Clean Energy and Sustainability Resources
Climate Smart Communities Tutorial Videos
This Climate Smart Communities tutorial series was created by HVRC in partnership with NYSDEC and NYSERDA to help guide municipalities through the Climate Smart Communities Portal, Certification Actions, and Certification Applications. After viewing HVRC’s tutorials, explore the excellent content available in the NYS Climate Smart Communities Portal.
Tutorial 1:
00:00 - Intro
00:40 - Check for Prior Registration
02:19 - Create an Account
03:25 - Registration
04:55 - Update Municipality Profile & Manage Users
Tutorial 2:
00:00 - Intro
00:56 - About Certification
01:43 - About Actions
04:22 - Locating CEC/CSC Crosswalk Document & CSC Certification Checklist
06:03 - Exploring Certification Actions
07:22 - Selecting Certification Actions
09:40 - Viewing Other Communities' Approved Submission Documents
Tutorial 3:
00:00 - Intro
00:57 - Certification Application Cycle
02:24 - Submit Action Documentation
05:04 - Review & Submit Application
Tutorial 4:
00:00 - Intro
02:16 - Timelines & Application Dates
03:39 - Updating Actions
Renewable Energy Webinar & Resources
HVRC hosted a webinar on how municipalities can complete the Renewable Energy actions: Own/Host Clean Energy Generation Installation, CDG Subscription, and Community Solar Campaigns. The webinar featured the Towns of Bethel and Red Hook and the Village of Hastings-on-Hudson on their process developing community solar projects on municipal land and lessons learned. The webinar also covered Scenic Hudson’s How to Solar Now Mapping Tool that has informed renewable energy siting decisions in Mid-Hudson communities.
PACE Financing Webinar & Resources
HVRC hosted a webinar about using two different potential financing mechanisms to help not-for-profit and for-profit entities finance energy efficiency and renewable energy projects without high upfront costs: PACE and NY Green Bank. In addition, Orange County Planning Commissioner Alan Sorensen discussed Orange County’s 239 Review process for large warehouses, and how the County promotes PACE Financing for the installation of solar on all new large warehouses.
0:00 Introduction to the Clean Energy Communities Program from HVRC Clean Energy Communities Coordinator, Eleanor Peck
7:10 Sarah Smiley, Director of Municipal Membership and Transactions Manager, EIC PACE
26:44 Alan Sorensen, Orange County Planning Commissioner
37:00 David Davenport, Managing Director at NY Green Bank
56:20 Q&A
Additional Resources
LED Streetlights Webinar & Resources
HVRC hosted a webinar titled LED Streetlights: Lowering Costs and Carbon, with real-life cost savings information from local governments around the region and details about the free cost-benefit analysis report HVRC can provide to municipalities. We are grateful for the participation of the Town of Dover in Dutchess County and Town of Orangetown in Rockland County in the accompanying panel discussion, and for the following communities that provided cost savings data from their LED Streetlight Conversion:
City of Beacon, Dutchess County
Town of Bethel, Sullivan County
Town of Clarkstown, Rockland County
Town of Dover, Dutchess County
Village of Irvington, Westchester County
City of Kingston, Ulster County
Town of Marbletown, Ulster County
Town of North Salem, Westchester County
Town of Orangetown, Rockland County
Additional Resources
NYSERDA LED Streetlight Toolkit including:
- LED Streetlight Academy webinars
- Report from the Mid-Hudson Street Light Consortium describing and assessing the costs and advantages of different ownership models and financial strategies
EPA ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager Training Resources
HVRC hosted a training to equip municipalities to accomplish the Benchmarking – Advanced Reporting action. Attendees were walked through the process of entering their municipal buildings’ energy use data into the EPA’s Energy Star Portfolio Manager tool to generate a report that describes site energy use intensity, greenhouse gas emissions, and greenhouse gas emissions intensity. These three factors can help communities understand which buildings are their highest emitters and make plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from their building stock in the most cost-effective manner. If your municipality is interested in completing the Benchmarking – Advanced Reporting action, please connect with your Clean Energy Communities Coordinator for training. Thank you to Clarkson University’s Beacon Institute for Rivers and Estuaries for use of their facility to host the training.
Additional Resources
Clean Fleets Webinar & Resources
HVRC’s 2024 ZEV Infrastructure Walkthrough Webinar goes through the NYSDEC ZEV Infrastructure Grant, the application process, and stackable funding sources for electric vehicle charging stations.
Additional Resources
HVRC’s July 2022 webinar, Funding Zero-Emissions Fleets, discussed the rebates and incentives that are available to reduce the cost of electric vehicles and infrastructure. Attendees were walked through the process of applying for the NYSDEC ZEV Infrastructure Grant, NYSDEC ZEV Rebate and given an overview of other opportunities, including the Joint Utilities Make-Ready Program, the New York Truck Voucher Incentive Program and the EPA’s Clean School Bus programs.
Note: In this recording, it is indicated that communities that use utility Make-Ready funding as match for the ZEV Infrastructure Grant need to apply for that funding ahead of time. The municipality can apply ahead of time, but if not, they will need to estimate the funding that will be provided by the Make-Ready Program to the project, if it is included in the municipal match.
Community Campaigns
HVRC created a Community Campaigns Webpage that provides an overview of clean energy community campaigns and describes how to get started.
Community solar array in Saugerties, NY
Clean Energy Institute Resources: 2021-2022
CECI Brochure
In 2021 and 2022, the Hudson Valley Regional Council created the Clean Energy Communities Institute (CECI). Our goal for this Institute was to walk communities through the CEC High Impact Actions and how to accomplish them. Focus was on a single High Impact Action each month, providing action oriented webinars, testimonials, in person cohort-style workshops, and useful content.
Unified Solar Permit Case Studies & Resources
Municipalities can adopt the Unified Solar Permit to streamline the approval process for installing small-scale distributed solar – saving time and resources for all parties involved.
Is your community considering adoption of the permit, but you still have some questions? Look no further. Dozens of Mid-Hudson municipalities have adopted the Unified Solar Permit so far. We interviewed three Mid-Hudson communities that have undertaken this action to find out why they adopted the permit, whether there were any challenges, and how the solar permitting process has changed since adoption. Our overall takeaway? Adopting the Unified Solar Permit is easier than expected, and considerably shortens time necessary for solar permit review.
Special thanks to Code Enforcement Officer Jim Hanson and Building Clerk Michelle Reed
Special thanks to Building Inspector Kenneth McLaughlin and Climate Smart Task Force Member Jennifer Dowley
Special thanks to Supervisor Michael Sweeton
Additional Resources
NYStretch Energy Code Case Studies
HVRC created the NYStretch Energy Code Video Case Study Series to provide an in-depth perspective on communities’ adoption of NYStretch. We interviewed some of the early NYStretch adopters to understand why they adopted the code, what the challenges were and how they were overcome, and what the code implementation experience has been. Special thanks to the three communities interviewed for sharing their NYStretch experiences (ear buds or headphones may result in the best listening experience for the videos).
NYStretch Resources
Case Study Videos
0:00 Introduction
2:36 Welcome to NYStretch in Bethel
3:13 Bethel’s motivations for adopting NYStretch
7:09 The elected official perspective
10:06 Building department concerns
13:16 Builder and resident concerns
Speakers: Supervisor Daniel Sturm and Sustainable Bethel Co-Chair Jeffrey Allison
Contact: Supervisor Daniel Sturm (bethelsupervisor@libertybiz.rr.com)
Town website: https://townofbethelny.us/home
Sustainable Bethel Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/SustainableBethelNY
Town stats: population of 4,255 (2010 census); land area of 85.27 square miles
Favorite clean energy project: Solar array being constructed on the Town’s capped landfill will secure 100% solar energy for all municipal operations and will provide electric energy to 400 residents through a Community Solar Community Campaign. This project transitions Bethel residents and other utility users to renewable energy, generates $26,000+ annually to the Town in lease payments for the next 25 years, and uses an otherwise undevelopable Town property to achieve all of the foregoing.
Municipal buildings owned/operated: 6, five of which are 1,000SF or larger
Permits applications: 420 – 500 applications received annually
Building department size: 1 full-time code enforcement officer, 1 part-time building inspector, 1 part-time seasonal clerk
NYStretch adoption timeframe: 11 weeks; serious deliberations began February 24, 2021, with the Town adopting on May 12, 2021
CEC HIAs completed: Benchmarking Municipal Buildings & Advanced Reporting, Clean Fleets, CSC Bronze Certification, Community Solar Community Campaign, ECET (CEC round 1), LED Cobra Head Street Lights, NYStretch, and Unified Solar Permit.
Energy Code Enforcement Training Resources
Hudson Valley Regional Council, with NYSERDA and Newport Ventures, is pleased to offer Energy Code Enforcement Training workshops to Code Enforcement Officials and Building Inspectors for local governments that enforce the Uniform Code for private buildings. The interactive workshops are focused on plan review and compliance, covering residential and commercial buildings. Communities whose enforcement officials attend earn 6 Department of State In-Service credits (3 Residential and 3 Commercial) and 200 Points in the NYSERDA Clean Energy Communities Program Leadership Round. Attendees are also eligible for 8 AIA credits (4 Residential and 4 Commercial) for architects. Incorporate these workshops into your in-service training requirements for 2022 starting in the Spring!
Current Training Opportunities
The next Energy Code Enforcement Training will be hosted on April 14th, 2022 at the Bedford Hills Community House. Code Enforcement Officials for Mid-Hudson municipalities can register at this link.
Testimonials
"Matt Evans with Newport Ventures presented the Commercial and Residential Energy Code in a practical application utilizing actual plan review and checklists to evaluate the plans provided. The training was provided in a classroom setting with a small group that provided the opportunity for interaction with the instructor and colleagues. The course provided an excellent opportunity to reinforce and build upon prior training opportunities provided by the Division of Codes." -- Michael Levine, Building Inspector, Town of Southeast
"The ECET workshop is very informative, and an awesome refresher on energy codes." -- Matthew Iarocci, Code Enforcement Officer, Village of West Haverstraw
Mid-Hudson Communities that Attended the 2021 Workshops:
City of New Rochelle
City of Rye
Town of Amenia
Town of Bethel
Town of Blooming Grove
Town of Clarkstown
Town of Cortlandt
Town of Gardiner
Town of Goshen
Town/Village of Harrison
Town of Highland
Town of LaGrange
Town of Lumberland
Town of Mamaroneck
Town of Marbletown
Town of New Castle
Town of North East
Town of North Salem
Town of Orangetown
Town of Southeast
Town of Thompson
Town of Tuxedo
Town of Union Vale
Town of Wallkill
Town of Warwick
Town of Wawarsing
Village of Buchanan
Village of Chester
Village of Dobbs Ferry
Village of Irvington
Village of Jeffersonville
Village of Kaser
Village of Larchmont
Village of Maybrook
Village of Millbrook
Village of Millerton
Village/Town of Mount Kisco
Village of Ossining
Village of Pelham
Village of Pomona
Village of Rhinebeck
Village of Walden
Village of Wappingers Falls
Village of Warwick
Village of Wesley Hills
Village of West Haverstraw
Additional Resources
Newport Ventures’ Residential and Commercial Code Workbooks for energy code enforcement
A reminder: if your community has adopted the NYStretch Energy Code, these additional trainings are available.