations that can be installed faster, better and cheaper. The new CHP Acceleration Program will leverage these proven configurations via a new streamlined grant administration format to achieve follow-on replication. View CHP performance data for over 138 current projects on NYSERDA's CHP page. Contact: Ed Kear (ebk@nyserda.ny.gov): 518-862-1090 ext. 3269 or Scott Larsen (LSL@nyserda.ny.gov) 518-862-1090 ext. 3208.

For more information on CHP, see NYSERDA's DG/CHP website

NY-Sun Competitive PV Program supports the installation of large-scale systems across New York State using funds from the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS). This Program invites proposals for the installation of customer-sited PV projects in New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) load zones A through J. All systems must be greater than 50 kW and are competitively selected based on bid price. Contact Paul Vainauskas (pk2@nyserda.ny.gov): 518-862-1090 ext. 3554, Alison Neligan (aln@nyserda.ny.gov): 518-862-1090 ext. 3397, or Davetta Thacher (dmt@nyserda.ny.gov): 212-971-5342 ext. 3603 for more information

For additional information, see PON2589 NY-Sun Competitive PV Program

Special Program Support

The On-site Power Applications Program has helped establish the following Technical Assistance Contractor to provide specialty services to the NYS cleantech community.

Northeast Regional Clean Energy Applications Center at Pace University/UMass
This Center encourages the deployment of the clean energy technologies, including combined heat and power, waste heat recovery and district energy, in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont through educating prospective end-users and policymakers and through providing project support. Primary funding for the Center comes from the US Department of Energy with support from NYSERDA. The Center also supports the Northeast CHP Inactive (NECHPI) which holds several workshops and meetings during the year through the region. Contact: Edward Kear (ebk@nyserda.ny.gov) 518 862-1090 ext. 3269.

For information on the On-site Power Applications Program, contact Dana Levy (DLL@nyserda.ny.gov) 518 862-1090, ext. 3377